The Portland daily press., 1895-03-19
is THE YOUNG MAN SAFE.
Rev. Mr.. Mills Thinks Not and Gives
Reasons Why.


Last ChuchNight-TodayW Will Be the
Great Day of God"
Chestnut Street sehureh was literally
packed last evening.
II Will Sing of My Redeemer" and
Sing 1t Over Again To Me-" were given
by the choir, after which Rev. Mr.. Wood
ward offered prayer. Mr.. Hills then
sang My Mothers Prayer" and Mr.. Mills
read Second Samuel, XVIII. chapter.
His reading Of this we'll known selection
was very fine. Mr.. Hills then sang
Where Is My Wandering Boy Tonight"
MIR. Mills then selected for his text
Second Samuel, XVIII, and a part of
the thirty verse: "Is the young
man safer" He said this was the cry of
king concerning rebellious subject,
and of a heart broken father concerning
a WayWard son, and in one respect, his
sorrow, We may compare David with
God, but David had much with which
to reproach himself, while God has done
all in his power for the sinner. This is
an important question. Not only may
some praying father and mother be ask
ing that question this evening, but God
may be asking Is the young man safe?"
Is the dissipated young man safe?
There is a moment when the young man
who yields at all yieldsmuch, and lust and
drunkenness conquers him. Mir. Mills
told with impressive earnestness a story
told him by Mr.. Crittenden of New York,
who. it will be remem bered, was one of
by the Christian Workers, and who es-
tablished the many missions for fallen
women that are now to be found in all the
large cities. The story was a thrilling
life history told by young man of his
own temptation and fall and the manner
many in that audience there had come
the feeling under like circumstances I
too might have fallen" Mr.. Mills's pic
ture of the ruined man crouched there
in the corner Of the hall, his troubled
soul looking out of hungry eyes, was
one Of his best passages.
John B. Cough in his latter years
would lift up his hand and say: "Young
men would give my right arm if
could forget what I learned from my
evil associates" You may think little of
it now, but the time will come when
looking down into the pure eyes of wife
and child you TOO would gladly forget
what you have heard, and what you
have been.
Is the dishonest young man safe? No,
not for a moment. I mean the young
man who is contracting debts he is I'M
able 10 pay, the youngaman who is TAX
ing money from the till of his employer
In..another city I was asked to talk with a
man in the back of the hall, and found
distinguished looking man Of 81. "Are
you Christian" I said, and the man
replied "No ] am notn I then said:
what is the matter?n and as he turned
his eyes on me his answer was burned
into my soul, "sin." ] saw that he was
a remarkable man, and at my request
he met me in room back of the plat
form, and there I heard something ofihis
story, and what a story it was. He had
led a life of crime almost from boyhood.
H had been forger, burglar, thief,
gam bier, blackmaler, and there was
hardly crime that man could commit
that he mad not committed, and if he
were to be imprisoned for the full term
provided for every crime he had commit
ted that Imprisonment would literally
last thousands of years.
say to you young men that if you are
even trifiing in the matter of honesty,
you are not safe. There is weaving
around you net work that you may not
be able to break.
How about the skeptical young man?
Is he safe? I do not mean the young
man who is doubter, but the one who
is opposed to Christ. l challenge you to
tell me what organized intidelity has
done for the world. What hospitals it
has built. You can write it's history in a
single line OF a single sheet of paper
nfidelity is destructive, not construct
i've.
Is the young man who is not drunk
ard or given to debauchery, but who is
not Christian, safe? No. But you say
"a man is safe if he does the best he
can?n True God asks no more than
that, but is the man who is not Chris
tian doing the best he can? I would not
want to take the purest heart of the pur-
est child and stand with it before the
blazing righteousness of God. I have
not a word, and never shall, to say
against morality. 1t is the right kind
of money but not enough of it. 1t is
the rope that is flung out to the sinking
man, but it isn't long enough. 1t is the
chain over cliff with 1000 links of steel,
and one of clay.
Is the Indifferent young man safe? No.
A man stopped train just before il
reached washout by fiinging lantern
into the cab, in that way telling the en-
gineer "There is danger ahead" And sc
tonight / want to cry danger, eternal
danger" to every procastinating young
man who is out of Christ.
Mr.. Mills then called upon those who
desired to lead a Christian life to rise uI