Connecticut western news., 1894-02-01

her son who went off 10 years ago, drag ging her bleeding heart along with him. Waitingl Oh, give me comparison in- tense enough. hot enough, importunate enough to express my meaning-some- thing high as heaven and deep as hell and long as eternityi 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 it 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 .shollo?' It is because there is a link wanting-the work of the holy spirit. Unless that spirit give grappling hooks to sermon and lift the prayer and wait the song, everything is a 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 unhorsed 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 instrumentality the spirit of God em- ploys for mans conversion?
 There was a 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 truth9 "The just shall live by faith" Do you know there is one-just one-passage that brought Augustine from life of dissi- patton? Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to full fill the lusts thereof" It was just one passage that converted Hedley Wears, the great soldier, to Christ, .The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin."
 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, .'Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever." And there is 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 I was brought to the peace of the gospel through the Syro-Phenician 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- agreements and the jangling of frenzied doorbell. He has only text and two or three ideas, but he says: 70 Lord, help me. Here arc good many people l. may never meet again. have not much to 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 I 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- suets and Massillons and Bourdaloues, but by humble men, who, in the strength of God and believing in the eternal spir- it, invited men to Jesus.
 There were wise salves, there were ex- cellent ointments. suppose, in the time of Christ for blind and inflamed 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 Io 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 done it is by the power of Gods omnipotent spirit. 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 ready"
 A GLORIOUS CHURCH.
 Again, the church is ready. O man, if could take the curtain off these Chris tian hearts, could show you a 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 of the day for the redemp- ton of the people? And 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 associations"
 Oh, you wanderer on the cold noun tains, come into the warm sheepfold. I let down the bars and bid you come in. With the shepherds crook point you the way. Hundreds of Christian hands beckon you into the church of God. A great many people do not like the church