FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82  
83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   >>  
yself in making this confession, but I feel that it is due to you, and something tells me I shall have more peace of mind if I speak to you as I have lately prayed to God. "'It is not necessary, neither have I time nor strength, to tell you how I have been brought to see my selfishness in all its enormity. It is enough if I say to you that I most sincerely believe that I have misunderstood very largely the right meaning of human existence. I want to pray with you and for you. You will let me say this also, bearing with me, as this may be my last opportunity to say to you what lies in my heart: Serve the Church of Christ, all you who have taken upon you its vows, with enthusiasm and loyalty. Stand by the superintendent of the Sunday School; attend this week-night service when you can, making it the most important service of the week; and, more than all, live true, simple, loving Christian lives every day. "'It may seem strange that I am preaching like this to you who have probably done your duty far better than I ever did, but I wish to say what lies deep in my heart to say to-night. If there are any young men in the meeting tonight, I want to say to them, Become Christians at the core--not in name simply, as I have been; and above all, kneel down every morning, noon, and night, and pray to God to keep you from a selfish life--such a life as I have lived--forgetful of church vows, of the rights of the working poor, of the brother and sister in Christ. Yes; I would be willing that any young man might say, "O Lord, keep me from living as selfish and useless and proud a life as Robert Hardy once lived." For that is the truth. No one but God knows how I have suffered at the thought of the past; how I am suffering at the present moment. I pray that any who are afflicted at this present time may find peace in Him who bore the world's sorrows in His great heart of love. If it were not for my faith in my Saviour at this time, I should be in despair. As it is, I am suffering, but it is not the suffering which follows an eclipse of hope. I believe in the eternal life and in the forgiveness of sins, yea, even such sins as mine have been. Forgive so much about myself; it is necessary under the circumstances. I ask your prayers for me as your petitions go up for the afflicted and repentant everywhere. "'I am, Your brother in Christ, "'ROBERT HARDY.'" The impression made by the reading of this letter was profoun
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82  
83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   >>  



Top keywords:
suffering
 

Christ

 

present

 

service

 

afflicted

 
making
 
brother
 

selfish

 
moment
 

suffered


thought

 

sister

 
working
 

forgetful

 
church
 

rights

 
Robert
 
useless
 

living

 

Saviour


petitions

 

repentant

 

prayers

 

circumstances

 

reading

 

letter

 

profoun

 

impression

 

ROBERT

 

despair


sorrows

 
Forgive
 

forgiveness

 

eternal

 

eclipse

 
opportunity
 

Church

 
bearing
 

School

 
attend

Sunday
 

superintendent

 
enthusiasm
 
loyalty
 

selfishness

 

enormity

 
sincerely
 

brought

 
misunderstood
 

prayed