The young deser Conf Pam i2mo #603 Vo. 00. "^rflE.YOm^G BISERTER. EmilBV. B. MANLT, JR»,iT?,.D., OREENVILLB, ». «. In the beginning of the war, a youth (wl^^ni \fe will call Charles l\ — ) joined the Confedr «t« ^rmy. He scem6aei!ces prevaile I over his boyigh mind, can'- , * • i n„ „,„ r- ^ ■ X A : xOt be certainly kn.'wn. — ■ J3ut someliow, the 1 . , . . ./ .v, ^r- th^' ,. ,-1 c -on^rmo; to lom them, or U\9 d,.hke ofeanipr ^^^^;.^_^= or the ficklen .s oJ'. ^">''.";'.'""l''r . over Mso;.th of enlistrueut, hi.' bU drtic" " ' ^^^ "gll"^0"^n<'•^^ of"" «" ■*«■ *'^. rpi of the perils of desertion. ^ jpportuuity was not long wantin;, whi«»h jj- jd his scarcely ibrmed desire into otion. — * "* jQoyous Ught boats were drawn up alon-jHlic beach, with which the. men were accu=^tomed to sport, sometimes f shing-, sometimes barely arnus- ing thejiiselves with a brief excursion. One evo- nirigas the gol I of feuiiset was mingling with the silver that ores. ed the wavc^, Charles R — enter- ed a boat and pushed off. He floated about carelessly wiUi the ebb tide, us it seemed, for a while, by degrees getting further and further out," till, from th J distance and the darkening twilight, he might t?afely venture *m ore decided move- • mei^ts. F'rjrbaps even then he paused, det>atinnr whether ti ) go or return ; but the attractions ahead were too str'^ng. Behind him were his sworn comrade rin arms. Before him loomed the ene- my's ca-itle, with the r.ssociates of his early life. To theuf his heart cleaved. The doubt was" over. With mH the speed his eager and practised hand could givg, he urged his boat to Fortress Monroe. He was ?- successful deserter. T liave kijo^yn some to enlist under the banner of Jesus, wliO seemed all animated with noble zenl, whose promptitude end ardor outran the ^liilidence of slower minds, and gave promise of al undantand extensive usefulness. They "seem- ed to run well," and received a confidence and position in the church, which gave them power afterwards to bring reproach on the cause. They were not, perhaps, deceivers at first. They meant well, felt earnest, thought themselves sincere; but there was no steadfastness, no prin- ;Ciple, no actnairenewal about them. Their true attach men is ^Tefe elsewhere. Their cho eii as - * Fociations, their stronge^it ties, their deepes^feel- ings boimd them to the enemy. And so, after a struggle with the shar>o of fickleucss, and with the dread of their sou 's peril, and with the ob- ligation of their vows and covenants — they de- parted. It was not nil at once, perhaps ; not by vigors tLS and delerinined movements at first. — But th-3y went. They left the Lord, they left his people, they lei this ordinances, they left his ways, they cast his book aside, they put his laws behind Mieir back, they cut themselves off from Ilim i.nd His. In tbe outset, perhaps, it was apparently a simple yielding to the stress of ^in ebbing tide, t.) the breathiui? of an pff-shore wind ;* it wns bat an imperceptibly movement, wnsuspected by others, possibly not fully deter- mined on by tni>.m.selvesj but the tendency was away from God and goodness, it was prevailingly toward evil. The temptation gvew stronger as - the distance and thednrkness of the soul increas- ed, and at last they struck out straight to join the ^neniy. x^re these nny such desert3rs4n this camp? — Arc there any; who are iiliely to become such ?— Are there ai-y, who are even now conscious of _, the temptation, which is seducing them from God? Are there any who have begun that ha sportive, half serious. pavleyin<^ which may soo subject them altogother-to its snares ? Are iho^ 'jaiiy.who aie even now swaying back and for <0H the decei^l wave* that lie between the fi«Mis of purity and evil, half questioning with tbcmselves whether to return or slay? Ton have not gone far. Therefore it is easy fo stop now. You are not yet d^'te-rmined to ^ i®ld and go. Therefore determine at onc« not t) go. Your danger may seem sKght. It is for that very reason more likely to delude and to destroy you. Your error from the path of duty raay appear plausible, may almost socm extenua- ted, or excused, by the circumstanees ajroimd you. Therefore take the more heed lest yi'U fall. Oh stop! Think where, you are going! Pray for g:race to Him that is able to keep you from fall- ing. .