The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-04-15

ninety nine times out of a thousand is
that our resolutions amount to nothing
because we make them tor some dis
tant time. If I resolve to become a
Christian next year, that amounts
| to nothing at all. If resolve to be-
! come Christian tomorrow, that
amounts to nothing at all If re-
solve at the service this day to become
a Christian, that amounts to nothing
at all. If I resolve after l 60 home to-
day to yield my heart to God, that
amounts to nothing at all. The only
kind of resolution that amonts to any
thing is the resolution that is immedi-
ately put into execution. There is a
man who had the typhoid fever He
said, "Oa, if I could get over this ter
rible distress; if this fever should de-
part; if could be restored to health.
I would all the rest Of my life serve
God" The fever departed. He got
well enough to walk around the block.
He got well enough to go over to bus
mess He is we'll today-as we'll as he
ever was. Where is the broken vow2
There is man who said, long ago,
eff | could live to the year 1896, by
that time I will have my business mat
ters all arranged, and I will have
tinraaee ttc attend e religgieR, aud will
be a good, thorough, consecrated
Christian. The year 1896 has
come. January, February, March,
April-a third of the year gone.
Where is your broken vow2 "Oh, )"
saws some man, I'll attend to that
when I get my character fixed up,
when I can get over my evil habits; l
am now given to strong drink" Or,
SAYS the man, II am given to unclean-
ness" Or, says the man: i am
given to dishonesty. When | get
over my present habits, then I'll be a
thorough Christian" Ny brother,
you will get worse and worse, until
Christ takes you in hand. Not the
righteous, sinners Jesus came to call" )"
Oh, butyou say, Il agree with you in
all that, butt must put it off 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, I was at Easthampton,
and went into the cemetery to look
arou I'd, and in that cemetery there
are IL graves side by side-the graves
of sailors. This crew, some years
ago, in ship went into the breakes at
Amagansett, about three miles away.
My brother, then preaching at East
hampton, had been at the burial.
These men of the crew came very near
being saved. The people from ANA
gansett 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 snapped and the
boat capsized, and they were lost, their
bodies afterward washed upon the
beach. Oh, what a solemn day it was
Il have been told of it by my brother
when these II men lay at the foot
of the pulpit, and he read over them
the funeral service. They came very
near the shore-within shouting dis
lance of the shore, yet did not 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!
1 will tell you of two prodigals-the
one that got back, and the other that
did not get back. In Richmond there
is very prosperous 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
go home. At the door of that beauti-
full home one night there was great
outcry. The young men 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! I
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
his prodigal brother and son, and
he came where he was and saw
and saw the young man wandering up
and down 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 mean2 What is the mat
ter with youa Why do you act in
this way2" The prodigal looked at
him and said: who am II Who
do you take me to be?" He said,
you are my brother" ''No, I am
not. l am brute. Have you seen
anything of my wife and children?
Are they dead2 I drove them out last
night in the storm. I am brute.
John, do you think there is any help
for me2 Do you think I will ever get
over this life of dissipation2' He said
John, there is one thing that will
stop this" The prodigal ran his fin
gers across his throat and said: That
will stop it, and I will stop it before
night. Oh, my brain! I can stand 1t
no longer" That prodigal never got
home. But will tell you of prodi
gal that did get home. In England
two young men started from their
fathers honse and went down to Ports
MOUTH have been there-a beautiful
seaport. Some of you have been there.
The father could not pursue his chill
dren-for some reason he could not
! leave home-and so he wrote letter
down to Mr. Griffin, saying:
Mr.. Griffin, wish you would 60
and see my two sons. They have ar
rived in Portsmouth,, and they are
going to take ship and going away
from home. wish you would per-
suade them back"
Mr.. Griffin went and tried to per-
suade them back. He persuaded one
to 60. He went with very easy per-
suasion because he was very homesick