The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-11-15

| between them and the house OF God.
Ine fact Is We must keep our respecta.
bihty though thousands perish. Christ
sat with publicans and sinners, but if
there come 20 the house OF God a man
with marks OF dissipation upon him people
are almost sure 20 put up their hands in
horror, a. much as to say, "Is 1t not
How these dainty, fastidious Christians
IN all our churches are going TO get into
heaven j do not know unless they have
an especial train Of cars cushioned and up
hoistered. each one a car to himself They
cannot go with the great herd OF publ
cans and sinners.
o ye who curl your lip of scorn on the
fallen, i tell you plainly that ii YOU had
instead OF sitting to-day amid the cul.
tured and the refined and the Christian
l>you might have been a crouching wretch
in stable or ditch covered with filth and
abominationl
IL is not because we are naturally any
better, but because the mercy Of God has
protected us. Those that are brought up
IN 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 member.
ship, too anxious about their denomina.
tlons, and they rush out when they see
man about 70 give up sin and return TO
God and ask him how he is going TO be
baptized, whether by sprinkhng or INNER
sion, and what kind OF a church he is
going 10 join.
/ remember that in the Civil War I was
at Antietam with other members of the
Christian commission TO look after the
wounded. | went into the hospital after
the battle, and j said 10 a man, Where
are you hurt?" He made no answer, but
held up his arm, swollen and splintered.
| saw where he was hurt. The simple
fac: is when man has wounded soul
all he has TO do is TO hold il up before a
sympathetic Lord and get it healed.
Young man, will stand by you. The
mountains may depart and the hills be
removed, but / will never fail you" And
then as the soul thinks the news is too
good 10 be true and cannot believe il and
looks up in Gods face, God lifts His
light hand and takes an affidavit. makes
Lord God, Il have no pleasure in the the
death of the wicked" Blessed be God
for such gospel as this! "Cut the slices
thin" SAYS the wife to the husband, "for
there will not be enough TO 90 around for
al the children; cut the slices thin"
Blessed be God, there is a full loaf for
every one that wants it, Bread and
Lords table!
Some one said TO Grecian general.
What was the proudest moment OF your
llfe?' He thought a moment and said,
The proudest moment was when | sent
word home to my parents that / had
gained the, victory" And the gladdest
and most brilliant moment in your HE
will be the moment when you can send
word to your parents that you have
conquered the evil habits by the grace OF
God and become eternal victor.
Oh, despise not parental anxiety! The
time will come when you will have neither
father nor mother. and you will 60
watch you and find them gone from the
house and gone from the field and gone
from the neighborhood. Cry as loud for
forgiveness as you may over the mound
in the churchyard, they cannot answer.
Dead! Dead!
God pity the young man who has brought
disgrace on his fathers name! God pity
the young man who has broken his moth.
er's heart Better that he had never been
born. Better if in the first hour of his
life, instead OF being laid against the
warm bosom of maternal tenderness, he
had been coffined and sepulchered
There Is no balm powerful enough 10
heal the heart OF one who has brought
parents to sorrowful grave, and who
wanders about through the dismal ceme-
terry rending the air and wrnging the
hands and crying: Mother, Mother"
Oh, that to-day, by all the memories of
the past and by all the hopes of the fu.
ture, you would yield your heart to God!
MAY your fathers God and your mothers
God be your God forever.
This hour the door OF mercy swings
wide open. Hesitate not a moment. In
many a case hesitation is the loss of all.
At the corner OF street | saw tragedy.
\ young man evidently doubted as to
which direction he had better take. His
hat was lifted high enough so you could
see he had an intelligent forehead He
had a stoIt chest and a robust develop.
ment. Splendid young man, Cultured
young man! Honored young man! Why
did he stop there while so many were
going up and down? The fact is that
every young man has good angel and a
bad angel contending for the mastery OF
his spirit, and there were a good angel
and bad angel struggling with that
young mans soul at the corner OF the
street. Come along with me-" said the
good angel; IL wll take you home. | will
spread my wings over your pillow | will
lovingly escort you all through life under
supernatural protection. | will bless
every cup you drink out Of. every couch
you rest on, every doorway you enter |
will consecrate your tears when you weep,
your sweat when you toll, and at the last
| viii hand over your grave into the hand
of the bright angel of Christian resurrec-
ton. | have been sent of the Lord to be
your guardian spirit. Come with me-
said the good angel in a voice of unearthly
symphony. 1t was music like that which
drops from a lutte OF heaven when a SER
aph hreathes on II.
"Oh, no said the bad angel. come
with me. | have something better TO Of
fer. The wines | pour are from challces
of bewitching carousal. The dance | lead
Is over floors tessellated with unretrained
indulgence. There is no God to frown on
the temples OF sin where | worship. The
skies are Italian. The paths | tread are
through meadows daisled and rrimrosed.
Come with me-
The young man hesitcted at a time when
hesitation was ruin. and the bad angel
! smote the good angel until 1t departed,
spreading wings through the starlight,
upward and away until a door swung open
in the sky, and forever the wings van
ished. That was the turning point IN that
young mans history. for. the good angel
flown. he hesitated no longer. nut started
on a pathway which is beautiful at the
opening but blasted at the last. The bad
| angel led the way through gate after gate.
and az each gate the road became rougher
and the skv more luriG. and what was pc
cuiiar. IS the gate slammed shut Il came
20 with jar that Indicated Il would never
open. Past each portal there were
grinding OF locks and 4 showing OF bolts,
and the scenery on each side OF the road
changed from gardens 20 deserts. and the
June air became cutting December blast.
and the bright wings OF the bad angel
turned % sackcioth. and the fountains
| that az the start had tossed with wine
poured forth bubbhnc tears Of foaming
blood And on the right side o: the road
there was serpent. and the man said 20
the bad angel. What y that serpent:
> -. g. - q A