Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-07-05

~A..AuLSn We iOc
a fault or a virtue that their parents have
not got. Oh, for a revival OF the old GUS
tom of having a family altar IN home
where the father acts as priest and the
mother a saint; we could stir the whole
country for Christ.
One of my dearest friends was prohigata
until he Is o man grown. In a great west
ern city he had determined to take his
life, threw himself down on his bed TO col
lect himself before the awful deed. and
Jared a little book off from a shelf just
above his bed and it struck him in the face
With an oath he threw it from him, and
then it dawned upon HIM that it was his
mothers Bible given him TO read. He
walked across the room to pick II up just
to show her some mark of respect, and
read upon the fly leaf written in her own
hand, Dear boy, you can never get away
from your mothers prayers" Instead of
being self-murderer he became one of the
countrys greatest preachers. | wish that
we might dig again the well that our faith.
ers digged before US and make our homes
like heaven.
There are some wells that have been
filed in in the past by those who are
worldly wise and this morning l seek TO
open them.
First-I would open the we'll of tine way
of salvation. The Scripture declares that
man is a sinner and deserves to die, but
the same Scripture states that Jesus took
our place and died in our stead. A heather
on account of his sins had walked for
miles with pebbles in his shoes that he
might do penance, sat down to rest be-
meath tree and heard missionary
preaching of Jesus. and cried out. That
Is what / want; give me Jesus" Oh, ii /
could but open this well from which our
fathers drank and make you see the Sa-
viour treading the wine press alsne. sui.
fering for you until His heart strings all
but snapped. dying in agony for you upon
the cross, the man OF sorrows and ac-
quainted with grief. Let us open this old
well and drink OF its waters. And then l
would open the well of consolation for the
afflicted. why do you mourn for your
baby!" said woman to her friend He
is better off. Suppose he had lived and
become proffigate and broken your heart
with his sin Away with all such consola-
ton, falsely so called. Your baby Is with
Him, in His presence, who took little
babies in His arms and blessed them. is
singing His praises. who said Their an
gels 90 always behold the face OF My
Father which is in heaven. Your child IS
with the King, rejoice; he cannos come to
you, but you may go 10 HIN. All things
work together for good to them that love
God" Stoop and drinl, this morning and
60 away refreshed.
Then 1 would open tine we'll of the
preaching OF the gospel. DR.. Taimage has
said in one of his sermons on this same
text that we have stopped singing, Come
ye sinners poor and needy" for we have
reached the time when men do not count
themselves sinners. / would to God that
we might revive the old custom of preach
ing as men who preached in other days.
When Livingstone preached the sermon
that led 500 souls TO Christ he was de-
scribing the human heart IN its unclean-
ness. When Edwards preached the SER
mon that stirred all New England his
theme was, Sinners in the hands of an
angry God" When Whitfield preached
the sermon, the power of which is still felt
in our country, his text was. I'VE must be
born again" DO you preach" said
man TO me, that men are lost without
Christ, and are you not afraid in con.
gregation like yours that they viii become
offended" Preach it, certainly l preach
it. j would be afraid that God would be
offended if did not preach it. Now hear
me, ye men of wealth and women of posi-
ton, without Christ you are lost 1t is
not an easy statement to make, but the
word OF the Lord has spoken it. Oh, that
men would stop triHing with Gods word,
twsting its statements so as to draw forth
some other meaning than that intended,
and oh that men would stop trihing with
God. treating Him as If what He had said
in His word was not true when He de.
clared "that all men are sinners and need
. Saviour"