The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-04-16
Jagged behind. or. as the record saw.

SolupahN ISaCneu the Judgment nan,
John went in with Jesus. but Peter.
struggling In late. dared not go there.
but with shamefacedness sat out In
the court and warmed himself by the
| fire. Step by step he had led 10 his
| own undoing. The servants jeered
him and taunted him, until he grew
profane and blasphemous. and de-
| clared that he never knew Jesus of
Nazareth. Had he followed close 20
the Master, the presence OF Jesus
would have sustained and strength.
ened him. in the companionship OF
John he would have found courage.
and he would have been saved from
| the influence of the evil company
| which proved his ruin. Is not this
the proper diagnosis of many sin-sick
souls among us? Is not this the
exact history of your backslidingT
You began by sheer neglect. You did
not commit outward positive sins,
but you neglected the means OF grace.
You were startled when YOU recog-
nized the growing indifference In your
heart. Bible reading became irk-
some. and YOU no longer delighted I'm
| private prayer. In the meantime
your devotion TO business or pleasure
caused YOU 10 give up the prayer
meeting Then YOU became irregular
on Sunday evenings. and gradually
you dropped out OF all church attend
| ance. In the meantime YOU were
not sustained and cheered by the
| conscious presence Of your Lord nor
strengthened by the companionship OF
your fellow Christians. Then you
drifted out among unbelievers. and
perhaps they have taunted you into
denying your Master in ways which
ten years ago YOU would not have
dreamed OF, or course you did not
start out 10 make shipwreck OF your
faith. You were hoodwinked by the
devil. Even fool would shun the
first steps toward evil II he could
see the end from the beginning. In
| our city there are tens OF thousands
| OF men and women who have drifted
into sin and drifted out OF the
church. MY heart yearns over these
| people. for they belong TO God. They
| have been redeemed by the blood OF
Gods Son. They ought 10 be eating
at their Fathers taple. but instead of
this they are spending their all in
| riotous living. or it may be that the
| devil has already put them to feeding
swine.
Now let us consider the result OF
| this backsliding | do not mean the
| influence of backsliding upon others.
though this is far-reaching and bane-
| full, but the curse of backsliding to
the backslider himself. My text says
that the "backslider in heart shall be
| filled with his own ways What
soever man soweth that shall he
| also reap" The law OF the harvest
| is a universal and unalterable law.
but a considerable time generally
| elapses before man eats the bread
of his own sowing. | do not envy the
| backslider. BY experience | know
something of the bitterness OF the
/ agony which he now suffers or which
the future holds in store for him.
Now let us consider Gods attitude
: to the backslider. He yearns over
His wayward and wandering children.
and longs for their return The pic
ture OF the father In the parable Of
| the prodigal son is the best descriI-
tion of God In the whole Bible. And
| Is not the picture Of the prodigal son
| the best description OF the backslider
| that YOU know Of? In the heart OF
God there is an abundant welcome for
] every returning backslider, and the
| church Of God ought not TO be less
hospitable than the heart of God.
If again ! may use the Apostle
Peter as an illustration. We may sure
ly learn from his restoration that
| unworthy Christians may become
worthy Christians, that weak Chris
tians may become strong Christians.
and that our very failings may be-
come stepping stones to success.
After his experience, Peter was too
! humble a man TO praise himself; but
all OF US know that the Master took
| him back TO His heart and immedi-
ately intrusted him with the interests
OF His Kingdom. This weak and
| halting and backsliding man was des-
tined TO become the leader OF the
| apostles in devotion and suffering and
success. IL thrills my heart TO watcn
| the humble and chastened and re-
stored backslider. ! am glad II was
Peter who preached the wonderful
sermon at Pentecost, for IL proves to
me that God can take the weakest of
us and make us strong and powerful,
If We will only give ourselves TO Him.
close with these words OF invita-
tion rom my Master My first word
is to the Christians within the
church who have grown cold and
neglectful: Our Master is anxious TO
forgive US and to have us start afresh.
Let us be done with Incidence and
Indifference, and serve the Lord with
Joy and and enthusiasm. My second
word is TO the Christians who have
fallen into sin and drifted out Of the
church: Your Lord stands with open
arms and pleads with you to come
back 10 Him, and the church wants
you back. If you will forsake your
sins, no one will RENE mber them
against you. Come, and you shall