The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1895-04-06

them to the shore of safety. They are
no sAearer that point than they were
twenty years ago. You think you have
Rotssthem almost to the shore, when
yousare swept back again. What shall
you 40? Put down the oar? Oh, no! I
do not advise that; but do advise that
you appeal to that God to whom the
Meoiterranean Oarsmen appealed-the
GodsWho could silence the tempest and
bring the ship in safety to the port. I
tell You, my friends, that there has got
to bs good deal Of praying before our
1amil1es are brought to Christ. All! it
Is an awful thing to have half house
hold on one side the line, and the other
partsof the household on the other side
Of the line! Two vessels part on the
ocean Of eternity, one going to the right
and the other to the 1eft-farther apart,
and farther apart-untl the signals
cease to be recognized, and there are
only two specks on the horizon, and
then they are lost to sight forever!
sc@# Tempting the Young.
have to tell you that the unavailing
efforts of the Mediterranean oarsmen
have counterpart in the efforts some
OF ussare making to bring our children
to the shore of safety. There never
was@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 pleasucable con-
course, yet God knows how anxious we
| are Tor our children. We cannot think
OF going into heaven without them.
We do5not want to leave this life while
they are tossing on the wave of tempta-
ton and away from God. From which
of them could we consent to be eternal
ly separated? Would it be the son?
Would it be the daughter? Would it
be theSeldest? Would it be the youngest?
| Would it be the one that is well and
stout, or the one that is sick? Oh, I
hear some parent saying tonight, IT
have tried my best to bring my child
ren to Christ, have laid hold Of the
oars until they bent in my grasp, and
have sbraced myself against the ribs
of the boat, and have pulled for their
eternal rescue; but I can't get them to
Christi Then I ask you to initiate the
men oftthe text, and cry nightly unto
God. We want more ilnportunate pray
ing OrIchildren. such as the father in
dulgedEin when he had tried to bring
his sixEsons to Christ, and they had
wandered off into dissipation. Then he
got down in his prayers, and said, 90.
God! take away my life if through that
means my sons may repent and be
broughtsto Christi and the Lord start
lingly answered the prayer, and in a
few weeks the father was taken away,
and through the solemnity the six sons
fed unto God. Oh. that father could af-
ford to die for the eternal welfare of
his children! He rowed hard to bring
them to the land, but could not, and
then he cried unto the Lord.
Their are parents who are almost dis
couraged about their children. Where
is your son tonight? He has wan
dered off, perhaps to the ends of the
earth. It 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
c:re much if you were dead! The
black edged lette: that brought the
tidings he would put in the same pack
age with other letters telling the story
do? Both paddles broken at the mid
die of the blade, how can you pull him
ashore? I throw you one oar now
will: which believe you can bring him
into harbor. It is the glorious promise:
Il 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-perh
on Thanksgiving day, perhaps next
Christmas day-~the prodHal may be
home; and if you crowd on his plate
more .luxuries than on any 9TH r plate
at. the table, I 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 because
the lost is found" Perhaps your pray.
ers 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 to come
when he can throw, his arms around
your neck and ask for forgiveness for
that he has been wringing your old
heart 50 long. Glorious reunion! that
will be too sacred to look upon: but !
would just like to look through the
windows when you have all got to-
gether 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.
Eeyond Human Power.
T. Again. I remark that the uEavailine
efforts Of the Mediterranean Oarsmen
has counterpart in the efforts which
I We are making to bring this world to
God. his pardon and safety. If this
world could have been saved by human
effort. it would have been do1e long
ago. John Howard took hold Of ' one
oar, and Carey took; hold 2of another
oar. and Adoniraln .Judson took, hold Of
4 .:nothel' oar, and Luther, took hold Of
Ianotlrr car, and John Knox took hold
i OF another oar, and they pulled until
they fell back dead from the exhaus-
=# ton. St'me dropped i'll the ashes of
Z! !n,artrydom, some on. the scalping
!. knives Of savages. and some into the
plague struck xoom Of the lazaretto;
and still the chains are not broken, and
Il still the desrot ei1ls are not demolished
tS,. w. Ia,