Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-11-16
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good man without much sense greets him
by saying: Why, are you here: You are
about the last person that | expected 10
see in prayer meeting. Well. the dying
thief was saved. and there is hope Tor
you. You do not know anything about
This unless you have learned that when 2
man tries TO return from evil courses III
conduct he runs against repuision, imu-
mcrable,
We say Of some mau. He lives Il block
or two from the church. or half a mile
from the church. Ia all our great cities
there are men who are 5000 miles from
Church-yast deserts of Indifference be-
tween them and the house of God. The
fact is we must keep our Responsibility
though thousands perish. Christ sat with
publlcanS aud sinners. but If there come
TO the house of God man with marks
Of dissipation upon him people are almost
sure 10 put up their hands in horror, as
much as to say, is it not Shocking:"
How these dainty. fastidiouS Christians
in all our churches are going TO get into
heaven | do not know, unless they have
an especial train of cars cushioned and
upholstered each one Il car to himself.
publicans and sinners oh. We who curl
your lip of scorn on the fallen. | tell you
plainly that if you had been surrounded
by the same influences instead of sitting
to-day among the cultured and the REIN
ed, and the Christian YOU might have
been cr0uching wretch in stable or
ditch covered with filth and abomination
1t IS not because we are naturally any
better, but because the mercy of God has
protected us. Those that are brought up
in Christian circles and watched by
Christian parentage should not be so
hard on the fallen.
think, also, that men are often hin
dered from returning by the fact that
churches are anxious about their mem
bershlp, too anxious about their denomi-
nation. and they rush out when they see
a man about to give up sin and return to
God and ask him how he is going to be
Observation-Disclosures by sprinkling or i'm
mcrsion-and what kind of church he is
going to join. 1t is poor time 10 talk
about Presbyterian catcchism and Epis-
copal liturgieS and Methodist love feasts
and Baptist dimensions when a man is
about to come ont of the darkness oc sin
into the glorious light of the gospel.
First Get Ashore.
Why, it reminds me of man drowning
in the sea, and q lfeboat puts out for
him, and the man in the boat says to the
man in the water. Now, if | get you
ashore, are you going to live in my
street, First get him ashore. and then
talk to him about the nOn-essentials of re-
ligiOn. Who cares what church he joins
if he only joins Christ and starts for
heaven? Oh, you, my brother of ilumin-
ed face and a hearty grip for every one
that tries 10 turn from his evil way, take
hold of the same hymnbo0k with him.
though his dissipation shake the book. re-
membering that he that ''conyerteth a
sinner from the error of his ways shall
save soul from death and hide multi
tude of sins
Now, | have shown you these obstacles
because ! want you to understand | know
all the difficulties in the way But | am
now going to tell you how Hannibal may
scale the Alps and how the shackles may
be unriveted and how the paths of virtue
forSaken may be regained First of all,
throw yourself on God. Go to him frank
ly and earnestly and tell him these habits
you have and ask him, if there is any
help in all the resources of omnipotent
love, to give it to you. Do not go on
with long rigmarole, which some people
call prayer, made up of obs and abs and
forever and forever amens; Go to God
and cry for help.
| remember that in the Civil War was
at Antietam, with other members of the
Christian commission, to look after the
wounded. | went into the hospital after
the battle, and | said to a man, Where
are you hurt?" He made no answer. bur
held up his arm, swollen and splintered.
saw where he was hurt The simple
fact is, when Il man has a wounded soul
ali he has to do is 10 hold it up before I,
sympathetic Lord and get it healed. 1t
does not take any long prayer. Just hold
up the wound. 1t is no small thing when
man is nervous and weak and exhaust
ed, coming from his evil ways, to feel
that God puts two omnipotent arms
about him and says:
Young man. | will stand BY Won. The
mountains may depart and the hills he
removed. but l will never fail YOU" And
then, as the soul thinks the news is too
good to be true and cannot believe it
and looks up in Gods face, God lifts his
right hand and takes an affidavit. makes
an oath. saying. ''As | live saith the
Lord God, Il have no pleasure in the
death of the wicked Blessed be God
for such gospel as this. Cut the slices
thin" says the wife TO the husband, flor
there will not be enough TO go around for
all the children. Cut the slices thin"
Blessed be God there is full loaf for
every one that wants it, Bread and
enough TO spare! No thin slices on the
Lords table,
Healing Balm for Wounds.
| remember that while living in Phila-
delphia. at the time ! spoke OF a minute
ago, the Master Street hospital was open
ed, and telegram was received, saying:
There will be 300 wounded men to-
night. Please take care OF them" From
my church there went out twenty or thir-
ty men and women. As the poor wound
ed men were brought in no one asked
them from what State they came or what
was their parentage. There was a wound
ed soldier, and the only question was
hoyy N 4al.a Of tho ro uS mast traufix and