Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-11-05

DO you see that young man who now
comes toward us III Secdy attire? His
step is sta" 2ering. He is blear eyed
and mau,S.u in drink lie turns down
side street and stagsers on TO his
lodgings in the upper room of poor
tenement. where live his wife and four
or five half naked and half starved
children. That young man only ten
years ago was dressed as well as you
Or l. He had then IL finer business
than you have today. lie once had
just as happy Il home. Tell me that
man is happy: Is that the man whose
wife so proudly stepped to the altar
to give herself 10 him in marriage: Is
that the young man her friends con-
graduated her upon marrying:
The Wages of SIN.
Call that fun: Fun to be kicked out
of your home: Fun To have the sher-
iff sell your store over your head: Fun
to have all your old friends turn their
back upon you and look upon YOU as
an outcast: Through the midnight
darkness hear the echoing of the
song of ten years ago now singing.
The wages of sin is DEATH" Oh. no,
my brother: that young man is not
happy. The worst taskmaster on earth
to crush tie power of sinful tempta-
ton as that man who has been COM
PEELED to drink the bitter dregs of de-
spair. DO not despise him; pity him,
and with gentle WORDS try TO win him
back 10 honor and TO Christ. He de-
serves your commiserarion. There
fore. if you and | are ready to go to
Gods outcasts. if we are ready to go
to the sinners in Christ's name and say
gently. Brother. Jesus is ready to
save you. Jesus wants me to he your
friend and help YOU" there would be
no difficulty in most cases about the
spiritual rescues. But the trouble with
this old hateful and hating world is.
as Josh Billings quantity put it. When
man starts downhill it seems as
though everything was CREASED for the
occasion" And when man once
strikes the bottom of the hill but very
few people are ready to ding him the
gospel rope and haul him up out of the
mud. q man, can you not hear
Christ speaking to you in behalf of
Gods Maynard children. as David, the
broken hearted father. once said to
General Joab about his hayward boy.
Deal gently for my sake with the
young man. even with Absalom"
Oh, how many sinners could be
brought to Christ If we would only
practice the gospel of n gentle life. 1t
is said that one of the hardest crimi-
nails of an eastern pententiary was
converted by the gentleness of little
child. This little girl and her father
were being shown through the prison
flight of stairs the warden turned To
this hardened life prisoner and muir
derer near by and said. Jack. carry
her upstairs" When the hard featur-
ell convict stopped down to pick UP the
little girl she looked up into his face
with Il smile and said. Jack. will you
kiss me-" And when he was about to
put the little one down she said. Now,
Jack, will you let me kiss you:" No
sooner were those last words spoken
than the old criminals heart was melt
ed. God struck the rock of Horeb and
II gushed forth with tears of penitence.
Kindness did it. The gentleness of a
little child accomplished what the
blows of the keeper and the iron bars
could never do. o man. will you not
start forth from this moment to win
sinful men and women to Jesus Christ
by the omnipotent power Of gospel
lied gentle life:
The Chief Mission of Man.
To save immortals for Christ ought