The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-02-15
Again 1 remark. that the Heavenlr

uuug OF evil naDlI. IL makes ME SaQ
TO see Christian people give up prod
igal as lost. There are those who talk
as though the grace of Goi were a
chain of forty or fifty links, and after
they had run out. there was nothing
to touch the depth of very bad case.
If they were hunting and got off the
track of the deer. they would look long
er among the brakes and bushes for
the lost game than they have been
looking for that lost soul. People tell
us that if a man have delirium tremens
twice he cannot be reclaimed; that af-
ter woman has sacrificed her integ-
rity, she cannot be restored. The Bible
has distinctly intimated that the Lord
Almighty is ready to pardon 40 times;
that is, seventy times seven. There are
men before the throne of God who
have wallowed in every kind of sin. but,
saved by the grace of Jesus. and washed
in His blood. they stand there radiant
now.
The Good Templars cannot save you,
although they are a grand institution.
The Sons of Temperance cannot save
YOU, although they are mighty for
good. Signing the temperance lodge
cannot save you. although believe in
t. Nothing but the grace of the Eter-
nai God can save you. and that will if
you will throw yourself on it. There
IS a man in this house who said to me:
Unless God helps me | cannot be de-
live-ed. | have tried everything. sir:
but now | have got in the habit of
prayer, and when | come to Il drinking
saloon | pray that God will take me
safe past. and pray until | am past.
He does help me-" For every man
given 20 strong drink there are scores
of traps set; and when he goes out on
business tomorrow he will be in in
finite peril. and no one but the
everywhere present God can see
that man through. o. they talk
about the catacOmbs of Naples
and the catacombs of Rome. and the
catacombs of Egypt-the burial places
under the city where the dust of a
great multitude lies: but | tell you
Ney Tori: has its catacombs. and Bos-
Ton is cataconbs. and Philadelphia its
catacOmbs. They are the underground
restaurants. full of dead mems bones
and all uncleanneSs- Young man. you
know it. God helps you. There is no
need OF going into the art gallery to
see in the skilled sculpture that won
derful representation of Il man and his
sons wound around with serpents.
There are families represented in this
house that are wrapped in the martyr
dom of fangs and scales and venOm-a
living laocOOn of ghastlinesS and nor
ror. What are you to do? | am not
speaking into the air, am talking to
hundreds Of men who must be saved
by Christ's Gospel or never saved at all
What are you going to do?
Do not put your trust in bromide of
potassium. or in jamaica ginger. or
anything that apOthecarieS can mix.
Put your trust only in the Eternal God,
and He will see you through. Some of
you do not have temptations every
day. II IS a periodic temptation that
comes every six weeks. or every three
months when it seems rs if the powers
OF darkness llindle around about your
tongue the fires of the pit. 1t is well
enough, at such time. as some of you
do, to seek medical counsel; but your
first and most importunate cry must be
20 God If the fiends will drag you to
the slaughter, make them do it on
your knees.
There are in this house those whose
hands 50 tremble from dissipation that
they can hardly hold book; and yet /
4,Tr 10
preach the Gospel and on communion
days carry around consecrated bread,
acceptable to every ybody, because of
their holy life. and their cOnsecrated
behavior. The Lord is going to save
you. Your home has got to be rebuilt.
Your physical health has got to be re-
stored. Your worldly business has got
20 be reconstructed. The church of
God is going to rejoice over your dis
cipleship. ''Other sheep have which
are not of this fold
While l have hope for all prodigals,
there are some people in this house
whom | give up. | mean those who
have been church-goers all their life,
who have maintained outward moral
ity. but who, Notwithstanding twenty,
thirty, forty years of Christian ad-
vantages. have never yielded their
heart to Christ. They are Gospel
hardened. l could call their names
now. and if they would rise up they
would rise up in scores. Gospel hard
ened, A sermon has no more effect
upon them than the shining moon on
the city pavement. As Christ says:
The publicans and harlots will go
into the kingdom of God before them"
They have resisted all the importantly
of Divine mercy and have gone, during
these thirty years, through most pow
erful earthquakes of religious feeling,
and they are farther from God than
ever After awhile they will lie down
sick. and some day it will be told that
they are dead. No hope.
But turn to outsiders with a hope
that thrills through by body and soul.
Other sheep have which are not of
this fold" You are not Gospel har-
dened You have not heard or read
many sermons during the last few
years As you came in to-day every
thing was novel. and all the services
are suggestive of your early days.
How sweet the opening hymn sounded
in your ears. and how blessed IS this
hour. Everything suggestive OF
Heaven. You do not weep, but
the shower is not far off. You
sigh. and YOU have noticed that there
is always a sigh in the wind before the
rain falls. There are those here who
would give anything if they could find
relief in tears. They say: oh, my
wasted lifei 9n. the bitter past. Oh.
the gre-es over which have stumbled
NVb;->,a, SbaII A,-o Alas fO-. the