The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-05-01

I
The year 1890 haa come. January, Febu-
ayl March. Apul-a third Of the year gone
Who're D. your broken VOW sob, SAYS
some man, "lu attend % that when 4 /
Eet my character fixed up, when 1 cen
grt over my evil habits. 4 ana now giv- i
cn 20 strong drink" Or, says the man, "I i
avn given tO uucloBnliness." Or. says the 4
man. ~ am given 90 dishonesty. When 4 /
goo over my present habits, then Iil be a 4
thorough Christian" ~ brother. You viii /
zoe worse and worse until Christ takes y0u /
I'm hand. "N8l the righteous, sinners jesus /
came tn call Oh, but you say, 81 agree i
with You I'M all that but / must put Il on /
little longer Do you know there were /
many VINO came just as near us you nre 60 /
the kingdom OF God and never entered lU i |
was Wt Emthampion, and / went into the /
cemetery 90 look around, and in that GENE /
terry there are twelve graves side by side |
the graves OF sailors. This crew, some years |
ago. in "a ship went into the breakers nt
Amaeansett about three miles away. My |
brother, then preaching az Easthampton. had |
been ul tho burial. These men OF the crew
came very near being sHYed. Tho people /
from AmagansCtt saw the vessel aud they
shol rockets and they sent ropes from the
shore. and these poor fellows got into tho
boat and they pulled nightly Tor tho shore.
but just before they got to the shore the rope
were lost, their bodies aitorward washed up-
ON the beach. on what a solemn day it was
4 have been told Of Il hv my br0thfr-whon
these twelve men lay at the foot OF the pull
pit, and no read over them the funeral ser
vice. They came very near shore-Wiihin
shouting distance OF tho shoro-yet did not
arrive on solid land. There are some men
who come almost 70 the shore Of Gods mercy,
but not quite, not quite. To be almost suyed
Is 10 be lost.
/ will tell YOU OF two prodigals-the one
that got back and the other that did not get
back. In Richmond there Is a very prosper
Gus and beautiful home In many respects. A
Young man wandered on 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
there was a great cutlery. The young man
of the house ran down 20 open the door 70
see what was the matter. Il was midnight
The rest OF the family we're asleep. There
were the wife and children OF this prodtgal
young man. The fact was he had come homo
and driven them out He said; "Outot this
house, Away with these ehildrenl viii
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 nj home. went out 10 find this
/ prodigal brother and son, and he came 90
/ where he was and saw the young man wan
| dering up and down In front Of the place
/ where he had been staying, and the young
man who had kept his integrity said to tho
/ older brother: Here. what does all this
mean2 What is the matter with your Why
/ do you act 90 this wayYh The prOdigal
/ looked at him and said: "Who am II Who
do you take me to be?" He said, ''You are
my brother" "No. am not. am brute
Have you seen anything OF my wife and chill
dren2 Are they dead2 drove them out last
/ night IN the storm. / am a brute. John, do
you think there is any help for me? Do you
/ think / will ever get over this life OF dssipa-
tion?" He said. "John. there is one thing
that viii stop this" The prodigal ran his
finger across his throat and said "rhat will
stop it, and will stop 1t before night. Oh,
my brainl I can stand ii no longer" That
prodigal never got home. But will tell you
OF 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 a letter down to Mr. Griffin, saying;
"Mr. Griffin, 1 wish you would 80 and
see my two sons. They have arrived
] hHAAA1
take ship and going away from home.
/ wish you would persuade them back.
Mr.. Griffin went and tried to persuade
them back. He persuaded one to 60. He
went with very easy persuasion, because he
was very homesick already. The Other
young man said: ~ will not go, have had
enough OF home. I'll never go home,
"Well," said Mr.. Griffin, "then il you Wont
20 home, I'll get you a respectable position
| va
said the prodigal. mo, you won't l am
going as a private sailor, as a common
sailor; that will plague my father most, anC
what will do most to tantalize and worry
him will please me best" Years passed on
and Mr.. Griffin was seated in his study on,
day when a messenger came to him, saying
there was young man in irons on ship a
the dock-a young man condemned to deatl
who wished to see this clergyman. MIR.
Griffin went down to the dock and went on
shipboard. The young man said to him
"You don't know me. do your" INC" he
said, az don't know you." "Why, dont
you remember that young man you tried e
persuade to 60 home and he wouldn't gof'
ION, yes, said Mr. Griffin. "Ara you thai
MANI" ayes, am that man, said the other
al would like to have you pray for me.
have committed murder, and l must die
But don't want to go out of the world un
]
fathers friend, and would like to have you
pray for me-"
! Mr.. Griffin went from judicial authority tc
judicial authority to get that young mans
pardon. He slept not night nor day. III
went from influential person to iniiuentia
|, person until in some way he got that younl
) mans pardon. He came down on the dock
! and as he arrived on the dock with thu
pardon the father came. He had heard tina
his son, under a disguised name, had beef
committing crime and was going to be pu
. to death. So Mr. Griffin and the father wen
& en- ships deck, and at the very moment Mr.
: Griffin offered the pardon to the young mai
the old father threw his arms around tn
sons neck, and the son said "Father,
have done very wrong, and am very sorry
/ wish / had never broken your heart
I am very sorryl' "0h," said the father
"don't mention 1t. 1t won't make any differ
ence now. tits all over. forgive you, m
I! SON" And he kissed him and kissed hir
and kissed him. To-day offer you the pan
, don of the gospel-full pardon, free pardon
/ do not care what your crime has beer
. Though yousay you have committed Grim