The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-12-10

II am not asking you to join my
church, but to be Christian. Turning
deliberately away from me, he walked
up to window that looked out on one
of the busiest streets of Philadelphia,
and he stood for fully 10 minutes look
ing out. Finally he came back and
took me by the hand. His face was
wet with tears, and he said, Thank
you, sir; mo- one has ever asked me to
be a Christian. Then, sinking back
into the chair by his table, he said, 4
thought no one cared!
'tSuch men are in this city-Amen
in deepest need; men with sore, ach-
ing hearts. | make no plea for fanati-
cism but / make plea for natural
conversation concerning Jesus, which
grows out of the conception of the
fact that this text is true, ard that
men are in danger.
People are moving up and down the
streets of Brattleboro saying in their
souls, if not with their lips, No man
cares for my soul. One reason why We
do not manifest a concern for anoth-
er s soul is a sense of our own I'M
worthiness; yet to keep our lips sealed
is to be inconsistent 1t is not Chris
| tian service to speak to men at inoppor-
tune times, but if you believe in Jesus
| Christ, if you believe the Bible is true,
! if YOU believe that men without Christ
are hopeless, in the spirit of your Mas
ter 90 at opportune times, or write or
pray.
1--WE have somehow gotten away
from the thought that Christ is our
only hope. / am trying to be fair to
the people of Brattleboro; l know your
spiritual conditions and ! know your
Il II.
your only hope The speaker told OF
witnessing shipwreck and seeing the
men washed overheard one by one un-
til the last man came to the edge OF
the vessel and shouted through the
speaking trumpet the one word
1" Lost. -
q have never faced an audience
from that day to this that | have not
heard that cry. That is why | only
preach the gospel; that is why l fee
/ have no right to turn aside TO any
other ministry; and when you realize
that man away from God is lost, yol
win speak to him. But there is anoth
er reason. Listen. We have an idee
that men do not care to be spoken tt
about their souls We never made {
greater mistake in the world.
sThere ism t a man in Brattleboro
who has heart in him; there ism I {
woman in Brattleboro, who has hear
in her, but who would welcome YOU
coming, if your own life was right anc
your own life was true. Men in Brat
tleboro who were Indifferent three
weeks ago are not Indifferent now, ant
when God speaks to you and you can
get away from it, 60.
"'The world does not care for you
devil will charm you and bind you anc
: when the pleasure of sin is gone yol
: will cry out, Oh wretched man that
am, who shall deliver me from tn
body of this death2' and he viii
mock YOU But listen! God cares 70
your soul. ] have never been in a cit.
where the ministers more unquestion
ingly trusted me or where they wer
more earnestly concerned for the sal
walton of souls.
DR. Chapman closed with the story o
a wealthy man whose little girl wa
!, born deaf and dumb, but he had no on
!, TO teach the child. Being called abroad
he placed the girl in an institution TO
deaf and dumb children. When he re
!, turned a year later she sprang into hi
q arms and putting her lips close to hi
ear whispered, Papa, l love you.
love YOU.
.'They say this big man just held hi
E child out at arm s length, looked at he
q and swooned They carried him into tn
|, building, and he kept saying over an
q over, / heard her speak. She loves mi
I She loves me. God does not say Low
= me and | will save you. He say
n Trust me! believed repent! obey! Wi
you do itP''