The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-04-08

the right foundation II builds on the debris
OF an ~unregenerated nature. They attempt
to rebuild Jerusalem before, In the midnight
OF conviction, they have seen the ghastliness
ofthe ruin. They lave such a poor founda-
ton for their religion that the first northeast
storm Of temptation blows them down. I
have no faith In a mans conversion II he Is
not converted In the old fashioned way
John Bunyan's way. John Wesley's way,
John Calvin's way, Paul's way, Christ's way.
Gods way.
A man comes to me to talk about religion.
Tho first question l ask him Is, d you
feel yourself TO be n sinner" II he says,
well, Ives" the h%esitancy makes me feel
that the man wants a ride on NeheNiah's
horse by midnight through the ruins-in by
the gate OF his affections, out by the gate OF
his willard before he has got through with
that midnight ride he will drop the reias on
the horses neck and will take his right hand
and smtte on his heart and say, "God, be
merciful to me, a sinner" and before he
has stabbed his horse he will take his feet
out OF the stirrups, and he will slide down
on the ground, and he will kneel crying:
Have mercy on me, o God. according 10
Thy loving kindness, according unto the
multitude Of Thy tender mercies, Blot out
my transgressions. for acknowledge my
transgressions, and my sins are ever before
Thee"
Again. my subject gives me u specimen OF
busy and triumphant sadness. II there was
any man In the world who had u right to
NOPE aud give up everything rs lost, 1t was
Nehemiah. You say, Ale was a cupbearer
in the palace of Shushan, and 1t was Il grand
place." SO 1t was. Tn hall of that palace
was 200 feet square, and the roof lowered
over thirty-siN marble pillars, each pillar
sixty feet high, and tho intense blue of tho
sky aud ghe deep green of the forest foliage,
aud the white OF the driven snow. all hung
trembling in the upholstery. But, nv
friends, you know very well that fine archi-
tecture will not put down inconsistencies.
Yet Nehemiah did not give up. Then,
when You saw him going among
these dcsolated streets and by these
dismantled towers and by the torn
up grave OF his father, you would suppose
that he would have been disheartencd and
that he would have dlsmountcd from his
horse II gone to his room and saii: 'Woe
is me! NY fathers grave Is torn up. Tho
temple Is dishonored. The walls are broken
down. | have 10 money with which to re-
build. ! wish had never been born. | wish
l were dead" Not so says Nehemiah.
Although he had a grief so intense that it
excited the commentary of his king, yet that
pennileSs, eYpatriate Nehemiah rouses him
self up to rebuild the city. He gets his per-
mission of absence. lie gets his passports.
He hastens way TO Jerusalem, BY night
on horseback he rides through the ruins
He overcomes tho most ferocious opposition.
He arouses tho piety and patriotism OF the
people, and in less than two months
namely, nity-two days-Jerusalem was re-
built. That's what / call busy aud triumph
ant sadness.
At 3 o'clock every Sabbath afternoon, for
years, in II beautiful pnrlor In Philadelphia
u parlor pictured and s,atuettei-thcrc were
from ten to twenty destitute children of the
street. Those destitute children received
religious instruction. concluding with cakes
and sandwiches. How dol know that that
was going on for sixteen years? ! know it
In this way: That was the first homo In Phil
adelphia where 1 was called to comfort IL
great sorrow. They had II splendid boy, and
he had been drowned at Long Branch. The
father and mother almost idoli2ed the boy,
and the sob and shrek Of that father and
mother IA they hung over the coffin resound
in my ears to-day. There seemed to be no
use of praying, Tor when | knelt down to
pray the cutlery in the room drowned out all
the prayer. But the Lord comforted
that sorrow. They did not forget their
trouble. II you should 50 any afternoon in
70 Laurel Hill, you would find n monument
with the word walter" inscribed upon II
and a wreath OF fresh flowers around the
name. l think there was not an hour in
twenty years. winter or summer, when there
was not a wreath OF fresh flowers around
Walters name. But tho Christian mother
who sent those flowers there, having no child
left, Sabbath afternoons. mothered ten or
twenty OF the lost ones OF tho street. That
Is beautiful. That IL what | call busy and
triumphant sadness. Here is "A man who
has lost his property. He does not 90 to
hard drinking. He does not destroy his own
life. He comes and says: Harness me for
Christian WORK. My moneys gone. / have
no treasures on earth. | want treasures in
heaven. | have u voice and a heart to servo
God" You say That that man has failed.
He has not iailed-he has trlumphed!
oh, wish | could persuade ull the pcopls
who have any kind OF trouble never to give
up. | wish they would look at the midnight
rider Of the text and that the four hooGs Of
that beast on which Nehemiah rode might
cut to pieces all their Acknowledgements aud
hardships and trials. Give up! Who Is GO
ing to give up when on the bosom Of God he
en- have all his troubles hushGd2 Give upi
Never think OF giving up. Arc you borne
down with poverty \ little child was found
holding her dead mothers hand in tho dark
ness OF Il tenement house, and some one COM
ing in the little girl looked up while holding
her dead mothers hand, and said. ooh. |
No wish that God had male mora light for
poor folks" My dear. God will bo your
light, God will be your shelter, God will he
your home. Are you borne down with
the bereavcmentS Of lifr2 1t the
house lonely now that the child Is
gone? Do not give up. Think OF what the
old sexton said when the minister asked him
why he put so much care on the little graves
In tho cemetery-sO much more care than gu
the larger ~graves-and the Old sexton said.
"Sir, you know that of such Is the kingdom
OF heaven and l think the Saviour is
pleased when he secs so much white clover
growing around these little graves" But
when the minister pressed the old sexton
for a more satisfactory answP tho old SEX
ton said, ''Sir, about these larger graves, I
don't know who are the Lords saints aud
who are not. but you know, sir, It 1. clean
different with tho BARNS" Oh, II you have
had that keen. tender, indescribable sorrow
that comes from tho loss OF u child. do not
give up. The old sexton was right. II is
all we'll with the BARNS. Or, IL you have
sinned, II yoa have sinned grievously-
slnned until you have been cast out by the
church, sinned until you have been cast out
by sociely--do not give up. Perhaps theirs
may be in this house one that could truth
fully utter the lamentation OF anoiher:
Once l was pure as the snow, but | fell
Fell like u snowflake, from heaven to he'll
Fell to be- trampled as filth in the street
Fell to be scOffel at. spit on and bpnt