News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1894-10-18

point than they were 90 years ago. You
think you have got them almost to the
shore, when YOU ere swept back again
What shall you do? Put down the oar!
oh, no, do not advise that, but do
advise that you appeal to that God ia
who-l the Mediterranean oarsmen ap.
''e"'cd-the God who could silence the
s7npest and bring the ship in safety to
che portl / tell you, my friends, that
there has got to be a good deal of pray
ing before our families are brought TO
Christ All, il is an awful thing to have
half household ON one side the line
and the other part of the household ON
the other side of the linel Two vessels
part on the ocean of eternity, one going
to the right and the other to the left
farther apart and farther apart-until
the signals cease to be recognized and
there are only two specks ON the hori-
zon, and then they are lost to sight for
everl
Dangers to the Young.
/ have to tell you that the unavailing
efforts Of these Mediterranean oarsmen
have a counterpart in the efforts some
of us are making to bring our children
to the shoreof 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 entirely from the school
and the pleasurable concourse, yet God
knows how anxious we are for our chill
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 DE the
daughterP Would it be the eldest?
Would it be the youngest? Would it be
the one that isweu and stout or the one
that is sick? Oh, hear some parent say
ing tonight: II 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 l have pulled
for their eternal rescue, but | 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, if
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 fled unto God. Oh, that fathe'
could afford to die for the eternal vel
fare Of his children! He rowed hard to
bring them to the land, but could not
and then he cried unto the Lord.
ProdigaI 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. 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 to stoop with the
burdens? Why, he would not care
much if he heard you were deadl 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 the middle of
the blade, how can you pull him ashore?
| throw you one oar now with which |
believe you can bring him into harbor
1t is the glorious promise, 81 will be
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 luxEries than on any
other plate at the table | 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 70
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 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.
Toiling For ouls.
Again, 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,
| IL A. IL