Milford chronicle., 1903-03-06

would be willing for q time even tC
barter away their chance of heaven il
they could only sell Christ. as did Ju
das, for thirty pieces of silver. @
my friends. l beg and plead with you
not to sell your divine birthright for a
mere mess OF pottage! Stop, in Gods
name' Stop before II is too late.
In the ancient story we have been told
That Midas touch turned everything to
! gold,
But we today a stranger sight behold
Man turns to everything when touched by
gold.
The BridegrOOm's Excuse.
But, bark! Another knock is heard
at the door of the good mans house.
AHA" you say, think of the foolish
excuse this third expected guest has
tent! He says that he is bridegroom
and therefore cannot come. Why did
ne not do as Mr.. Moody said he ought
to have done-gO to the banquet hall
and take his wife alopg?" But, my
friend. this excuse Of the bridegroom
ought not to be to you an object Of
! derision, OF all the excuses which
| Christ stated in the parable 1 think
/ this one was the most plausible and
4 the most rational. The bridegroom
in the east, by the custom of that time,
might be looked upon leniently for an.
swering as he did, The Hebrews CON
sidered marriage one Of the most sacred
and important events of a human be.
ing's life. Every young girl Spent her
time chiefly in preparing for her nup-
ttal day. She was always spinning
linen and making garments for the
wedding trousseau. Every young man
was taught that his duty to the world
and to God was to marry. He did not
enter into this marriage relationship
in haphazard way, as do many of the
young people of the present time. He
did not marry upon a momentary i'm.
pulse But the young people were Of
ten affianced for years before the we'd
ding day. Then, by the old Hebrew as
well as by the Roman law, a bride
groom was absolutely independent of
all military and, to a great extent, of
civil obligations for whole year Aft |
er the wedding night for twelve long
months he was allowed to stay at home
under his own roof So when the BRIDE
groom of the east sent a refusal to
come to the banquet he practically said. .
as hundreds and thousands of wives
and mothers are now saying: Il can
not afford to come to Christ's banquet
At the present time. 1 have my home
duties to attend to. l have domestic
pray thee have me ex-
used"
But, my dear friends, can the hus-
band and the wife truly attend to and
fulfill their domestic relations unless
hey first have been to the marriage
banquet of the Lamb? No. no. You
Know Eat no husband and father is
ruly well equipped parent unless he
s a Christian man; you know that no
wife is truly an Independent woman
Inless she IS a Christian woman. Leigh
richmond once developed this thought
n a pathetic incident which he told !
bout his mothers life. She had six i
hildren, and one Of them. her baby.
vas killed by the carelessness of 8
urse allowing the child to fall out of {
second story window. At that time l
.eSh Richmond was walking in the a
treet below. He gathered up the poor L
leeding body of his little brother and {
lrried him into the house and placed 2
i'm in his mothers lap. All that day \
re mother kept praying and praying
the midst of her prayers she turned
her son and said. Leigh, if cease :
raying for five minutes | shall be t,
'ushed under this sorrow. but when Ii
'ay to God he comforts and upholds s.
e." So no wife and mother is able to n
'avely confront the sorrows of the "
)me unless she is a Christian woman. c
)oner or later troubles and awful v,
oubles will knock at every bedrOOm u,
'or and, man and woman, you cannot II
ford to say, like the bridegroom of V,
d. that you cannot come to Christ on h,
count of your domestic obligations. m
le simple fact is your home duties pC
ID sorrows ought to be mighty inspi- be
tiOns to send you to the feet of Christ in
ss--- -
Ine DuJy of Parents. "s
Besides, parents. how can you have ga
right influence over your children
less you are consecrated Christian W
N and women? How can father an
d mother tell their children how to IL, III
e the Lord Jesus unless they them
YES have accepted the invitation to .i
: gospel banquet? Can the blind ne
d the blind? Can something come oI Vi.
m nothing? lift a clay vase in my -, ~
nd and smell the sweetest fragrance. III
ay: 30 vase, whence came thy per iol
ne? Were thy substances fragrant ~
ore the hot fires of the potter's fur III
,e touched thee?" Nay" answers Is
vase. 'The reason / am perfumed Ill, lIlu
because hundreds of flowers have III
N plucked and have been allowed "G,
kiss me with their red and white
l." Upon the sand dunes of the sea- at
re l pick up curlOusly twisted aS'
II. l place it to my ear and hear a "
, moaning sound. say to the shell, ash
ell, why dOst thou moan like a sick ue
dT Because answers the shell, plie
have bppn rolled Ovnr and ovor IN WI