The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1901-01-25

that you are among the first that / ad-
dress today? know all your case. You
have not been accustomed to going
into the house of God, but have a sur
prising announcement to make TO you.
You are going to become one OF the
Lords sheep. "Oh." you say, 1T Is
impossible. You don't know how far
am from anything of that kind"
| know all about it. l have wandered
up and down the world, and | under
stand your case. | have still more
startling announcement to make in re-
gard to you. You are not only going
to become one Of the lords sheep, but
you will become one now.
Send Out the Lifeboat.
When the steamer Atlantic struck
Mars rock and the people clambered up
on the beach, why did not Mr.. An
cient, that heroic minister of the gos-
pei, of whom we have all read, sit
down and take care of those men on
the beach, wrapping them in fiannels,
kindling fire for them, and seeing that
they got plenty of food? All, he knew
that there were others who would do
that. He says: "Yonder are men and
women freezing in the rigging of that
wreck. Launch the lifeboat." Now
see the oar blades bend under the
strong pull, but before they reach the
wreck a woman was frozen and dead.
She was washed off, poor thing. But,
he says, there is a man to save" And
he cries out: Five minutes longer,
and | will save you. Steady, steady!
Give me your hand. Leap into the life
boat Thank God, he is saved!" So
there are those who are safe on the
shore of Gods mercy. They are as
safe as though they had been a thou
sand years in heaven kept by the
power of God through faith unto sal
vaton" But there are some who are
freezing in the rigging of sin and sur
rounded by tempest. Pull away, my
lads Let us reach them. Alas, one is
washed off and gone. There is one
more to be saved. Let us push out
there for that one. Clutch the rope,
o dying man; clutch it as with death
grip. Steady, now, on the slippery
places Steady! They are saved,
saved, just as l thought, for Christ
has declared that there are some still
in the breakers who shall come ashore.
''Other sheep l have which are not OF
this fold"
Finding Lost Sheep.
The heavenly Shepherd is going TO
find great many of his sheep among
those who are now rejecters or Chris
tianity. Some of the mightiest advo-
Gates of the gospel were once skeptics.
Thomas Chalmers once a skeptic. Rob-
, ert Hall skeptic. Christmas Evans a
; skeptic. Charles G. Finney a skep-
tic. Paul the apostle, once skeptlc'
, But when once with strong hand they
, laid hold of the gospel chariot they
rolled it on with what momentum! l
do not know how you came to reject
, Christianity. 1t may have been through
:, the infidel talk of some young man III
the store or shop or factory. 1t may
8 have been through the trickery OF
some professed Christian man VINO
disguised you with religion. 1t may
> be that thirty years ago you lost all
faith by what happened in an oil COM
pany which was formed amid the pc
, troleum excitement. The company
owned no land, or if they did there
was no sign of oil produced. But the
president Of the company was Pres
byterian elder and the treasurer OF an
Episcopal vestryman, and one director
was a Methodist class leader and the
, other officers prominent members OF
Baptist and Congregational churches.
Circulars were got out telling what
fabulous prospects opened before this
company. The circular had all the
hues of earth and sea and sky. The
letters famed with all the beauty OF
gold and jasper and amethyst. limo
J cent men and women who had little
money to invest and that little their
all said, Il do not know anything
, about this company but so many good
men are at the head of it that it must
be excellent and taking stock in 1t
must be almost as good as joining the
church" So they bought their stock
: and perhaps received one dividend to
: keep them still. But after awhile they
found that the company had reorganiz-
ed and had a different president, diff
| ferent treasurer and different directors.
Other engagements or an overcoming
modesty had caused the former officers
of the company, with many regrets, to
resign, and all that the subscribers of
| that stock had to show for their in
vestment was beautifully ornamented
certificate. Sometimes that man, look
: ing over his old papers, comes across
that certificate, and it is so suggestive
J that he VOWS that he wants none Of
the religion that the president and di-
rectors of that oil company pro-
fessed.
why Reject Christianity?
But l do not stop now to know how
YOU came into rejection of Christian
ity. You frankly tell me that you do
reject it. You do not believe that