Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-07-26


Here is a man who at fifty years OF age says
to you, "[ must be q Christian" and he
Yields his heart to God anil sits in the plaza
of prayer to-day Christian. None OF Us
can doubt it. He goes home. and he says:
"Here at fifty years OF age l have given my
heart TO the Saviour. Now must establish
n family altar" What! Whore are your
children now? One i'm Boston. another in
Cincinnati. another in New Orleans. an you,
nv brother at your fiftieth year going to
establish your family altar? Very well, bet
ter late than never but alas, alas. that you
did not do ii twenty-five Yeas ago!
When was in Chanouni, Switzerland,
I saw in the window OF one OF the s1o2j
picture that impres5e my mind very much.
II WAS picture Of an accident that occurred
on the side Of one Of the Swiss mountains.
A company Of travellers, with guides, went
up some very steep places places when but
few travellers attempted to go IN. Trey
were, as all travellers are there, ia3ten9 ID
gether with cords at the waist. 50 that IL oa9
slipped the rope would hold him, the ro9o
fastened to the others. Passing along to9
most dangerous point, one OF tne Huiue5
slipped aud they all starte dowl the preo-
pice. But after awhile one more muscular
than the rest struck his heels into the ic3
aud St. pped, but the rope broke, aud down.
hundreds and thousands OF feet, the rest
went.
AMI 50 1 SEQ whole families boun1 to-
gether by ties of affection and in mpny cases
walking on slippery places OF worldline55
and sin. The father knows it, aud ta3
mother knows it, aud they are bound all to-
gether, After awhile they begin to slide
down sleeper AMI sleeper, anl the father
becomes alarmed, and he stops, planting his
feet on the "rock Of ages" He stops. but
the rope breaks. AMI those wAO were once
tied fast to him by moral IN spiritual in
fluences go over the pro,pice On, there IS
such a thing as coming to Christ soon enough
to save ourselves, but not soon enough to
save others.
How many parents wake up in tho latter
part OF life TO find out the mistaSel The par
ent SAYS, 81 have been too lenient, or II
have been too severe in tho discipline OF my
children. If / hal the little ones around me
again, how different I would don' You will
never have them around again. The WORK Is
done; the bentto the character is given, the
eternityis decided. l say this to young pa
ents, those who ara twenty-five an thirty
or thirty-nve years OF age-have the family
alta tonight How do you suppose that
father felt as he leaned over the couch OF his
dyiug child, aul the expiring so1 said to
him: Gather, you hava been very good TO
me. You have given mo Il fine education,
an YOU have placed me in n tine social po-
sitiOn; YOU have done everything Tor me IN
n worldly sense; but, father, you never told
me how to die Now am dying, and am
afraid"
In this category OF irrevocable mistakes
place also the unkindnes5es done the de-
parted When L was BOY, my mother u5ei
10 say to me sometimes, "De Witt, you WIZ
ba sorry for that when | IA gone. Aud
remember just how she looke1. sitting there
with cap and spectacles AMI thu old Bible i'll
her lap, and shs never said a truer thing than
that. for l have often been sorry since.
While we have our friends with us We say
unguarded things that wound the feelings OF
those to whom we ought to give nothing DuL
kindness. Perhaps the parent, without IN
curing into tho matter, boxes the child 9
ears. The little one, who has fallen III the
street. comes in covered with dust. and a.
though the first disaster were not enough she
whips it. After while the child is taken.
or the parent is taken, or the companion ls
taken. and those who are left say: "Oh,
if we could only get back those unkind
words. those unkind deeds! If we could
only recall them!' But you cannot get
them back. You might bow down over
the grave of that loved one anil cry and
cry and cry. The white lips would MAKE no
answer The stars shall be plucke oIt OF
their go .llets. but these influences SHALL not
bs torn away. The world shall die, bus
there arc some wrongs i'm mortal. Ih9
moral of which is, take care of your friends
while you have them. Spare the scoldiny.
Be economical of the satire. Shut up III
dark cave from which they shall never swarm
forth all the words that have sting Ill them.
You will wish you had some day-Very 500 l
YOU will. perhlp tomorrow. GA, yes.
While with a firm hanI you administer par
entail discipline also administer ii very
gently. lest some day there be little sa)
in the cemetery an on it chiselel. "Our
Willie" or sour Charlie, and though yol
bow down prone in the grave and seek 4
Mace of repentance and seek it carefully
with tears, you cannot find it.
There is another sin that [ place in ths
class of irrevOcable mistakes, and that IL
lost opportunities OF getting goo never
cometo a Saturday night bat can see dur
ing that week that l have missed opportun-
tiles of getting COOL. never como TO my
birthday but can see that have wasted
many chances of getting better. Ineyer g
home on Sabbath from thu discussion Of Il
religious theme without feeling that [ might
have done it in more successful way. HOW
is il with you? If You take u certain number
of bushels of wheat and scatter thom oyerd
certain number of acres of land, you expect
a harvest in proportion TO the amount o.
seed scattered And | ask you now, Have
the sheayes of moral and spiritual harvest
correspondent with the ivantages g'venf
How has ii been with you? You may MAKE
resolutions for the future, but past opportun
tiles are gone. In the long procession OF future
years all those past moments VIII marcp, pul
80 flnfN "a "a
viii not wake m for voN Ga o. ul,se rvtvl-
leges. Esau has sold his lIr krg 4, and Their
is not wealth enough in the treas-re houses
ofheaven to buy it back again. What coz
that mean? It means that if YOU are gong tc
get any advantage out OF this Gabbath da}
YOU will have to get it before the hand whee!s
around On the clock TO u tonight 1t means
that every moment Of our life has two wings
| and that it does not fly like a haVi IN cir
| cles but in straight line from eternity to
eternity. 1t means that. thou Othe-
chariots may break down or dray heavily,
this one never drops the brake and never
ceases to run. 1t means that while at other
feasts the cup may be pa5sel to us G''d W
may reject it, and yet after awhile tate IT,
| the cupbearers to this feast never give us but
one chance at the chalioe, and rejecting that
we shall "fnd no place for repentance,
though we seek it carefully with tears.
There is one more class of sins that | put
in this category of irrevocabe sins AMI that
is lost opportunities OF usefulness. Your
business partner is a proud man. IN or IL
nary circumstances say to him. "Beleva in
Christ" and he will say "You mind your
business aud I'll mind mine But ther9 has
been affection in the household. His heart
is tender He is looking aroun TO- sy H.
pathy an solace. Now is your time SPEAK,
speak, or forever hold your pe1re. There u
| a time in farm life when you plant the cor
and when you sow the see |. Let thar 80 by,
and the far ner will wiring his han Is wailc
other husbandmen ars gathering in tho
sheaves. You are in a religious meeting,
- - = .L,,niI,r for Won a ena z