The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-04-22

year. that amounts to nothing at all. Ii l re-
solve ut the service this dav to become q
Christian, that amounts to nothing at all. If
I resolve after go home to-day to yield my
heart to God. that amounts to nothing at all.
The only kind Of resolution that amounts to
anything is the resolution that Is Immediate
ly Dut into execution.
There is man who had the typhoid fever.
BE said: "Oh. if could get over this terri
BILE distress, if this fever should depart, II L
coul'i be restored to health. I would all the
rest OF my life serve God" The fever de.
parted. He got we'll enough to walk around
the block. He got we'll enough to go over
to business. He is we'll to-day-as we'll AS ne
ever was. Where Is the broken VOW inere
is a man who said long ago, III couid i've
to the year 1896. by that time Will nave my
business matters all arranSeu' Hs1 WI
have time to attend to religion. and VIII Be
a Good. thorough, consecrated Christian
The wear 1856 has come January, Febru-
arv, March, April-a third OF the year gone.
| Where is your broken vow! ION, says
some man. "Ill attend to that when I
cet nv character fixed up, when can
cet over my evil habits. l am now CIV
en- to strong drink" Or saws the man, Il
am given to uucleanliness." Or, says the
man. ~ am given to dishonesty. When l
get over my present habits, then I'll be a
| thorough Christian" My brother, you will
get worse and worse until Christ takes you
in hand. "Not the righteous. sinners Jesus
came to call" Oh. but you say, ~ agree
with you In all that, but must put 1t of a
little longer" Do you know there were
many who came Just as near as you are to
the kingdom of God and never entered it? l
was at Easthamp:on, and l went into the
cemetery to look around, and in that ceme-
terry there are twelve graves side by side
| ~ - htc vao oy-c
ago, in a ship went into the breakers ut
| AmaSansett, about three miles away. My
brother, then preaching at Easthampton. had
been at the burial. These men of the crew
came very near being saved. The people
| from Amagansett saw the vessel and they
shot rockets and they sent ropes from the
shore. and these poor fellows got into the
boat and they pulled nightly for the shore,
but just before they got to the shore the rope
rslapped and the boat capsized. and they
were lost, their bodies atterward washed up
on the beach. Oh, what Ts6rremn day 1t Was-
l have been told of It bv nv bfother-when
these twelve men lay at the foot 81 the pull
pit, and he read over them the funsrai ser
vice. They came very near shore-Wltn
shouting distance of the shore-yet did dVot
arrive on solid land. There are some men.
who come almost to the shore OF Gods mercy,
but not quite, not quite. To be almost saved
is to be lost.
I will tell you of two prodigals-the one
that got back and the other that did not sc.
back. In Richmond there is very prosper
Gus and beautiful home in many respects. A
young man wandered off from that home.
he wandered very far into sin. They heard
of him after, but he was always on the
wrong track. He would not 60 home. At
the door Of that beautiful home one night
fbar
of the house ran down to open the door to
see what was the matter. 1t was midnight.
The rest of the family were asleep. There
were the wife and children OF this prodigal
young man. The fact was he had come home
and driven them out. He said: "Out Of this
house! Away with these children! will
dash their brains out! Out into the STORM"
The mother gathered them up and fed. The
next morning the brother, the young man
who had staid at home, went out to find this
prodigal brother and son, and he came to
where he was and saw the young man wan
derIng up and dowo in front Of the place
where he had been staying, and the young
man who had kept his integrity said to the
older brother: "Here. what does all this
mean? What is the matter with you? Why
do you act in this way?" The prodigal
looked at him and said: "Who am l? Who
do you take me to be?" He said, "You are
my NO. l uul uOt. du nIulo'
Have you seen anything Of my wife and chill
dren? Are they dead? I drove them out last
night in the storm. am brute. John, do
you think there Is any help for me? Do you
think will ever get over this life of iissipa-
tion?" He said. "John, there is one thing
that will stop this" The prodigal ran his
finger across his throat and said: "That will
stop it, and will stop it before night. On,
my brain! I can stand it no longer" That
prodigal never got home. But will tell you
of a prodigal that did get home. In Eng
land two young men started from their
fathers house and went down to Portsmouth
Il have been there-a beautiful seaport.
Some Of you have been there. The father
could not pursue his children-for some rea-
son he could not leave home-and so he
wrote letter down to Mr.. Griffin, saying:
"Mr. Griffin, I wish you would 80 and
see my two sons. They have arrived
in Portsmouth. and they are going to
take ship and going away from home.
I wish you would persuade them back.
Mr.. Griffin went and tried to persuade
them back. He persuaded one to go. He
went with very easy persuasion, because he
young man said: 'Iwlll not 50, have had
enough Of home. .I'll never 80 home.
"Well," said Mr.. Griffin, "then if you won't
so home, I'll get you a respectable position!
on a respectable ship" "No. you WON'T"
said the prodigal. "No, you won't. I am
going as private sailor, as a common
sailor; that will plague my father most, and
what will do most to tantalize and worry
him will please me best" Years passed on,
and Mr.. Grif1n was seated in his study one
day when q messenger came to him, saying
there was young man IN irons on ship at
the dock-a young man condemned to death
who wished to see this clergyman. Mr..
Griffin went down to the dock and went on
shipboard. The young man said to him,
"You don't know me, do your" "No." be
said, 'I don't know you." !'Why. don't
you remember thar young man you tried to
persuade to go home and he wouldn't COY"
"Oh, yes" said Mr.. Griffin. care you that
MANI" eyes, am that man, said the other.
~ would like to have you pray for me. I
have committed murder, and I must die.
But don't want to 80 out Of the world un-
til some one prays for me. You are my
fathers friend, and would like to have you
pray for me-" :
Mr.. Griffin went from judicial authority to
judicial authority to get that young mans
pardon. He slept not night nor lay. He
went from influential person to influential
person until in some way he got that young
mans pardon. He came down on the dock,
and as he arrived on the dock with the
| phruOu tue latIeF cHtne. ne udu uedTu tHal
his son, under disguised name, had been
committing crime and was going to be put
to death. So Mr.. Griffin and the father went
On ships deck, and at the very moment Mr..
Griffin offered the pardon to the young man
| the old father threw his arms around the
sons neck, and the son said: Father, I
have done very wrong, and am very sorry.
I wish had never broken your heart. I
am very sorryI' "Oh," said the father,
'.don't mention it. 1t won't make any differ
ence now. tits all over. forgive you, my
| cnr =, nd ha kircad him and lissad him