The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-05-10


his everlasting rest. The mother who
used to sit at the door alittle beutover,
cap and spectacles on, her face mellow
ing with the vicissitudes Of many years,
may have put down her gray head on
the pillow in the valley, but forget that
home you never will. Have you thanked
God for it? Have yon rchearsed all
these blessed "Reminiscences? Oh, thank
God for Christian father! Thank God
for Christian motherl Thank Col for
an early Christian altar at which you
were taught to kneel! Thank God for
an early Christian homcl
bring to mind another passage in
the history of your life. The day came
when you set up your own household.
The days passed along in quiet bless
edness. You twain sat at the table
morning and night and talked over
your plans for the future. The most
insignificant affairs in your life became
the subject of mutual consultation and
advisement. You were so happy you
felt you never could be any happier.
One day dark cloud hovered over your
dwelling, and it got darker and darker,
but out OF that cloud the shining mes
senger of, God descended to incarnate
an immortal spirit. Two little feet
started on an eternal journey, and you
were to lead them, a gem to flash in
Heavens coronet, and you to polish it.
Eternal ages of light and darkness
watching the starting out Of newly
created creature. You rejoiced and you
trembled at the responsibility that in
your possession an immortal treasure
was placed. You prayed and reioiced
and wept and wondered. You were ear
nest in your supplication that you
might lead it through life into the
kingdom of God. There was a tremor
in your earnestness. There was
double interest about that home. There
was an additional interest why you
should stay there and be faithful, and
when in few months your house was
filled with the music of your childs
laughter you were struck through with
the fact that you had stupendous mis-
sion. .
Have you kept that vow? Have you
neglected any of these duties? Is your
home as much to you as it used to be ?
Have those anticipations been graf
flied? God help you in your solemn
reminiscence, and let His mercy fall
upon your soul, if your kindness has
been i'll requited. God have mercy ON
the parent on the wrinkles of whose
face is written the story of a child's
sin. God have mercy on the mother
who, in addition to her other pangs,
has the pang of a child's iniquity. Oh,
there are many, many sad sounds in this
sad world, but the saddest sound that
is ever heard is the breaking of moth
er's heart!
find another point in your life his
tory. You found one day you were
in the wrong road; you could not sleep
at night; there was just one word that
seemed to sob through your banking
house or through your office or your
shop or your bedroom, and that word
was eternity" You said: I'm not
ready for it. Oh, God have mercy" The
Lord heard. Peace came to your heart
In the breath Of the hill and in the
waterfalls dash you heard the voice
of Gods love; the clouds and the trees
hailed you with gladness; you came
into the house of God. You remember
how your hand trembled as you took up
the cup of the communion. You remem-
Der the old minister who consecrated it,
and you remember the church officials
who carried it through the aisle; you
remember the old people who at the
close of the service took your hand in
theirs in congratulating sympathy, as
much as to say: welcome home, you
lost prodigal," and, though those hands
be all withered away, that communion
Sabbath is resurrected to-day. 1t is
resurrected with all its prayers and
songs and tears and sermons and trans
fguration. Have you kept those vows ?
Have you been backslider? God help
you. This day kneel at the foot of
mercy and start again for Heaven.
Start now as you started then. rouse
your soul by that "reminiscences.
But I must not spend any more of
my time in going over the advantages
of your life. l just put them in one
great sheaf, and call them up in your
memory with one loud harvest song,
such as the reapers sing. Praise the
Lord, ye blood bought immortals on
earthl Praise the Lord, we crowned
spirits of Heaven!
But some of you have not always had
a smooth life. Some of you are now in
the shadow. Others had their troubles
years ago. You are mere wreck of
what you once were. must gather up
the sorrows of your past life. But how
shall do It? You say that is impossi-
BILE, as you have had so many troubles
and adversities. Then / will Just take
two-the first trouble and the last
trouble. AS when you are walking
along the. street and there has been
music in the distance you unconscious
ly find yourselves keeping step to the
music, so, when you started life, your
very life was musical time beat. The
air was full of JOY and hilarity. With
the bright clear oar you made the boat
skip. You went on, and life grew
brighter, until after awhile suddenly a
voice from Heaven said: "Halt!" and
quick as the sunshine you halted, you
grew pale, you confronted your first
sorrow. You had no idea that the flush
on your child's cheek was an unhealthy
flush. You said it cannot be anything
serious. Death in slippered feet walked
round about the cradle. You did not
hear the tread. But after awhile the
truth flashed on you. You walked the
floor. Oh, if you could, with your
strong, stout hand, have wrenched that
child from the destroyer! You went
to your room, and you said: God, save
my child! God, save my child" The
| world seemed pninO out in dnrlypesS