The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-08

preservers this man had been beIJw decks rifiing the miners trunks. Under nis gar ments, strapped around his vast. were found bags of gold. It was his desire for wealth that destroyed him. So we find that there are thousands upon thousands Of men and women who refuse tO come to the Lords banquet because, lik. fhe drowning passenger of the Mi=sissippi river, they would prefer to stay away 10 make money. Such laeu feel that they would be willing for a time even to bar- ter away their chance of heaven II they could only sell Christ, as did Judas, for thirty pieces of silver. my frieuiz, beg and plead with you not to sell your ii- vine birthright for a mere mess of pat- tagel Stop. in Gods name! Stop before 1t 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 Brideoroom's Excuse.
 But hark! 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 sent He says that he Is a bridegroom and therefore cannot come. Why did he not do as MT. Moody said he ought to have done-go to the banquet hall and take his wife along? But my friend, this excuse of the bride groom ought not to be to you an object of derision. Of all the excuses which Christ stated in the parable I think this one was the most plausible and the most rational The bridegroom in the east by the GUS tom of that time might be looked upon leniently for. answering as he did. Ihe Hebrews considered marriage one of the most sacred and important events of human beings life. Every young girl spent her time chiefly in preparing for her nuptial day. She was always spinning linen and making garments for the we'd ding rousseau. 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 a haphazard way. as do many of the young people of the present time. He did not marry upon a momentary impulse. But the young people were often afflanced for years be- fore the wedding day, Then by the old Hebrew law, bridegroom was absolutely independent of all military and, to great extent, of civil obligations for whole year. After the wedding night for twelve long months he was allowed to stay at home under his own roof. So when the bridegroom of the east sent a refusal to come tQ the banquet he practically said, as hundreds and thousands of wives and mothers are now saying: T cannot afford to come to Christ's banquet at the present time. have my home duties to attend to I have domestic obligations l pray thee have me excused"
 But. my dear friends, can the husband wff at fp nd fn1 their domestic relations unless they first have been to the marriage barqret of the Lamb? No, no. You know that no husband and father is truly a we'll equipped parent unless he is a Christian man; you know that no wife Is truly an independent woman unless she Is a Chris tian woman. Legh Richmond once de- veloped this thought in a pathetic incl dent which he told about his mother life. She had six children, and one of them her baby, was killed by he care lessness of a nurse allowing the child to fall out of a second story window At that time Legh Richmond was walking in the street below. He gathered up th poor bleeding body of his little brother and carried him into the house and placed him in his mothers lap. All that day the mother kept praying and praying. In thc midst of her prayers she turned to her l for five minutes I shall be crushed under this sorrow, but when I pray to God He comforts and uphods me. So no wife and mother is able bravely confront the sorrows of the home unless sne IS Chris tian woman Sooner or later troubles and awful troubles will knock it every he'd room door, and, man and woman, you cannot afford to say, like ena bridegroom of old, that you cannot come 10 Christ on of tt simple fact Is your home dLtIes and sor- rows ought to be mighty inspirations to send you to the feet of Christ,
 The Duty of Parents.
 Besides, parents, how can you have the right influence over your children unless you are consecrated Christian men and women. How can a father and mother tell their children how to love the Lord Jesus unless they themselves have accept ed the invitation to the gospel banquet? Can the blind lead the blind? Can some- thing come from nothing? I lift a clay vase in my hand and smell the sweetest fragrance. l say: 70 vase, whence came thy perfume? Were thy substances fra grant before the hot fires of the lotter's furnace touched thee?" Nay" answers the vase. "fhe reason I am perfuned is because hundreds of flowers have beer plucked and have been allowed to kiss me with their red and white lips Upon the sand dunes of the seashore 1 pick up a curiously twisted she'll place it to my ear and hear low, moaning sound. I say to the she'll Shell, why dost thou moan like a sick child?" Because" answers the shell. q have been rolled over and over in the bottom of the seas l have been allowed to place my ear against the great throbbing, aching heart of the iraf sorrow of the sea waves that are now tapping at thy feet" Thus We find that by the direct law of nature there Is no effect without a cause. If you, parents, desire your chlidren's lives to be redolent with the perfume of righteousness and