The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-08-01
A FRESH START-TOWARDS CHRIST


By Rev. Theodore L. Cuyler, d. D.
A man has just gone of my room who said
to me- Il am going to begin the New Year with
fresh start" All his life he had been drifting
father and farther off from where his conscience
told him that he ought to be- His fresh start"
was towards Jesus Christ. And every uncon-
verified person who reads these lines ought to take
the same step. You expect to do it at some
time before you die; do it now. Jesus Christ
waited for you all last year and many years be-
fore it; hasten to Him once.
Do not wait for any keener Of guilt; peo-
pie often discover more of their weakness
and wckedness after they have come to Jesus
than they dreamed of before. Do not wait
for more feeling. If you had fallen from a ferry
boat into the North River, filled with floating
ice, would you wait to feel colder before you
grasped the rope flung out to you? When Jesus
told the blind beggar to come to Him, he cast off
his garment and straghtway When the
leper besought Christ to heal him. the Master
babe him go show himself to the priest. The
suffering wretch did not stop to count his sores or
inquire, What good will it do to go?' He
asked no questions, but started and "as he went
he was healed. The path of obedience was the
path of salvation; it will be just so with YOU
When Jesus encountered James and John
the lake shore of Gennesaret, He simply said to
them, Follow Me-" He did not come twice after
them, nor did He need to speak twice to them.
their destiny hung upon ten minutes; may
yours. Suppose that those two fishermen had
treated the Saviour you have always treated
Him; where were their wonderful history, their
priceless services and their of glory? Their
destiny turned Yes" or No" They did
not stop to cry over their sins to bargain with
their Master to their support; they quit
their nets, up, and walked off with Jesus
Christ, not knowing whittier He would lead them.
You, too my friend, must forsake your met"
single favorite prevailing sin may be net that
entangles your soul in its meshes. The met
which my friend who has just left this room is
quitting is dangerous tampering with a brandy
bottle. | have seen hundreds of awakened souls
drawn back into hardened impentence by sensual
temptations; the decanter, the gaming table, the
play house or the appetite for licentious gratfca
tons have coiled their net around the feet and
held them from following Christ.
Perhaps your besetting sin is love of making
money, and in ways that do not satisfy your
science. Then stop it, at whatever sacrifice. You
cannot make honest prayer while there is a
dishonest dollar in your pocket Just as it is the
hidden root which holds tree against every
effort to move it, and the hidden rock that slaves
the hole in the bottom of vessel, so it is the
secret sin that oftenest keeps soul from Christ
Search your heart to the bottom, and whatever
Christ bids you give up, surrender it. Perhaps
fear of ridcule the desire to stand we'll with
your rreligious associates may be influencing
you But you cannot keep on good terms with
such men and good terms with your Saviour.
Take bold stand, if some of your acquaintance
do stare at you at you. Perhaps your
courageous coming out for Christ may startle
them and shame them and be the means of saving
their souls. / know of two young ladies who SO
impressed their circle Of friends by their decided
stand for Christ that a deep religious interest
was started, which finally spread through the