Woodruff County news., 1901-10-26

In this discourse Dr. Talmage calls all people to gladness and opens all the doors of eXpectancy; texts, Gen. esis vii, IS, "Come;" Revelations xii, F, Come"
 Imperial, tender and all persuasive is the word Come" Six hundred and seventy-eight times it is found in the Scriptures. It stands at the front gate of the Bible as in my first text, inviting antediluvians into Noah's ark, and it stands at the other gate of the Bible as in my second text, inviting the postdiluvians of all later ages into the ark of Saviour's mercy Come" is only a word of four let ters, but it is the queen of words, and nearly the entire nation of Eng glish vocabulary bows to it's scepter. It is an ocean into which empties 10,- 900 rivers of meaning. Other words drive, but this beckons. All moods of feeling hath that word Come" Sometimes it weeps and sometimes 1t laughs. Sometimes it prays, some times it tempts, and sometimes 1t de- stroys. It sounds from the door of the church and from the seraglios of sin, from the gates of Heaven and the gates of hell. It is continent and accrescent of all power. It is the heir ess of most of the past and the al- moner of most of the future. "Come!" You may pronounce it so that all the heavens will be heard in it's cadences or pronounce it so that all the woes of time and eternity shall reverberate in it's one syllable. It is on the lip of saint and profigate. It is tho mightiest of all solicitants either for good or bad.
 To-day I weigh anchor and haul in the blanks and set sail on that great word, although I am sure I will not be able to reach the farther shore. 1 will let down the fathoming line into this sea and try to measure it's depths, and, though I tie together all the cables and cordage l have on board, I will not be able to touch bot tom. All the power of the Christian religion is in that word, Come" The dictatorial and commendatory in re- ligion are of no avail. The impera- tive mood is not the appropriate AOOu WHCH we NOulU HdFC DCOplC ingly impressed. They may be coaXed, but they cannot be driven. Our hearts are like our homes; at a friendly knock the door will be opened, but an attempt to force open our doors would land the assailant in prison. Our theological seminaries, which keep young men three years in their curriculum before launching them into the ministry, will do well if in so short time they can teach the candidates for the holy office how to say with right emphasis and into nation and power that one word, "Come!" That man who has such efficiency in Christian work and that woman who has such power to per suade people to quit the wrong and begin the right went through a series of losses, bereavements, prosecutions and the trials of 20 or 30 years be- fore they could make it triumph of grace every time they uttered the word Come"
 You must remember that in many cases our Come" has a mightier Come" to conquer before it has any
 
 rate census, the statistics of how many are down in fraud, in drunken ness, in gambling, in impurity or in vice of any sort, and I will give you the accurate census or statistics of how many have been slain by the word Come" "Come and click wine glasses with me at this ivory bar" Come and see what we can win at this gaming table, Come enter with me this doubtful speculation!" Come with me and read those in- fidel tracts on Christianity" "Come with me to a place of bad amuse- ment." Come with me in gay bout through the underground life of the city" If in this city there are 10000 who are down in moral character, then 20,000 fell under the power of the word Come" I was reading of wife whose husband had been over thrown by strong drink, and she went to the saloon where he was ruined. and she said: "Give me back my husband" And the bartender point ing to a maudlin and battered man drowsing in the corner of the bar room, said: "There he is. Jim, wake up; here's your wife come for you." And the woman said: Do you call that my husband? What have you been doing with him? Is that the manly brow, is that the clear eye, is that the noble heart, that I mar ried? What vile drug have you given him that has turned him into fiend? Take your tiger claws off of him. Uncoil those serpent folds of evil habit that are crushing him. Give me