The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-01

 humble monk than it was found by testi- mony that for years he had given his life to saving social outcasts. What Christian women are doing for ex-con- yicts St. Vitalis was doing for fallen men and fallen women. At his funeral those social outcasts, whom he had py the power of the Holy Spirit rescued, marched in front of his bier, chanting this cry: We have lost our deliverer! We have lost our instructorl God help us! God help usi' Today Christ Is will ing to go into the lowest brothel and into the haunts of the immorally vile and to say: Come unto me and I will make thee pure. Come, every man. come, every woman. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as the driven snow; though they be red as crlm- son, they shall be as wool.
 Pardon for All.
 Christ Is ready to forgive the murder CTS sins. By that do l mean that He is ready to forgive the highwayman who. with lifted gun, shoots down the inno- cent pedestrian? By that do mean that Christ Is ready to forgive the fiend who poisons the helpless child or in the dark night drives the knife into the heart of his sleeping adversary? Yes, Jesus is ready. to forgive the convicted murderer though he may be standing upon the scaffold under the hangman's moose. about to expiate his awful crime Pardon for all'' is the meaning of my text-par- don and peace and eternal life for all no matter how vile, if in sincere repent ance they will come to Him and plead for His Mercy through His atoning sac rifice.
 No Sinner Need Despair.
 But among the murderers who are to be pardoned I would also class those who have slain their victims by false signs, as well as by bullet or by gun. He is ready to forgive those who have slain by the lip as well as by the hand. In olden times the pirates along the coast of England used to change the po- sitions of the lights. Then the sea cap tains, watching the beckonings of the false lights, would drive their boats upon the rocks and be wrecked The pirates would rifle the drowned bodies as they would be hoated upon the shore, and gather ogether the wrecked cargoes They were murderers-murderers whose weapons were false lights. So God will forgive even those murderers who have destroyed their fellow men by false ex- amples as well as He will forgive those who have murdered them with the dag ger or the gun.
 What some murderer says Pardon for my scarlet sim? Oh, no. It cannot be true. Why, you do not know what you are saying. My sins are worse than scarlet. They are black with the hope lessness of despair There can be no par don for me Let me tell you my awful story: When I went to college, I was a very wild boy. I had there q roommate who was the son of minister He was a ruddy faced lad and as pure as a little child. I taught him how to drink and how to gamble I argued him out of his belief in. the Bible. I led him on, step by step, into the paths of sin. One night -I can remember the time as though yesterday-he sat upon the corner of his bed and. with a strange light in his eyes, he turned and looked at me and said: 'Jim do you really believe that my mothers Bible is only a pack of supersti- tions? Do you believe there is no hellT Yes. Harry I answered. Then I went on to convince him of it. Then he laugh ed a horrible laugh. Then he turned and said: Well. old superstition. goodby. goodby! May you live long enough to soften the dying pillow of my mother and father, but as for me. goodby. good by! Come, Jim, let's go and take a drink
 Ready to Forgive.
 From that moment. sir, that young fellow let loose all his evil desires. He seemed to leap into a very whirlpool of sin. Within a few months he was expelled from college. Within two years he committed suicide, and this is the letter he wrote on the night of his self murder. Dear Mother-Thls is the last letter you will ever receive from me have broken your heart. but try to for get and forgive. If there is no hell. as Jim says, this world Is hell enough for me. From your disgraced and dying boy l" Did you do all thatY :" :" 'Yes.' he answered. "Well. my friend. I know not how God will forgive. but He can and He will. The blood of Jesus