Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1901-01-23

plus. BE oD1glng and Just make the
experiment. lfyou are not acquainted
with the ordinary modes of prayer, say
in substance: 20 Lord Jesus, this is
strange thing for me to do. / know
nothing about the formulas of reli-
gion. These Christian people have been
talking SO long about what thou canst
do for me l am ready to do whatever
thou commanded me. If there be any
power in religion. as these people say,
let me have the advantage of it," Will
You not try that experiment?
L DO not now say there is anything
in religion. Do not take my counsel
or the counsel of any clergyman, Sor
you may dislike clergymen. Perhass
we may talk professionally. Perhap.
we may be prejudiced in the matter
Perhaps our advice is not worth TAX
ing. Then take the counsel of some
very respectable layman, as John Mil.
ton, the poet: as William WHEREFORE
the emancipator: as Isaac Newton. the
astronomer; as Robert BOYLE. the mill
osopher; as Locke. the metaphysician.
as Morse, the telegrapher: as Washing.
ton, the statesman. They never
preached or pretended to preach. vet.
"A n
other his parliament rian's scroll and
another his electricians wire, came
forth and commended the religion OF
Christ as the best thing for the cure
OF the worlds woes. If YOU will not
take the recommendation of minister,
OF the Gospel, axe the recommendation
OF highly respectable laymen.
Oh, men, skeptical and struck
through with unrestl / beg Won TO
come off that great Sahara desert OF
doubt into the bright and luxuriant
land of Gospel hope and peace. You
do not want your children TO come
up in that skepticism. IL YOU do not
believe in anything else. you believe
in love-a fathers love, mothers
love, wifes love, child's love. Then
let me tell you that God loves Won
more than all these together. The
| great heart of Christ aches to have
you come in. and lie looks into Your
eyes this moment, saying: "Other
sheep L have which are not of this
fold"
Again, | remark that the Heavenly
Shepherd is going to find a great
many of the sheep among those who
have been full of evil habit. They
were all cheated into sin. The spider
does not say TO the fly: Come into
the web where / kill insects" oh.
no. The spider says: Dearest fiy.
come and talk a morning walk with
me on this suspension bridge of Cos
samer glittering with diamonds of
dew" Do not be hard on those gone
astray. Ii makes me sad to see Chris
tian people give up prodigal as lost.
There are those who talk as though
the grace of God were a chain of 40
or 80 links and that when they had
run out there was nothing left to
touch bad case. If they were hunt
ing and got off the track OF the deer.
they would look longer among the
brakes and bushes for the lost game
than they would look for that lost
soul.
They talk about the catacombs OF
Naples and the catacombs of Rome
and the catacombs of Egypt, the
great burial places under the city
where is the dust of many genera
tions passed on, but | tell YOU New
York has its catacombs and Washing
ton its catacombs and all our cities
their catacombs. They are under
ground liquor dives, full of dead mems
bones and all uncleanliness There is
no need of going into the art gallery
to see in skiIful sculpture that won
derful representation of man and
his sons wound round with serpents.
There are families represented here
to-day that are wrapped in the mar
! tyrdom Of fang and scale and venom.
u fx~aV,
horror.
There is only one class Of persons
about whom / am disheartened. and
they are the Gospel hardened They
have been faithful in attendance at
churches for 20, 30 and 40 years, yet
never have surrendered themselves TO
God. As Christ says: "Publicans and
harlots go into the kingdom Of henv-
en- before them" They have resisted
all the Importantly Of divine mercy
and have gone through most power
/ full earthquakes Of religious feeling.
and they are farther away from God
than ever. After awhile they will lie
| down sick, and some day IL will be
told that they are dead. No hope!
But ! turn to outsiders with an ex-
/ pectation that thrills through me.
body and soul. "Other sheep have,
which are not Of this fold" You are
not Gospel hardened You have not
heard many sermons during the last
few years. You feel the Holy Ghost
this moment in your heart. You do
not weep, but the tear is not far off.
You sigh. and you have noticed that
there is always a sigh in ~ wind be-
fore the rain falls There are those
here who would give anything If they
could find relief in tears They say:
ooh, my wasted lifel Oh the bitter
past! Oh the graves over which
have stumbled! Whittier shall hv?
Alas, for the future! Everything is
so dark. so very dark! God help mel
God pity me-" Thank the Lord for