The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-06

and have made a wreck of my iife:"
and then he dropped, weeping, into
the pew.
The minister prayed. The meeting
was dismissed. Nobody spoke TO the
minister came down the aisle and
talked with him, learned sad story
OF prodigality and wandering. learned
that his father and mother lived In
4 ~ ~ ~, :s-s-a..n $500 .fgas1,
bass4 rse, esey..a yssFa issS rs }}dhssr
know whether they were living or
dead.
Letter From Home.
The minister advised him to write
home end tell them where he was ana
what he had done. He didn't ex-
pect an answer back for four days,
but when the fourth day came, there
was no answer. The fifth day there
was no answer. and ne was worried;
and he was thoubled; the seventh DAY
there was no answer and he was IN
distress: the eighth day no answer
and he was In agony.
The ninth day and the answer came.
but the envelope was bordereo III
black. with tear-dimmed eyes ana
trembling hands he broke the sea-,
and he read something like this: my
precious Boy: The Joy which your
letter brought to our nome ano
ness which reigned there at the same
time, for as nearly n we can con-
clude. the same day and tho same
hour that you say you FOUND Jesus
Christ ar yotir Savior in the church
In Cincinnati, your old father was
going out into the skies.
IAN day long he tossed and rolled
upon his bed. and his mind would
out, oh, God. save my poor. hayward.
wandering boy
1--WE would attempt to turn bis
mind from your prodigality ana
drunkenness and wandering. but he
would come back to 1t and cry out.
oh. God, save my poor. wandering.
wayward boy
.Just before he passed on. he cried.
oh, God, save and he finished the
prayer In the presence OF Jesus.
Down at the bottom OF the letter.
the mother added this postscript. Ed
ward. you are a Christian tonight be-
cause your old father would not let
God go nor take NO for an answer"
Oh, for men and women who knew
Row TO pray like that! Great God.
for wives that could lay hold upon the
Lord for husbands: parents for chill
tiren. friends for friendsL 70 that they
would be swept into the Kingdom OF
God and yield for Jesus Christ.
would like to make my message
eonigh. brief and make II personal.
$50 that not man or woman could
leave this tabernacle and honestly
ray. HE didn't mean me. That didn't
apply to me-"
First. us II wei with thee ard
! will answer that much OF FOR
every unsayed man or woman In this
tabernacle How could II be well with
you. II you were to die, you would
~ IN he'll before midnight How can
Il be well with you when the wrath
of God is upon you. when Gods hand
IL against you? How can II be well
when you are a rebel to God and Gods
Kingdom and living in rebellion. and
nothing but mercy OF God prevents
His wrath from falling upon your
know men: know their trials /
know their temptations. and there 10
many n man who il Influenced BY the
momentum OF the crowd that he In
with to do things and ray things at
the time he IL with them that he hates
and desrises himself to think that he
did; ard when ne Is alone he thinks.
~Oh. how could have stopped to do
rzuch a thing. that would put blush
on my mothers checks. make my wife
ashamed that she ever married me.
ut my children ashamed to call me
father"
There arc men In hen tonight that
we've Influenced By the crowd they
went with. There are men In heaven
tonight because they werc Influenced
nv the crowd they went with. and
the appeal to the higher and nobier
instincts Of their life and truth. II
II well with the man who win at
even occasionally at the gambling
liable and run the risk OF becoming a
f~c.-IegEed gam hlerf II II well
* the man that win take even an
Occasional drink and run the risk
OF becoming a reeifng vomiting drunk
ard, staggering to the pit Of helis
IL II we'll with tho man that win take
Gods name In vain and trample God's
avs beneath his fectf IL wei
with the man that WIN hang evil
thoughts upon the walls Of his mind
secrets or others! Ia Il well with the
one that h careless OF his or her
COMPANIONS? In II wen with one that
Mas no respect for Gods holy day and
uses Il for his or her own conven-
fence. Irrespective Of Gods command
mentn MOI Ten thousand times. ten
thousand times. no!
God pity you II you 30 CUT INTO
eternity with the sin on your life that
IL there now m you sit and listen
to me! There are several reasons
why God stands ready and willing to
forgive and remember your sins
against you no more forever.
Years ago In Philadelphia n hoy
was working for his father. and one
night ne tapped the till and stole SIS.
and he fed. The father hired detec-
.tfves and they sent photographs OF
the boy TO the chiefs Of police all
around. and the mothers heart was
breaking; and they looked evsry-
where.
Ard finally one day my cid friend.
Sam Hadley. who. used to he superin-
tendeYt OF the old Walter Street Mis-
sion In New York, he sat teetered
back IN q chair In front Of his place
and 4 Roy came down the street and
stopped. He said:
.sIs this Mr. Hadleyr
He said, yea"
He said: ''win you kindly give me
a needle 20
MI. Hadley said: what fort"
He said: u want to mend my
trousers"