The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-10-19


I have to tell you that the unavailing
efforts of these Mediterranean oars
men have counterpart in the efforts
some of US are making to bring our
children to the shore of safety. There
never were SO many temptations for
young people as there are now. The
literary and the social influences seem
to be against their spiritual interests.
Christ seems TO be driven almost entire
" from the school and the pleasure
able concourse. vet God knows how
anxious we are for our children. We
cannot think of going to Heaven with
out 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 be eternallv separated?
Would it be the son? Would it be the
daughter? Would it be the eldest?
Would it be the youngest? Would it
be the one that is well and stout,
or the one that is sick? Oh.
| hear some parent saying
tonight: Il have tried nv
best to bring my children to Christ. l
have laid hold of the oars until they
bent in my grasp. and l have braced
myself against the ribs of the boat, and
| have pulled for their eternal rescue:
but | can't get them to Christ" Then
/ ask YOU TO initiate the men of the
text, and cry nightly unto God. We
want more importunate 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: 20. God, take
away my life. if through that means
nv sons may repent and be brought to
Christ" and the Lord startlingly an
severed the prayer. and in few weeks
the father was taken away. and
through the solemnity of six sons fed
unto tod. Oh. that father could afford
TO die for the eternal welfare of his
children, lie rowed hard to bring
them to the land. but could not. and
then he cried unto the Lord.
There are parents who are almost
discouraged about their children.
Where i vour son tonight? He has
wandered off. perhaps, TO the ends of
the earth. II seems as if he cannot get
far enough away from your Christian
counsel What does ne care about the
burrows that come TO your brow: about
the quick whitening of the hair:
about thc fact that your back begins
to stooD with the burdens? Why. he
would not care much if he heard you
We're dead, The black edged letter
that brought the tidinrs 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 the middle of the blade. how
can Won pull him ashore? | throw you
one oar now with which | believe You
can bring him into harbor. 1t is the
glorious promise: Il will be a God to
thee. and 70 thy seed after thee
Oh. brOken-hearted father and moth
er. YOU have tried everything else
now make an appeal for the help and
omnipotence of the communicating
God, and perhaps at your next family
gathering on Thanksgiving
day. perhaps next Christmas day-the
prOdigal may be home: and if you
crowd on his plate more luxuries than
on any other plate at the t. bic. | am
sure the brothers will not be jealous.
but they viii wake up all the music in
the house. because the dead is alive
again and because the lost i found"
Perhaps your prayers have been an
svered 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 arms 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 the
windows when you have all got to-
gether 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.
Again. remark that the unavailing
effort of the Mediterranean oarsmen
has a 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 dropped in the ashes of martyr
dom. some on the scalping knives OF
savages and some on the plague
struck room of the lazaretto. and still
the chains are not broken. and still the
are not demolished. and
still the world is unsaved. What then?
Put down the oars and make no effort?
do not advise that. But | want you.
Christian brethren, to understand that
the church. and the school, and the
college, and the missionary society are
only the instrumentalities; 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 TO bring it
to the land. but they could not: where
fore they cried unto the Lord
Again. the unavailing effort of those
Mediterranean oarsmen has counter
part in every man that is trying 10 row
his own soul into safety. When the
Eternal Spirit flashes upon US our con-
dition. we try to save ourselves. We
say: Give me a stout oar for my right
hand. give me stout oar for nv left
hand. and will pull myself into safe
ty.- No. \ wave of sin comes and
dashes you one way and wave of
temptation comes and dashes you in