The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1894-02-02

gateway.
Waiting for you as mother waits for
her son who went off 10 years ago, drag
ging her bleeding heart along with him,
Waitingl Oh, give me- a comparison in
tense enough, hot enough, importunate
enough to express my meaning-some-
thing high as heaven and deep as hell
and long as eternityl Not hoping that
you can help me with such comparison,
I will say, "He is waiting as only the all
sympathetic Christ can wait for the COM
ing back of lost soul"
Bow the knee and kiss the Son.
Come and welcome, sinner, come
HOW LUTHER SAW THE TRUTH.
Again, the holy spirit is ready. Why
Is 1t that so many sermons drop dead
that Christian songs do not get their
wing under the people-that so often
prayer goes no higher than hunters
"holloY" 1t is because there is link
wanting-the work of the holy spirit.
Unless that spirit give graphing hooks
to sermon and lift the prayer and watt
the song, everything is dead failure.
That spirit is willing to come at our call
and lead you to eternal life, or ready to
come with the same power with which
he endorsed Saul on the Damascus turn
pike, and broke down Lydia in her fine
store, and lifted the 5000 from midnight
into midnoon at the Pentecost. With
that power the spirit of God now beats
at the gate of your soul. Have you not
noticed what homely and insignificant
s,,c ,t,1 Nv thn INIT Of (tp1
ploys for mans conversion?
There was man on Hudson river
boat to whom tract was offered. With
indignation he tore it up and threw it
overheard. But one fragment lodged on
his coat sleeve, and he saw on it the word
"aternity," and he found no peace until
he was prepared for that great future.
Do you know what passage it was that
caused Martin Luther to see the truth2
"The just shall live by faith" Do you
know there is one-just one-passage that
brought Augustine from life of dissi-
patton? "Put we on the Lord Jesus Christ
and make no provision for the flesh to full
fill the lusts thereof" 1t was just one
passage that converted Hedley Wears, the
great soldier, to Christ, 1.-THE blood of
Jesus Christ cleanseth from all SIM"
Do you know that the holy spirit used
one passage of Scripture to save Jonathan
Edwards? "Now, unto the king, eternal,
immortal, invisible, the only wise God,
our Saviour, be glory" One year ago on
Thanksgiving day read for my text,
ooh, give thanks unto the Lord, for he
is good, for his mercy endureth for
ever" And there is a young man in the
house to whose heart the holy spirit took
that text for his eternal redemption.
might speak of my own case. will tell
you l was brought to the peace of the
gospel through the Syro-Phoenician wom-
ans cry to Christ, even the dogs eat of
the crumbs that fall from the masters
table,"
TRUE ELOQUENCE.
Do you know that the holy spirit al
most always uses insignificant means?
Eloquent sermons never save anybody.
Philosophical sermons never save any
body. Metaphysical sermons never save
anybody. But the minister comes some
Sabbath to his pulpit worn out with en-
gagements and the jangling Of frenzied
doorbell. He has only text and two or
three ideas, but he says: 30 Lord. help
me. Here are a good many people may
say. Speak thou through my poor lips"
And before the service is done there are
fearful eyes and a solemnity like the
judgment.
The great French orator, when the
dead king lay before him, looked up and
cried, God only is greatr' and the tri-
umph Of his eloquence has been told by
the historians. But have not heard
that one soul was saved by the oratorical
flourish. Worldly critics may think that
the early preaching of Thomas Chalmers
was masterpiece. But Thomas Chal-
mers says he never began to preach until
he came out Of the sickroom, white and
emaciated, and told men the simple story
Of Jesus. In the great day of eternity it
will be found that the most souls have
been brought to Christ not by the Bos-
but by humble men, who, in the strength
Of God and believing in the eternal spir-
/ 1t, invited men to Jesus.
] There were wise salves, there were ex-
cellent ointments, suppose, in the time
of Christ for blind and infamed eyes.
But Jesus turned his back upon them
and put the tip Of his finger to his tongue,
and then with the spittle that adhered
to the finger he anointed the eyes of the
blind man, and daylight poured into his
blinded soul. Sc it is now that the spirit
of God takes that humble prayer meet
ing talk, which seems to be the very
saliva of Christian influence, and anoints
the eyes of the blind and pours the sun
light of pardon and peace upon the soul.
Oh, my friend, wish we could feel it
more and more that if any good is doneit
is by the power of Gods omnipotent
spirit. I do not know what hymn may
bring you to Jesus. do not know what
words of the Scripture lesson read may
save your soul. Perhaps the spirit Of
God may hurl the very text into your
heart, "Come, for all things are now
ready"
! GLORIOUS CHURCH.
Again, the church is ready. 0 man,
If could take the curtain off these Chris.
tian hearts, could show you great
many anxieties for your redemption.
You think that old man is asleep be.
cause his head is down and his eyes are
shut. No; he is praying for your re-
demption and hoping that the words
spoken may strike your heart. Do you
know the air is full of prayer? Do you
know that prayer is going up from Full
ton street prayer meeting and from Fri.
day evening prayer meeting, and going
up every hour ofthe day for the redemp-
ton Of the people? vAnd if you should
just start toward the door Of the Chris
tian church, how quickly it would fly
openl Hundreds of people would say
"Give that man room at the sacrament.
Bring the silver bowl for his baptism.
Give him the right hand Of Christian fell
lowship. Bring him into all Christian
4 associations"
Oh, you wanderer on the cold noun
tains, come into the warm sheepfold. !