The age-herald., 1901-11-24

servatory brings in sight consteliauons that may comprise ruined worlds which need looking after and need help saintly ane missionary. There may be worlds that like ours, have sinned and need to be lescue1, perhaps saved by our Christ or by some plan that God has thought out for other worlds as wise. as potent as lovely as the atonement is fo- our world. The laziness which has cursed us Tn this world will not gain the land of eternal activities-so much tonic in the air so much inspiration in she so- ciety, su nluca achievement after We scr the shack1es of the flesh forever of. Do not dwell so much on opportunities past. but put your emphasis on opportunities to corne.
 Our Real Beginning.
 Am I rot right in saying that eterni- ty can do more for US than can time? What will we not be able to do when our powers of locomotion shall be quick cred into the immortal spirits speed? Why should a bird have a swiftness of wing when 1t Is of no importance how lonR 1t shall take to make it's aerial way from for est to forest and we, who havo su much more important errand in tle world. get on so slowly? The roebucS out runs us, the hounds are quicker in tho
 
 fIem all limitat lions and Inducements. Then we will fairly begin. The starting post will be the tornbeton". Leaving th, world will be graduation day before tho chief work of our mental and spiritual career. Hope sees tho doors opening, the victor's foot in stirr'tp for the mount ing. The day breaks first flush of tho horizon. The mission of hope will be an everlasting mission, as much of 1t in the heavenly hereafter as In the earthly now. Shall be have gained all as soon as we. enter realms notwithstanding more to learn, no other heights to climb, no new. anthems to raise, monotony of exis- tence. the same thing over and over again for endless years? No. More prog ress in that world than we ever made in this. Hope will stand on the hills of heaven and look for ever brightening landscapes, other transhgurations of, color new glories rolling over the scene. new celebrations of victories in other worlds, heaven rising into grander heav- ems, seas of glass mingled with fire, be- coming more brilliant glass mingling with a more flaming fire. (Which hope.
 Now, let me introduce this feeling Into the lives of some who are at times hope less. There Is a family whose son has gone wrong. Father and mother have about given him up. he seems so head- strong. so ungrateful. so dissipated, and the old folk do not know halt the story of moral precipitation. He has ceased writing home, but they hear of him through people who like to carry bad news. and every time the report is more deplorable. He swears, he gambles, he drinks, he goes into all the shambles of Sin. His former employer says there is no hope for him and all outside the fam fly agree in thinking he will never re- form. The father and mother have not fa tyfxr i'm Tn pr rnf going to strengthen their hope. That boy Is going to come back. You have a hold on him that you must not relax. Through prayer you may win the eternab God for your side of the struggle. You must enlist all the heavenly dominions, cherubim and seraphim and archangel, in the movement to save your son. Some day or some night he will call a halt to his infamous practices. Something will happen to him as happened in a New York hotel to a son of one of the posti distinguished clergymen of Scotland and one of the Queens chaplains. When can I see your" said distinguished looking young man at the close of one of my services in Brooklyn Tabernacle. I said: You can see me now" He said: "No, I want a private conversation with you at your own house. When can I come?" I said: Tomorrow night. Your name?" I asked. He gave me his name, the exact
 
 known and Is known throughout the Christian world. though years ago he de :. parted this life. Returning home, l took up book of which his father was the author and in the picture at the opening. of the book I found that the young man. had most markedly his fathers features. So l was sure there was no deception.
 Forgive the Repentant.
 On the following evening he came. He said that he was the black sheep of the family flock. He had wandered the world over and been in all kinds of wickedness, but few nights before, after reading letter from his mother In Scotland, he had retired for sleep. but in the adjoin- ing room he heard some young men in such horrible conv ersation he could not sleep. He was shocked as he had never before been by the talk of bad men. He arose, struck light, took out the letter from his mother and knelt down, by his bedside end said. 70, Lord God of my mother. have mercy on mel He said that since that prayer he was entirely, changed and loved what he before hated and hated what he before loved and asked what I thought 1t all meant IL replied, You have become a Christian He said he >,ight be called at any time to leave the city. never saw. him again. but 1t seemed to me that he had turned his back upon his wicked past and had started in the right direction. And 1t may be so with your boy. Write him often. Tell him how you are all think ing of him at home, and it may be, your letter in hand he may call upon his mothers God to help and save him. Hope, you of the gray hairs and wrinkles Heaven has its thousands of souls who were once as thoroughly wrong as your boy Is. They repented. and they are with the old folk In the healthy air of the eternal hills. where they have become young again. Hope on. and. though you may never hear of your sons reforma-r ton and others may think he has left this life hopeless. who knows but that in the last moment after he has ceased to speak and before his soul launches away, your prayer may have been an swered and he be one of the first tc meet you at the shining gate. The prodgal in the parable got home and sat down at the feast, while the elder brother who never left the old place. stood pouting at the back door and did not go in at all.
 To another class of persons I intro- duce the angel of Hope, and they are the in> aids. I cannot take the diagnosis of your disorder, but let hope cheer you with one of two thoughts. Such marvellous cures are being wrought in our day through medication and surgery that your inv alidism may yet be mastered. Persons as i'll as you have got well. Can cer and tuberculosis will yet give way before some new discovery. I see every day people strong and well who not long ago 1 saw pallid and leaning heavily on
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