The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-02-24

critic and we must come down and az
peuitent sinner ~ the foot OF the
cross and the light and glory Of rev.
claticn viii stand behind that divine
and beautiful figure o. the loving. ten
der compassionate Christ and we
shall see Him. not dead Saviour.
not even a great aud mighty Judge
ot the world in the future, but cur
own tender loving. personal friend.
What is the next thing that seems 20
me the greatest hindrance Of men who
should swiftly ran the race. 10 the
men who should bravely climb the hills
of power. 20 the men who, With their
manhood and strength. should battle
Oh the side Of Christ? IL is one word
and IL Is that word that has done more
10 I'll our State prisons than anything
else. IL is weakness. We are not ac-
customed when We speak OF the human
race 10 thlnk OF men a. weak. Woman
is always spoken OF as the weaker YES
sci. but l speak not or comparison be-
tween men and women. but between
men and men. 1t il weakness that
has led men 10 go with the tide in
stead Of nghting against H. IL is
weakness that has made them WELD in
the presence of evil companionship
and DO shat which their manhood and
conscience rose against. IL is weakness
that has made them seal tfeir souls
10 drink II is weakness hat has
made them, instead Of being the pro-
tectors OF the weak. trample even
women under their feet. Ii Is weak
ness that has made them hide Their
! colors when the name Of God Is taken
, IN vain or when ribald jokes are made,
when they should rise and proclaim
! their indignation against II, and. II
1 you should ask me what keeps these
men between prison walls, | should not
answer the desire for my OF these
! things but weakness. And no man
| can have strength unless the spirit OF
! God is within him. IL is weakness
that drags him down and strength
! that enables him 10 mount above and
! strength can only come from the touch
| OF the hand divine.
! Perhaps You say 10 me. DO YOU be-
/ lieye that all men are weak Indeed.
/ ! dc not ] have known men. strong
men. but | have known no man strong
y enough 10 be strong without the d.
! vine Christ. | have known strong men
/ who have said that they were strong
! enough 10 night the evils OF this world
| and 4 has seemed that the grosser
evils have passed them by because OF
! the strength and nobility of their char
! acter hut they needed something more
than that. II they would be a bless
ing to The world that needed more than
| their great manly strength-they need
ed the strength divine. And even into
these very strong mems lives have
! come some one temptation stronger
IL. A
| what it was TO see the strong man de-
feated. And Yet have known what IL
| was TO see poor weak men, men whom
| | have seen wreStle in anguish over
the past. men who have said 10 me:
Il cannot live right Look what the
! past has been--a series of attempts
10 do right-and all have failed. ] am
| too weak And | have seen them
| in their helpleSsnesS east themselves
upon the strength OF the divine heart.
They have come TO the end OF their
strength. they have acknow ledged
their weakness. and God has stepped
in and said: You have come 10 the
place where you need Ne and ] will
help you And | have seen these
men go through life far more able TO
fight their way than the strong man,
and they have been able to see that
through Christ their weakness has
been turned 10 strength.
There are SO many things that |
would Ike 10 bring 10 this audience,
but let me tell yOu thar which ! have
Z sometimes told those 10 whom | go
most often with the message. that
| what we desire 20 DO and what We
can 90 is NOT through our own effort
H.. t.rl1f
but il must be through that touch OF
God. There are many men who have
| said 10 me. II want 10 speak the right
word and the evil words are there up.
on my lips | want 10 do the right thing
but in a moment the evil passion rises
| within me and defeats ne. ! am a
| slave 10 the powers that bind me.
Yes. you may be and many a man has
found that however much he exercises
his will lie cannot throw away from
him these evil things but what your
own efforts. what sorrow. what even
the stern punishmentS OF the law have
tried 10 90 and failed 10 accomplish
can be accomplished 10y another
Power the strongest power on earth.
the power Of heaven. And the mes
/ sage that bring 10 You tonight. the
message 70 those who have tried 10
fight their evil temptations and have
failed the message 20 those who feel
that q power stronger than their own
Ia. got them in its grip, the message
90 those who want 10 be what they
1 would be is the message that the touch
Of a new life can be yours to-day;
/ that Christ is calling 70 you; that His
| hand H. stretched ont 10 touch that
! leaTt and 4 can cg 81 ont the owl thing
and put in its place the new thing, an
! impure thought can be cast away and
a sweet. pure thought has come 20 take
/ rs place. You can become today a
new life in Christ