Connecticut western news., 1901-10-24
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gladness and opens all the doors of ex- pectancy; texts, Genesis vi, Is. "Come;" Revelation xxi. 17, Come"
 Imperial. tender and all persuasive is the word come" Six hundred and seventy-eight times Is 1t found in the Scriptures. It stands at the front gate of the Bible. as in my first text. invit- ing antediluvians into Noah's ark, and it stands at the other gate of the Bible, as in my second text. inviting the post diluvians of all later ages into the ark of a Saviours mercy. Come" is only a word of four letters, but 1t is the queen of words. and nearly the entire nation of English vocabulary bows to its scepter. It is an ocean into which empties ten thousand rivers of mean ing. Other words drive, but this beck ons. All moods of feeling hath that word "come." Sometimes 1t weeps and sometimes 1t laughs. Sometimes 1t prays, sometimes it tempts, and some times 1t destroys. It sounds from the door of the church and from the se- raglios of sin. from the gates of heaven and the gates of hell. It Is continent
 
 heiress 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 its cadences or pronounce 1t so that all the woes of time and eternity shall reverberate in its one syllable. It Is on the lip of saint and profiigate. It is the mightiest of all solic!tants either for good or bad.
 Today I weigh anchor and haul in the blanks and set sail on that great word, although I am sure ] will not be able to reach the farther shore. l will let down the fathoming line into this sea and try to measure its depths, and. though tie together all the cables and cordage I have on board, 1 will not be able to touch bottom. All the power of the Christian religion is in that word ''come" The dictatorial and commend atory in religion are of no avail. The imperative mood Is not the appropriate mood when we would have people say ingly impressed. They may be coaxed, but they cannot be driven. Our hearts are like our homes-at q friendly knock the door will be opened. but an at tempt to force open our door would land the assailant in prison. Our theo- logical seminaries, which keep young men three years in their curriculum be fore 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 intonation 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 be- gin the right went through a series of losses, bereavements, prosecutions and the trials of twenty or thirty years be- fore they could make 1t a triumph of grace every time they uttered the word ''come."
 The Persuasive Word.
 You must remember that In many cases our .come" has mightier ''come" to conquer before 1t has any effect at all. Just give me the accurate census. the statistics of how many are down in fraud. in drunkenness, In gambling. in impurity or in vice of any sort, and will give you the, accurate census or statistics of how many have been slain by the word .'come." "Come and click wineglasses 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 infidel tracts on Christianity" "Come with me to place of bad amusement" Come with me in a gay bout through the under ground life of the city" If in this city there are twenty thousand who are down In moral character. then twenty thousand fell under the power of the word ''come." I was reading of wife whose husband had been overthrown by strong drink. and she went to the saloon where he was ruined, and she said, "Give me back my husband" And the bartender. pointing to a maudlin and battered man drowsing in the cor ner of the barroom. 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 married? What vile drug have you given him
 
 your tiger claws off of him. Uncoil those serpent folds of evil habit that are crushing him. Give me back my husband, the one with whom I stood al the altar ten years ago. Give him back to me" Victim was he, as millions of others have been. of the word "come."
 Now, we want all the world over to harness this word for good as others have harnessed it for evil. and 1t will draw the five continents and the seas between them-yea, 1t will draw the whole earth back to the God from whom 1t has wandered. It Is that woo tug and persuasive word that will lead men to give up their sins. Was skepti- cism ever brought into love of the truth by an ebulltion of hot words against infidelity? Was ever the blasphemer stopped in his oaths by denunciation of blasphemy? Was ever a drunkard weaned from his cups by the temper ance lecturers mimicry Of staggering step and hiccough? No. It was, Come with me to church today and hear our singing" .Come and let me introduce you to Christian man whom you will be sure to admire;" Come with me in- to associations that are cheerful and good and inspiring;;" Come with me into joy such as you never before ex- perienced."
 Cnhonored Heroes.
 With that word which has done so much for others I approach you today. Are you all right with God? No" you say, T think not. I am sometimes alarmed when I think of him. l fear I will not be ready to meet him In the last day. My heart is not right with God.' Come, then, and have it made right. Through the Christ who died to save you, come! What is the use in waiting? The longer you wait the farther ofr you are and the deeper you are down. Strike out for heaven. You remember that a few years ago