The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-11-22

right, why arc all thel lfo-o, IS of. dark
ness allied against him? He gets down
on his knoos IN tho midpightand cries,
tG>d holp me He bitea his lip Hs
Rrinds his tooth. He clinotes his fist
IL determination to keep to his pur.
nose. HI daro not look at tho bottlos
In tho window Of vino store. 1t is
ono long, bi,ter, exhaustive, hsnd 10
hand fight with nfamod, tantalizing,
meroilcss habit. Whom no thinks he
is entirely free, tho old incliuation
pouncss upon him like pack Of hounds
all their muzzles tearing away at the
fauks % one poor reindeer.
InParis thero is sculptured ropre
sontstion Of Bsoohus, tho god of rovolry
Ho is riding on q psnthor at full losp.
Oa, how suggostiyol Lst overy QUO
who is speeding on bad ways undol
stand he is not riding d,oilo and woll
broken steed, but that no IS riding o
lnonster wild and bloodthirsty aud 20
ing at q dcath leap
| lavo as, to say If man wants to
return from evil preo.ioos society ro.
pulses him Tho prodigal, wishing to
return, tries to tako soma professor of
religion by tho hand. The professor Of
religion looks az him, looks at tho fadsd
apparel and tho IN ,rks Of dissipation,
aud instosd Of giving him firm grip OF
tho hand offers him the tip ond Of tho
longer fagers Of tho left hsad, which
10 equal to striking roan IN tho faoe.
o., how fow Ohristisn peoplo undor
staud how much gorpel thero is in a
good, honeat handshekiugI S,mo.im 70
whom you havo folt tho mood Of on
oouregement and somo Christian mnn
bss taken you heartily by the hand,
ba7o you not fott thyllling through
ovory floor OF your body, mind and soul
all encouragement that vas 1st what
you needed?
rho rr9digal, wiohing to got into
good society, ontors q prayer moetipg.
Some good man without much nonse
gree.s him by ssying: why, arc you
here7 You are about tho last porson
that oxpootod to SOC in prayer moot
ing Vol, tho dying thiof was saved.
and thero is hope Tor YOU" You do
not know anything about this unless
you havo learned that whom man tries
to return from evil oouraes of oonduos
bo runs against repu s'ons innumora. ;.
bio.
Wo say Of aomo man, "Ho lives a
block or two from tho church, or hslf a
M,o from tho oburoh," Ia ali our groat
oitisH thero are mon who are s, 900 milos
FROM churol---YAst deserts Of indiffer
oncc boiwoon them aud tho house Of
God. The fast Is wo must keep our re-
speotability though thousands perish.
Ohr,st SAT- vita publicana and eiuners,
but il there come to tho house Of God a
man wish marks Of dissipation upon hia
people arc almost sure to put up til ;ir
hands ia horror, as much as to say, rs
il not shockins2"
How tbeso dainty, fastidious Chris
tians in all our ohuro es are goipg to
got into hosvsn l d, not know, unIsss
they hayo an especial train OF oars
cushioned ana upholstered, each ono o
car to himself. They caunot 70 with
Tho great herd Of publioans avd sinnsrs
o., yo who ourl your lip Of ecorn on
tho fsionl | tell you plainly that il
you had boon surrounded by tno sama
il fluence instcad Of sitting tod.y amoug
10 oul ured, aud TIE G.an ID, aud .ha
Chriu,inn you might baye becn crouch
icg mro,oh in stable or ditch covered
sith i,.h and ebonlination, 1t ia not
be,au3o we ara na,usally any battsr,
but because tho mary OF God has pro.
teosed Us Those that aro brought U p
in Christian orioles aud watched by
UnnsiiAn parcutsge should not bo so
hard or tho fallen.
l think, also. that men aro ofton hin
dored from returning by the fsot that
churches aro aoxious.about their nom.
borship, too anxious about thoir de
nomlnatiop, and they ru,h out when
they 500 man about to give up Gin
and return to Gad and ask him hon h,
is going to bo bap,iz I'd whether by
apYlokling or immorsion-and what
kind Of o church he is going to j ,in, ,
Ii il y poor time to talk abou. Presby-
tcrisn oateohism and Episcopal litur-
gios aud Methodiet logo foasts aud
Baptist immcIsions whom man 10
about to come out Of tho darkHoss Of
sin into the glorious light Of tho gos
pei.
Somo fyou, like myaolf, wero born
in tho country. And what glorious
lows might these young mon send
homo to their parents that this after
noon thoy had surrendered themselves
to God and started nov Iifel I know
how it ia in the country. Tho night
oomcs on. Tho onttle stand undor tho
rack. through which burat tho trusses
Of hay. The horses have just friskcd up
from tho meadow brook at the night-fsll
and staad kneo deep in tho bright straw
thai invites thom to lilo down and rost
The perch Of tho hovol ia full OF fowl,
their feet warm undor their feathers.
Whom tho nights got cold, tho fsmos
CLAP their hands aboyo tho groat back,
log and stlako tho shadow Of tho group
up and dogn tho wall. Father and
mother sit thero for half on hout say
ipg nothing. | wondor what they are
thinking oi7 Afsor awhile the father
breakA tho silence aud aays, "Woll, I
wondcr where our boy is in town to.
nish,2" And the mother answers: SIN
20 bad place, [ warrant YOU. We al
wa, could trust him when he WAS st
home, and tinop. no has bson away
tbo!s hayc beoa so many prayers Of
forod for him Wo oan tynst him stili. "
rhoa o. 8 or 8 70 olook, jus; before lhoy
roliro, for they 60 csrly 10 bed, they
kncct doHn a1d commend you TO thai
God who watoAos In country and in
town, o. tho land and on tho soa
Some ono sad 10 Grooian gousral.