The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-09-28

no need of our trying to come to Christ
as long as we keep fraudulently dol
lar or farthing in our possession that
belongs to another. Suppose you have
not money enough to pay your debts.
and, for the sake of defrauding your
creditors, you put your property in
your wife's name. You might
cry until the day of judgment for
pardon. but you would not get it with
out first making restitution. In times
of prosperity it is right, against rainy
day, to assign property to your wife;
but if. in time of perplexity, and for
the sake of defrauding your creditors,
you make such assignment. you become
a culprit before God. and you may as
well stop praying until you have made
restitution. Or suppose one man loans
another on bond or mortgage, with the
understanding that the mortgage can
lie quiet for several years, but as soon
as the mortgage is given, commences
foreclosure-the sheriff mounts the
auction block, and the property
is struck down at half price,
and the mortgage buys it in.
The mortgage started to get the
property at half price, and is thief
and robber. Until he makes restitu-
tion, there is no mercy for him. Sup
pose you sell goods by sample, and
afterward send to your customer an in
ferior quality of goods. You have COM
mitted fraud, and there is no mercy
for you until you have made restitu-
ton. Suppose you sell a man hand
kerchief for silk, telling him it is all
silk. and it is part cotton. No mercy
for you until you have made restitu-
ton. Suppose you sell man horse.
saying he is sound, and he afterward
turns out to be spawned and balky.
No mercy for you until you have made
restitution.
Exodus 20: ''If man shall steal an
OK or sheep and kill it or sell it. he
shall restore five oxen for an OK and
four sheep for sheep. If a thief be
founti breaking up, and be smitten
that he die, there shall no blood be
shed for him. If the sun be risen upon
him, there shall be no blood shed for
him, for he should make full restitu-
ton; if he have nothing, then he shall
be sold for his theft. If the theft be
certainly found in his hand alive.
whether it be OK, or ass, or sheep, he
shall restore double. If a man shall
cause "A field or vineyard to be eaten.
and shall put in his beast, and shall
feed in another mans field, of the best
of his own field and of the best of his
own vineyard shall he make restitu-
ton"
You say: 81 cannot make restoration.
The parties whom | swindled are gone"
Then | say: Take the money up to the
American Bible society and consecrate
it to God" Zaccheus was wise when
he disgorged his unrighteous gains.a and
it was his first step in the right direc-
ton.
The way being clear. Christ walked
into the house of Zaccheus. He becomes
a different man: his wife different
woman; the children are different. Oh!
it makes great change in any house
when Christ comes into it. How many
beautiful homes are represented among
you! There are pictures on the wall;
there is music in the drawing room.
and luxuries in the wardrobe, and
L full supply in the pantry. Even
if you were half asleep, there is one
word with which / could wake you and
thrill you through and through, and
hat word is ''home.' There are also
which there are neither pictures nor
wardrobe, nor adornment-onlv one
Dom, and a plain cot. or bunk in a
corner; yet it is the place where your
owed ones dwell. and your whole |
nature tingles with satisfaction when |
-ou think of it and call it home. |
Though the world may scoff at us and |
pursue us, and all the day we be tossed |
bout, at eventide we sail into the |
larbor of home. Though there be no
est for us in the busy world, and we
70 trudging about, bearing burdens
hat well nigh crush us. there is a
efuge, and it hath an easy chair in
which we may sit, and n lounge where
We may lie, and a serenity of peace in
which we may repose, and that refuge
5 home. The English soldiers, sitting
light heard company of musicians
Ia ying Home. Sweet Home" and it
said that the whole army broke out
4 sobs and wailing, so great was their
ome-sickness. God pity the poor,
liserable wretch who has no homel
Now suppose Christ should come in
o your house. First the wife and the
al 1.,ol 4
gion almost always begins there. 1t
easier for women to become Chris
ians than for us men. They do not
ght so against God. If woman tempt
d man originally away from holiness,
ow she tempts him back. She may
OF make any fuss about it, but some
ow, everybody in the house knows
nat there is change in the wife and
lother. She chides the children more
emily. Her face sometimes lights up
18th an unearthly glow. She goes in
, some unOccupied room for a little ;
hilc, and the husband goes not after
err. nor asks her why she was there.
e knows without asking that she
as been praying. The husband
offices that her face is brighter
ian on the day when, years ago. they [
ood at the marriage altar. and he 7
nows that Jesus has been putting i
pom her brow a wreath sweeter than I
lie orange blossoms. She puts the $
lildren to bed, not satisfied with the S
'rmal prayer that they once offered, Z
ut she fingers now and tells them of :
,sus who blessed little children and
the good place where they all hope
be at last. And then she kisses
lem good night with something that ;
lie child feels to be heavenly bene- ,
ction-a something that shall hold on