Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-10-19

heaven without them. We do not want
to leave this life while they are tossing
on the waves Of temptation and away
from God. From which of them could
we consent to he eternally separated!
Would it be the son: Would it be the
daughter? Would it be the eldest!
Would it be the youngest? Would 1t be
the one that is we'll and stout or the one
that is sick? Oh, l hear some parent say
ing tonight: Il have tried my best to
bring my children to Christ. have laid
hold of the oars until they bent in my
grasp, and l have braced myself against
the ribs of the boat, and l have pulled
for their eternal rescue, but l can't get
them to Christ" Then l ask you to
initiate the men of the text and cry
nightly unto God. We want more i'm
Fortunate praying for children, such as
the father INDUCED in when he had
tried to bring his six sons to Christ and
they had wandered off into dissipation.
Then he got down in his prayers and
said, 80 God, take away my life, II
through that means my sons may re-
pent and be brought to Christ" and the
Lord startlingly answered the prayer,
and in few weeks the father was taken
away, and through the solemnity the
six sons fed unto God. Oh, that father
could afford to die for the eternal well
fare of his childrenl He rowed hard to
bring them to the land, but could not,
and then he cried unto the Lord.
Prodigal Soma,
There arc parents who arc almost dis
couraged about their children. Where
is your son tonight? He has wandered
off perhaps to the ends of the earth. 1t
seems as if he cannot get far enough
away from your Christian counsel.
What does he care about the burrows
that come to your brow, about the quick
whitening Of the hair, about the fact
that your back begins 70 stoop with the
burdens? Why, he would not care
much if he heard you were dead! The
black edged letter that brought the It'd
ings he would put in the same package
with other letters telling the story OF
his shame. What are you going to do!
Both paddles broken at tho middle Of
the blade, how can You pull him ashore:
l throw you one oar now with which l
believe You can bring him into harbor.
1t is the glorious promise, Il will be
a God to thee and to thy seed after
thee. " Oh, broken hearted father and
mother, you have tried everything else;
now make an appeal for the help and
omnipotence of the covenant keeping
God, and perhaps at your next family
gathering perhaps on Thanksgiving
day, perhaps next Christmas day-the
prodigal may be home and if you crowd
on his plato more luxuries than on any
other plate at the table am sure the
brothers will not be jealous, but they
will wake up all tho music in the house,
"because the dead is alive again and be-
cause the lost is found" Perhaps your
prayers have been answered already.
The vessel may be coming homeward,
and by the light Of this nights stars
that absent son may be pacing the deck
of the. ship, anxious for the time to
come when he can throw his arm around
your neck and ask for forgiveness for
that he has been wringing your old heart
so long. Glorious reunion, that will be
too sacred for outsiders to look upon, but
| would just like to look through this
window when you have all got together
again and are seated at the banquet.
Though parents may IN covenant be
And have their heaven in view,
They are not happy till they see
Their children happy too
Toiling For Souls.
Again, l remark that the unavailing
effort Of the Mediterranean oarsmen has
q counterpart in the effort which we are
making to bring this world back to God,
his pardon and safety. If this world
could have been saved by human effort,
it would have been done long ago. John
Howard took hold Of one oar, and Carey
took hold Of another oar, and Adoniram
Judson took hold Of another oar, and
Luther took hold Of another oar, and
John Knox took hold of another oar,
and they pulled until they fell back
dead from the exhaustion. Some drop
ped in the ashes Of martyrdom, some on
the scalping knives Of savages and some
into the plague struck room Of the laza-
retto, and still the chains are not broken,
and still the despotisms are not demol-
ished, and still the world is unsaved.
What then? Put down the oars and
make no effort? donot not advise that.
But l want you, Christian brethren, to
understand that the church, and the
school, and the college, and the mis-
sionary society are only the instrument
talities, and if this work is ever done at
all God must do it, and he will do it in
answer to our prayer. 'They rowed hard
70 bring it to tho land, but they could
not, wherefore they cried unto the
Lord. "
No Self Salvation.
Again, the unavailing effort Of those
Mediterranean oarsmen has o counter
part in every man that is trying to row
his own soul into safety. When the
eternal spirit flashes upon us our condi-
tion, we try to save ourselves. We say,
"Give me a stout oar for my right hand,
e.. 1.fN Io,,