The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-04-05


driven back. But who comes into the
nursery without feeling that angels are
lowering around. They who die in in.
fancy go straight into glory, but you
are expecting your children to grow up
i'll this world. Is it not a question, then,
that rings through all the corridors and
winnings and heights and depths of your
soul, what is to become Of your sons and
daughters for time and for eternity
"Oh," you say, II mean to see that
they have good manners. - Very we'll.
81 mean to dress them well, if have
myself to go shabby" Very good. 81
shall give them an education; shall
leave them fortune" Very we'll. But
is that all? Don't yol mean to take
them into the ark? Don't you know that
the storm is coming, and that out of
Christ there is no safety, no pardon, no
hope, no heaven?
How to get them in? Go in YOURSELF
If Noah had staid out, do You not sup
pose that his sons-Shem, Ham and
Japheth-would have staid out? Your
sons and daughters will be apt to do
just as you do. Reject Christ yourself,
and the probability is that your chill
dren will reject him.
The Family Altar.
An account was taken of the religious
condition of families in certain dis
trict. In the families of pious parents
two-thirds of the children were Chris
tians. In tho families where the parents
were ungodly only one-twelfth of the
children were Christians. Which way
will you take your children? Out into
the deluge or into the ark? Have you
ever made one earnest prayer for their
immortal souls? What will you say in
the Judgment when God asks, "Where
is George or Henry Or Frank or Mary
or Anna? Where are those precious souls
WihIsn interests l committed into your
hands?"
A dying son said to his father, "Fa-
ther, you gave me an education and
good manners and everything that the
world could do for me, but, father, you
never told me how to die, and now my
soul is going out in the darkness. "
Oh, yeywho have taught your children
how to live, have you also taught them
how to die? Life here is not SO impor-
tant as the great hereafter. 1t is not so
much the few furlongs this side of the
grave as it is tho unending leagues be-
You'd. o eternity, eternityl Thy locks
white with the ages, thy voice announc-
ing stupendous destiny. thy arms reach
ing across all the past and all the futurel
o eternity, eternity
Go home and erect a family altar.
You may break down in your prayer.
But never mind, God will take what
you mean. whether you express it intel
lightly or not Bring all your house in
to the ark. Is there one son whom you
have given up? Is he SO dissipated that
you have stopped counseling and pray
ing? Give him up? How dare you give
him up? Did God ever give you up?
While you have single articulation of
speech left, cease pot to pray for the re-
turn of that prodisal. He may even now
be standing on the beach at Hongkong
or Madras, meditating a return to his
fathers house. Give him up? Never
give him up Has God promised to hear
thy prayer only to mock thee? 1t is not
too late.
The Open Door.
In ST. Paul's, London, there is whis-
pering gallery. A voice uttered most
feebly at one side of the gallery is heard
distinctly at the opposite side, great
distance off. So every word Of earnest
prayer goes all around the earth and
makes heaven whispering gallery. Go
into the ark-not to sit down, but to
stand in the door and call until all the |
family come in. Aged Noah, where is
Japheth? David, where is Absalom?
Hannah, where is Samuel?
On one of the lake steamers there We're
a father and two daughters journeying
They seemed extremely poor. A benevo-
lent gentleman stepped up to the poor
man to proffer some form of relief and
said, "You seem to be very poor, sir. "
Poor, sir, replied the man, eff there's
poorer man than me a-troublin the
world, God pity both of us!' 81 will
take one of your children and adopt it,
if you say So think would be great
relief to you. l." "a what?" said the
poor man. "A relief Would it be re-
lief to have the hands chopped off from
the body, or the heart torn from the
breast? A relief indeed God be good to
usl What do you mean, sir?" However
many children we have we have none
to give up Which of our families can
we afford to spare out of heaven? Will
it be the oldest? Will it be the young
est? Will it be that one that was sick
some time ago? Will it be the husband?
Will it be the wife? No, mol We must
have them all in. Let us take the chill
dren's hands and start now. Leave not
one behind. Come, father; come, moth
er; come, son; come, daughter; come
brother; come, sister, Only one step and
we are in, Christ, the door, swings out
to admit us. And it is not the hoarse-
ness of stormy blast that you hear, but
the voice of loving and patient God
that ddresses you, saying, Come, thou
and all thv house, into the ark. l" And
there may the Lord shut us inl
A Modest Vsgrsnt.
Excuse poor man out of work.
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