Connecticut western news., 1901-07-04


 have yet been gathered and that with God for their friend they will be pro yided for here. and through the Say tours mercy they may reign forever in the land where there are no losses and infinite gains. While you may redden in the face at the fact that gambling Is the diSgraceful mother of multi tudinous crimes, of envies, jealousies, revenges, quarrels, cruelties, false hoods, forgeries, suicides, murders and despair, be careful what you say to the victim of the vice and what you do. He needs more sympathy than the man who came up from inebriety and de- bauch and assassination, for many such repent and are saved, but confirm ed gamblers hardly ever reform. Dur ing tho course of B prolonged ministry have seen thousands redeemed. many of them who were clear gone tu sin. by Almighty grace rescued. In all parts of this land and in some parts of other lands l have seen those wh" were given up as iucorrigible and lost recovered for God and heaven, but how many confirmed gamblers have 1 seen con- verted from their evil ways? A thou sand? No. Five hundered? No. Eff ty? No. Two? No. One? No. I read in a book of one such rescued. I have no doubt there have been other cases, but no evil does its work so thoroughly and eternally as gambling. Such almost hopelessness of reforma- ton ought to call forth from you deeper sympathy than you feel for any other unfortunate. Pity, by all means, for those who, shipwrecked and bruised among the timbers, have nevertheless climbed up to the fsherman's cabin and found warmth and shelter, but more pity for those who never reach shCrc, but are dashed to death in the breakers. Be angry at the sin, but sympathize With it's victims.
 An Evil to Be Avoided.
 There is another sin that we are of tentimCs called to be angry with, and that is fraud. We all like honesty, and when 1t is sacrificed we are vehement in denunciation. We hope that the de- tectives will soon come upon the track of the absconding bank official, of the burglar who blew up the safe, of the clerk who skillfully changed the figures in the account book, of the falsifier who secured the loan on valueless property, of the agent who because of his per centage wrongfully admits a man to the benefit of a life insurance policy when his heart is ready to stop and who comes from an ancestry character istically short lived. One act of fraud told of in big headlines in the morning papers rightfully arouses the nations wrath. It is the interest of every good man and good woman who reads of the crime to have 1t exposed and punished. Let it go unscathed, and you put pre- mium on fraud you depress public morals, you induce those who are on the fence between right and wrong to get down on the wrong side, and you put the business of the world on a down grade. The constabulary and penitentiary must do their work. But while the merciless and the goddess cry, "Good for him-I am glad he Is within the prison doorsw be 1t your work to find out if that man is worth saving and what were the causes of his moral overthrow. Perhaps he started in business life under a tricky firm, who gave him wrong notions of busi- ness integrity; perhaps there was a combination of circumstances almost unparalleled for temptation, perhaps there were alleviations, perhaps he was ,,,1 if haps he did not realize what he was doing, and if you are merciful man you will think of other perhapses which, though they will not excuse, will extenuate. Perhaps he has al ready repented and Is washed in the blood of the Lamb and is as sure of heaven as you are.
 What an opportunity you have now for obeying my text! You were angry at the misdcmeanor, but you are hope full for the recovery of the recalcitrant. Blessed all prison reformers! Blessed are those governors and presidents who are glad when they have chance to pardon! Blessed the forgiving father who welcomes home the prodigal! Blessed the dying thief whom the Lord took with him to glory, saying, "This lay shalt thou be with me In para disev'
 There is another evil that we ought to abhor while we try to help the vic tim, aud that is infidelity. It snatches the life preserver from the man afloat and affords not so much as spar or a plank as substitute. It would extin- guish the only light that has ever been kindled for the troubled and the lost Let the spirit of intidelity take hold of a neighborhood, ard in that town the marriage relation l. farce. and good morals give place b all styges of im- morals. Let it talk possesSztn of this earth, and there would be ao virtue left in all the worlds circGsnference. All the sins rebuked In the aen Com mandments would be domirgnnt. The torch that shall kindle the saonf1agra- tion of the earth in its last catastrophe will not do as much damage as would infidelity and agnosticism M they got a chance. Be angry with sutA theories of unbelief and hatred of GCa. Never laugh at the witticisms of SAose who would belittle tho Bible with their joe ularity.
 Pity the Sinner.
 Have a lightning in your eye and a flush in your cheek and a frown on your brow for dastardy that would blot 0ut the sun and moon and stars of Chrintianity and leave all things ill an arclir night, the cold equal to the dark s.rsa. You do well to be angry, but low about those who have been flung oft shrepticism, and that is more millions than you will ever know of until the Judgment day reveals everything. Ah here comes your opportunity for gentle ness, kindness and sympathy. The probability is that if you had been piled with the same influences as this unbeliever there would not be Bible in all your house from cellar to attic Perhaps lie was i'll some important transaction swindled by member of the church whose taking of the sacra