Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-01-25

of deed or any words of appreciation,
why do you not say SO? How much we
might all Of Us save ourselves in the
matter of regrets if we did not delay I'M
til toe late an expression of obligation
that would have made the last years Of
earthly life more attractive. The grave
is deaf, and epitaphs on cold marble
cannot make reparation.
In conjugal life the honeymoon is
soon past, and the twain take it for
granted that each is thoroughly under
stood. How dependent on each other
they become, and the years go by, and
perhaps nothing is said to make the
other fully understand that sense of de-
pendence. Impatient words sometimes
come forth, and motives ara misinter-
preted, and it is taken as matter of
course that the two will walk the path
Of Life side by side until about the same
time their journey shall be ended, but
sone sudden and appalling illness I'M
loosens the right hands that were clasped
years before at the altar of orange bios
SONS, the parting takes place, and
among the worst of all the sorrows is
that you did not oftener, if You ever did
at all, tell her or tell him how indis-
pensable she was Or how indispensable
he was to your happiness, and that in
some plain, square talk long ago you did
not ask for forgiveness for infrmities
and neglects, and by some unlimited ut
terance make it understood that you
fully appreciated the fidelity and re-en-
forcement of many years. Alas, how
many such have to lament the rest of
their lives, "Oh, if had only said SOP
Let the Redeemed Say So.
My subject takes a wider range. The
Lord has hundreds of thousands of peo-
pie among those who have never Joined
his army because of some high ideal of
what Christian should be or because
Of fear that they may not hold out or
because of a spirit Of procrastination
They have never publicly professed
Christ. They have as much right to the
sacraments and as much right to all tho
privileges of the church as thousands
who have for years been enrolled in
church membership, and yet they have
made no positive utterance by which the
world may know they love God and are
ON the road to heaven. They are re-
deemed of the Lord and yet do not say
so. Oh, what an augmentation it would
be if by some divine impulse all those
outsiders should become insiders. tell
you what would bring them to their
right places, and perhaps nothing else
will-days of persecution. If they were
compelled to take sides as between
Christ and his enemies, they would take
the side of Christ, and the fagots and
the instruments of torture and the anath-
emas of all earth and hell would not
make them blanch. Martyrs are made
out of such stuff as they are. But let
them not wait for such days as pray
to God may never come. Drawn by the
sense of fairness and justice and obliga-
ton, let them show their colors. Let the
redeemed of the Lord say so.
This chapter from which l take my
/ text mentions several classes of persons
who ought to be outspoken, among
them all those who 60 ON journey.
What an opportunity you have, you who
spend so much of your time on rail trains
or ON shipboard, whether ON lake or
river or sea Spread the story of God 8
goodness and your own redemption
wherever you go. You will have many
long ride beside some one whom you
will never see again, some one who is
waiting for one word of rescue or con
ISOLATION. Make every rail train and
steamer moving palace of saved souls.
Casual conversations have harvested a
| great host for God.
There are many Christian workers i'll
pulpits, in mission stations, in Sabbath
schools, in unheard of places who are do
ing their best for God and without any
recognition. They go and come, and no
one cheers them. Perhaps all the reward
they get is harsh criticism, or repulse,
or their own fatigue If you have ever
heard of any good they have done, let
them know about it. If You find some
one benefited by their aims, or their
prayers, or their cheering word, go and
tell them. They may be almost ready to
give up their mission. They may be al
/ most III despair because of the seeming
lack of results. One word from you may
4 be an ordination that will start them on
the chief work of their lifetime. A
| Christian woman said to her pastor !:
| My usefulness is done. / do not know
why my life is spared any longer, be-
cause can do no good. " Then the pas
tor replied, You do me great good ev-
cry Sabbath. She asked, How do I do
you any good?'' and he replied, ''In the
| first place, you are always in your seat
IN the church, and that helps me, and in
the second place you are always wide
/ awake and alert, looking right up into
/ my face, and that helps me, and in the
/ third place | often see tears running
down your cheeks, and that helps me. y
What good thing he did not wait until
she was dead before he said so!
Why Not Bestow Praise?
There are hundreds of ministers who
have hard work to make sermons be-
cause no one expresses any appreciation.
They are afraid of making him vain.
| The moment the benediction is pro-
nounced they turn ON their heels and go
out. Perhaps it was subject on which
he had put especial pains. He sought for
the right text, and then did his best to
put the old thought into some new shape.
He had prayed that it might go to the
hearts of the people. He had added to
the argument the most vivid illustra-
tions he could think of. He had deliver
ed all with power that left him nerv-
ously exhausted. Five hundred people
may have been blessed by it and resolved
upon higher life and nobler purposes.
Yet all he hears is the clank Of the pew
door. or the shutting of feet in the
aisle. or some remark about the weather,
the last resort Of inanity. Why did not
that man come up and say frankly,
You have done me good?i Why did
not some woman come up and say, II
shall go home TO take mp the burden Of
life more cheerfully?n Why did not
some professional man come up and say
THANK yon, dominic, for that good ad
vice? I will take it God bless you. =
Why did they not tell him sof have
a = -