Connecticut western news., 1894-10-18

driven almost entirely from the school and the pleasurable concourse, yet God knows how anxious we are for our chil- dren. We cannot think of going into 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 be eternally 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 we'll and stout or the one that is sick? Oh, hear some parent say ing tonight: "I have tried my best to bring my children to Christ have laid hold of the oars until they bent in my grasp, and have braced myself against the ribs of the boat, and have pulled for their eternal rescue, but I can't get them to Christ. Then I ask you to initiate the men of the text and cry nightly unto God. We want more i'm portunate praying for children, such as the father indulged 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, 70 God, take away my life, if through that means my sons may re- pent and be brought to Christi" and the Lord startlingly answered the prayer, and in few weeks the father was taken away, and through the solemnity the six sons fled unto God. Oh, that father could afford to die for the eternal well L: Il. Ty fO bring them to the land, but could not, and then he cried unto the Lord.
 Prodigal Sons.
 There are parents who are almost dis couraged about their children. Where is your son tonight? He has wandered off perhaps to the ends of the earth. It seems as if he cannot get far enough away from your Christian counsel. What does he care about the fnrrows that come to your brow, about the quick whitening of the hair, about the fact that your back begins to stoop with the burdens? Why, he would not care much if he heard you were deadl The black edged letter that brought the tid- ings he would put in the same package
 
 his shame. What are you going to doi Both paddles broken at the middle of the blade, how can you pull him ashorei I throw you one oar now with which believe you can bring him into harbor. It is the glorious promise, "I 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 plate more luxuries than on any other plate at the table I am sure the brothers will not be jealous, but they will wake up all the 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 tc 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 I would just like to look through the 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.
 ToiIing For Souls.
 Again, I remark that the unavailing effort of the Mediterranean oarsmen has 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? do not not advise that But want you, Christian brethren, to understand that the church, and the md ho h0 r,,fo 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 oa prayer. '"They rowed hard Co bring it to the land, but they could not, wherefore they cried unto the Lord"
 No Self Salvation.
 Again. the unavailing effort of those Mediterranean oarsmen has 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 stout oar for my right hand, give me stout oar for my left hand, and will pull myself into safety" |"
 
 you one way, and wave of temptation comes and dashes you in another way, and there are plenty of rocks on which to founder, but seemingly no harbor into which to sail. Sin must be thrown overheard, or we must perish. There are men who have tried for years to be- come Christians. They believe all say in regard to a future world. They be- Eeve that religion is the first, the last, the infinite necessity. They do every thing but trust in Christ. They make 60 strokes in minute. They bend for ward with all earnestness, and they lie back until the muscles are distended, and yet they have not made one inch in ten years toward heaven. What is the reason? That is not the way to go to work. You might as we'll take frail skiff and put it down at the foot of NJ agara and then head it up toward the