Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1895-04-18

atcs. They will wait until they gel
older. They say, you cannot expect
a man of my attainmcnts and of my
position to surrender myself just now.
But before the storm comes will go
in. Yes. l will l know what am
about. Trust me" After awhile, one
night about II o'clock, going home. lie
passes n scaffolding just as a gust of
wind strikes it, and n plank falls.
Dead! And outside the ark! Or,
riding in the park, n reckless vehicle
crashes into him, and his horse be-
comes unmanagable, and he shouts,
"Whoa! whOaw and takes another
twist in the reins and plants his feet
against the dashboard. and pulls back.
But no use. 1t is not so much down
the avenue he flies as on the way to
eternity. Out Of the wreck of the
crash his body is drawn, but his soul
is not picked up. 1t tied behind a
swiftcr courscr into the great future.
Dead! and outside the ark! Or. some
night he wakes up with distress
that momentariIy increases until lie
Shrieks out in pain. The doctors ccme
in, and they give him twenty drops,
but no relief; forty drops. fifty drops.
sixty drops, but no relief. No time
for prayer. No time to read one of
the promises. No time to get single
sin pardoncd. The whole house is
aroused in alarm. The children cry.
Inc Wife faints. The pulses fail. The
heart stops. The soul flies. Dead.
and outside the ark!
have no doubt that dcrision kept
many people out OF the ark. The
world laughed to see II man so in. and
said: Here is man starting for the
ark. Why, there will be no dcIuge.
If there is one that miserable ship
will not weather it. Aha! going into
the ark! Well. that is too good to
keep. Here fellows. have you heard
the news? This man is going into the
ark" Under this artillery of scorn
the mans good resolution persisted.
And so there are hundreds kept out
by the fear of derision. The young
man asks himself, "What would they
say at the store tomorrow morning
if l should become q Christian? When
go down to the club house they will
shout, Here comes that new Chris
tian. Suppose you will not have any
thing to do with us now. Suppose you
are praying now. Get down on your
knees and let us hear you pray. Come,
now, give us touch. Will not do it.
eh? Pretty Christian. you arew Is it
not the fear Of being laughed at that
keeps !s,u out of the kingdom of God?
Which of these scorncrs will help You
at the last? When you lie down on n
dying pillow. which of them will he
there? In the day of eternity, will
they bail you out?
My friends and ncighbors. come in
right away. Come in through Christ,
the wide door-the door that swings
ont toward you. Come in and lie
saved. Come in and he happy. "lhe
Spirit and the Bride say. come" Room
in the ark! Room in the ark.
But do not come alone. The text in
vites Won to bring your family. 1t
says, Thou and thy sons and thy
wife" You cannot drive them in. If
Noah had tried to drive the pigeons
and the doves into the ark he would
only have scattered them. Some par
ents are not wise about these things.
They make iron rules about Sabbaths,
and they force the catechisln down
the throat, as they would hold the
child's nose and force down dose
of rlubarb and calomel. You cannot
drive your children into the ark. You
can draw your children to Christ but
you cannot coclce them. The cross
was lifted. not to drive. but to draw.
eff be lifted up. will draw all men
unto me-" AS the sun draws up the
Of u nf
eXhales the tears Of re-
pentence.
BE sure that you bring your hus-
band and wife with you. How would
Noah have felt II, when he heard the
lin pattering on the roor of the ark.
lie knew that his wife was outside -
the storm? No; she went with him.
And yet some OF you are on the ship
outward bound" for heaven; but your
companion is unshcltered. You re-
member the day when the marriage
ring was set. Nothing has yet been
able to break it.. Sickness came, and
the finger shrank, but the ring staid
on. The twain stood alone above a
child's grave, and the dark mouth of
the tomb swallowed up n thousand
hopes; but the ring dropped not into
the open grave. Days of poverty
came. and the hand did many hard
days work; but the rubbing of the
work against the ring only made it
shine brighter. Shall that ring ever
be lost? Will the iron clang of the
scpulcher gate crush it forever? l
pray God that you who have been
on earth may be together in
heaven. Oh! by the quiet bliss of yo:r
earthly home; by the babc's cradle:
by all the VOWS Of that day when YOU
started life together. beg you to see
to 1t that you both get into the ark.
Come in and bring your wife or your
husband with you--not by fretting
about religion, or ding-donging them
about religion, but by a consistent
life and by n compelling prayer that
shall bring the throne of God down
into your room. Go home and take up
the Bible and read it together, and
then kneel down and commend your
souls to him who has watched You all
these years; and before you rise there
will be fluttering Of wings over your
head, angel crying to angel, Behold!