Connecticut western news., 1904-11-03

was one of the most bitterly crushing attacks ever made in forensic arena. James G. Blaine waited for just the right time when he could most sue cessfully hit his foe. But that terri ble denunciation against Roscoe Con kling cost James G. Blaine mighty dear. He paid the price of that venge- ance at costly rate. That one speech without q doubt cost him the presi- dency of the United States. Conkling never forgave him. Had Blaine tried to conclliatc Roscoe Conkling instead of trying to destroy him the 'plumed knight" of the Maine hills would have landed in the White House, where all lis friends as well as himself longed to have him. With q bludgeon you can knock Il man down. With keen, cut ting speech you can make him wilt and compel him to. curse you under his breath. But the sharp word, the bit
 ter word the sarcastic word. never yet changed foe into q friend. Now, my text demands that you shall try to de- stroy your foes not by crushing them
 but by winning them to your ranks
 You are to destroy them, even as Ma poleon on his escape from Elba made Marshal Ney and his grenadiers fall at his feet because they felt he loved them. You are to destroy them by dealing gently with them, by forgiving as well as forgetting the evils of the past.
 But greater sweep than the establish ment of harmonious relationships with our personal enemies has the applica- tion of my text. We should try to bring back to Christ those who are at war with their Divine Master on ac- count of their sins. We should try to lead Gods wayward children back to their Divine Fathers house, even as the prodigal of the far country was led to return to the old homestead. No man can truly love Christ unless at the same time, by yearning, tender affec- ton, he Is willing to go forth to save Christ's loved ones even as he would want to save one of his own children.
 Bring Back the Lost Sheep.
 To bring the lost sheep back to the Shepherds fold ought to be the high est wish and desire of every Christian. And that is not to be done by menaces and denunciation. God, as Elijah found is not in the earthquake nor in the tire but in ''the still small voice." Men may be wooed back to God, but they are seldom driven. And why should we not deal gently with Gods wayward children? Do you for one instant think those people who spiritu- ally and morally have gone astray are having good time? Do you for one moment suppose that the man who, like Laocoon, knows that he and his family are struggling amid the crush ing coils of deadly serpents on account of hls sins would not gladly be rescued from those enveloping coils If we could only go to him gently in Christ's name and offer to him the peace and the par don and the hope and the eternal life of the gospel? An, yes, my brother, he would, he would
 No man enjoys drinking the bitter dregs of remofse. No man for mere pleasure would allow Satan to keep on faying him alive, as Satan Is doing to his victims all around us. Sometimes at first looks are deceiving in reference to this. From the opened door of the saloon or low haunt of vice we hear the songs and the guffaws of laugh ter. Then we say, "Oh, what high carnival Is sin!" But stop. Is that ali DO you see that young man who now comes toward us in seedy attire? His step Is staggering. He Is blear eyed and maudlin in drink. He turns down side street and staggers 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 a finer business than you have today. He once had Just as happy home. Tell me that man is happy? Is that the man whose wife so proudly stepped to the altar to give herself to him in marringe2 Is that the young man her friends con- graduated her upon marrying?
 The Wages of Sin.
 Call that fun? Fun to be kicked ost of your home? Fun to have the sher if 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 l 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 is the devil. No man so much wants to crush the power of sinful tempta- ton as that man who has been com pelled to drink the bitter dregs of de- spair. Do not despise him; pity him, and with gentle words try to win him back to honor and to Christ. He de serves your commiseration. There fore, If you and 1 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 be 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 quaintly put It, When man starts downhill 1t seems as though everything was greased for the occasion" And when man once strikes the bottom of the hill but very few people are ready to fling him the gospel rope and haul him up out of the mud. O man, can you not hear Christ speaking to you In behalf of Gods wayward children, as David, the broken hearted father, once said to General Joab about his wayward 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 gentle life! It is said that one of the hardest criml- nals of an eastern penltentiary was converted by the gentleness of little child. This little girl and her father were being shown through the prison wards. When the party came to long flight of stairs the warden turned to