The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-20

men in this country, said to him: What are you distributing tracts for now? There are three thousand men bleeding to death. Bind up their wounds and then distribute the tracts" We want more common sense in Christian work. taking the bread of this life In one hand and the bread of the next life in the other hand. No such inapt work as that done by the Christian man who during our civil war went to a hospital with tracts and, coming to the bed of a man whose legs had been amputated. gave him tract on the sin of dancing! I rejoice be
 fore God that never are sympathetic words uttered, never a prayer offered: never a Christian almsgivtng indhlged in, but 1t Is blessed. There is place in Switzerland, l am told, where the utter ance of one word will bring back score of echoes, and l have to tell you that sympathetic word, kind word, gen. erous word, a helpful word. uttered in the dark places of the town will bring back ten thousand echoes from heaven. Are there in this assemblage those who know by experience the tragedies in the third watch of the night? l am not here to thrust you back with one hard word. Take the bandage from your bruised soul and put on it the soothing salve of Christ's gospel and of Gods compassion. over one man that gets reformed by the grace of God than over ninety and nine that never got off the track.
 Attacking the Weak Point.
 could give you the history in a min ute of one of the best friends ever had. Outside of my own family never had a better friend. He welcomed me to my home at the West. He was of splendid personal appearance. but he had an ardor of soul and a warmth of affection that made me love him like brother. l saw men coming out of the saloons and gam bling hells, and they surrounded my friend, and they took him at the weak point-his social nature-and l saw hln going down, and I had fair talk with him, for I never yet saw a man you could not talk with on the subject of his habits if you tall ed with him in the right way. l said to him, Why don't you give up your bad habits and become a Christian?" 1 remember now just how h. looked, leaning over his counter, as he replied: 'I wish I could Oh. sir, 1 should like to be Christian, but have gone. so far astray l cant get back So the time went on. After awhile the day of sickness came. was, sum. moned to his sickbed. I hastened. It took but a few moments to get there. l was surprised as l went in. I saw him in his ordinary dress. fully dressed, ly- ing on top of the bed. I gave him my hand, and he seized 1t conVulsively and said: "Oh, how glad l am to see you. said: MT. Talmage, just where you sit now my mother sat last night. She has been dead twenty years. Now, l don want you to think I am out of my mind UT that GIu SupCTSIltlOuS, puN, MI, SuC sat there last night. and she said, 'Ros- well, wish you would do betternI wish you would do better I said: Mother. l wish I could do better; try to do bet ter bu9 can't. Mother. you used to to help me. Why cant you help me now? And, sir got out of bed. for 1t was a reality, and went to her and threw my arms around her neck, and 1 said: Mother. l will do betetr, but you must help.L can't do this alone.'" I knelt and prayed That night his soul went to the Lord who made it.
 Arrangemnets were made for the obse- quieS. The question was raised whether they should bring him to the church Somebody said. You cannot bring such absolute man as that into the church. " l said: You will bring him in church; he stood by me when he was alive. and l will stand by him when he is dead. Bring him As I stood in the pulpit and saw them carrying the body up the aisle I felt as if l could weep tears of blood, On one side of the pulpit sat his little child of years. sweet. beautiful little girl, that I had seen him hug convul- siVCly in his better moments. He put i on her all 1ewels and gave her all plc-