Year: 1873

OF the city, that bis mother was
praying woman, snd that some othel
ard older members of the famil,


were also members OF the househelC
. faith. / became more deeply in
terested in him then, and pressed up


on him the Importance of a promp


and speedy union of himself with Coo


through faith in our Lord Jesul


Christ. He had various pretexts Il
offer for putting the matter of, bu


they were of the stereotyped ordel


so natural to every unreneWed heart
and so certainly and readily sug
gested by the great adversary.


asked him then if he ever prayed, fol


have q steadfsst faith in the efficacy


of prayer, and believe that there il


hope for the vilest sinner who prays.


l shall not soon forget the answer be


gave to my inquiry. Looking me in


the face for moment, as if surprised


a. such a question, and apparently in


doubt whether l was in earnest or not


in asking it, and whether he ahould


treat it as a deliberate insult or not,


he said, 81 guess Pm too big to pray. %


tried to disabuse his mind of this


idea, but he could not comprehend


that strong, healthy active young


men like himself, with the prospect,


If not the promise, of a long life be-


fore them, had need to pray, or


could be benefited thereby. He was


"too big to pray"


have not seen that young man to
my knowledge from that day to this,


but l have seen a great many like
him who thought, and some of whom
still think, as he did. And I never
see one such as he without hearing
his answer ring in my ears 81 guess
Pm too big to pray" Alas, what
terrible condition to be in-Without
God and hope in the world!


l have ip my mind at this moment
"reminiscences of two young men,
trained up in Methodist Sabbath
schools, the children of praying pa
rents, one of whom at least was for a
time an acceptable member of a.
church in this city. The first of
these young men with whose career
L became acquainted was a member
of a Sabbath school in the Ninth
Ward. He gave every promise of
growing up good and useful men,
Der of society. He was punctual in
his attendance in Ssbbath-school, up
right in department, and polite to
those who were appointed over him.
But years rolled on, and the boy be-
came young man, and the young
man became ''toO big to pray" He
was tCo big to attend Sabbath-school
any more; but he did not give it up
all at once. No, no. There was
still some attraction for him there.
He came late for several mornings,
then q little later, and finally not at
all. He did not, however, wholly
forsake the church. He might be
seen in the porch and Railways of the
Lords house with other young men
during the closing exercises In the
school. But the invitations and i'm.
portunIties of friends that he would
re-enter the school and return to his
former self displeased him, and he
now stood on the sidewalk. By slow
but certain steps this youth with 8
lew Others moved from the Sabbath
school room to the porch, from the
perch to the door. steps, from these
to the sidewalk, and from the side
walk to the street-corner. Very
soon they ceased to be known as
Sabbath-scbool boys, and were spo-
ken of simply as street gang"
they were too big to pray; too big
TO go 10 Sunday-school or church
too big 10 read the precious Word of
God, and to take its counsel too big
to heed the warnings or appreciate
the advice of friends who loved their
soulsi But they were jast the right
size for the DEVILS infantry. They
became expert in vice and crime,
and had gained for themselves an
unenyiable reputation in the ward,
until one day the city papers an
nounced that an unoffendiDg citizen
hsd been Wsylsid and robbed by the
street gang, and while defending
himself, had been shot by j. B., the
leader of the gang. Then came q
scene OF sorrow and distress. Moth
er and sisters, Sunday school teach
ers and superintendent, friends who
had talked with him, prayed for him,
and tried 10 turn him from the error
Of his ways, were eagerly sought for
and promptly obeyed the summons
He was ready now to take the ad-
vice of the least OF them but il was
too late. He was in the clutches OF
the law, with the brand of the felon
already on his brow. The friends
who would have saved his soul if
they could were powerless now to
save his body from the gsllows, and
after a brief trial-for be had not
great wealth at his back, with the
aid of which he might hope to post
pore the day cf doom-he was con-
6em1ed as 3 murdere., and on a certain
dsy IN the city prison, in fulfIlment
Of the sentence o. the court, be was
banged by the neck until he was
dead. And thus ended the life OF o
once promising youth at the age OF
twenty years. lie was "too big to
pray."


The other young man / Was more
Intimately acqusinted with. He was
in ny own class in Sunday-school
eight or ten years ago, and was boy
whom l would have trusted with sny
amount Of money. Gentle, kind, at
tentive, obedient, he was indeed 9
model Sunday-scholar. During 8
revival in The church he went for
ward az q penitent and prOfessed
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. His
parents were dead, and the friends
with whom he resided moved across
the river TO Brooklyn, Z ID. Mean
time | moved to another part Of the
civ. snd became interested in snoth-
er Sunday school, ard lost sight OF
James for a few years. But / did !
not forget him, nor did he forget me. |
Oae dac, while engaged in my Office, |
message was sent to me that a |
Young man desired to spesk with me. |
/ lef; my desk snd answered the call,
sEd there, to my surprise and
pleasure, before NE stood my once
Sabbath scholar, now q fine gentle
mauly young nan, polite and afsble
in manner and conversation. But
he had terrible tale to tell. He was
employed in a mercantile house
downtown, had the confidence
OF his employers, and was trust
ed With moneys, which in
an evil hour he had misappropriated
and used. He hoped to be able to
nske coed his defalcations snd
TO escape the notice of his trust
ing friends. In bis extremity he
sought the counsel OF his old Sunday
school teacher, who, he hoped, would
lend him money enough to replace


l. III .sCta- F-&-ll.,