• , • But perhaps there are some who have pas^sed beyond this doubtful stage of indecision. You are not resisting temptation, not sti'UggUng against backsliding ', you are not merely meditating ».• ctieeertion, and hesitating before you b. gin. Yoiifc have passed the Rubicon. You have made your ehoice. You are fi op, from the restriiint of reli- gious profession, and have cast the fi^ar of Grod behind you. Well, you are- a successful deser- t«r. You have gone forth ffom Grod's people, "because you were not of them. And what now t The vouTS of God are icport you. You have" "broken them; hut the shattered links still dingr ''aix)und your soul, and cannot be shaken ofS — You. have renounced Iiis service. But that doe* Bot alter the iact, that you onee volurtarily en- listed in iL And so you stand, before God anti ««geis and mcHi as a feieaker of ytowac pi4)igi8©, a* -A a cdnscions Tiolatcr of a solemn dolibptata cove- nant with your God. Is it not so ? Your influence is most, derided!?/ /('It against the cause of Christ, which once yon professed to hon- or. You are not only ranked with the encmy^ but you are so ranked by your own delibeiate preference. And you have poWef to do more to reliprion, than those who nevef professed to be Christians. Yonr wnduct seems to say to the iTorld — that yon have tried religion, and found it to bo a delusion. Yoii m-^y say, this is not. your mcaninor ; but such, alas, is the interpreta^- tion, which those who do not love God will put" •n your testimony. They will delight to points to you and say, 'There Is a_man who was 'ona- of the saints,' but has groM'n wiser." They will' boast of your impiety, will strengthen them— »«1tc9 on your weak compliances, -will glory itt? your shame. They -will take a iiendish satisfac- • tion in dragging you with them to deeper and? more damning degradation, because you once' tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come. Your vices will be the- theme of peculiar merriment, because you once- sat at the table of the Lord, because your handss have handled the holy sacrament. Your blas- phemies will be greeted with spocial' glee, be- «ause your lips have joined m the songs of heav- enly praise. And your case will be urged as the eonvincing argument which should deter the^ giddy from serious thought, the thoughtful from, the trembling believer from public profession. — You will be-made the stumbling block, for the hflind to stuQibla ovef into hell 1 Your case is one o/ /ear fid danger^ rs well as of aggravated sin. " If he that despised Moses' law died withoutunercy, of how much sorer puii- ishmeht, suppose ye, shall ho be thought worthy, who ha^jh trodden under fcot the Son of Grod, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith -he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unfo the Spirit of grace?'' There is in your case peculiar, trem'endot^s dan- ger lest yOu will lose your soul — lest the same influences which Ijfave drawn you aside, should keep you away from G-od— -lest your previous profession of piety may itself become one of 4 he most serious barrit^rs to y©ur becoming willing even to listen attentively to God's word^-^les't -jour former experience may hinder you forever from striving to enter -in at the stryit gate — may shut y(^u up without effort here, without hope hereafter. Your case is omy not desjperafe. ']''here i's sal- vation even for such as yoii, with Him who " is -able to save unto the uttermos'." There is p 'r- don for Deserters, who repent and return. Lis- Vt'en ! " Though your sins bo as scarlet, they shall be as, white as s.ao'w ; though.' thcj be red lifc^ crims)n, they shall be as wool." It is said tbat this word scarlet means double dyed. Cpme, then, je double dyed transgressors, who hare broken both God's law and jour own promise —come and try bow freely, fully, J^sus can forgive. '• Ilim tliat Cometh unto me, I wiU in no wise cast out/' " The blood of Jesus Christ, Ilis Son, clcaQScth u.^ from all sin."' TOO J.ATK. An IrapeniteiitsiDriCr wa^ recently brought in- to tbe near prospect of eternity, and the terrors of God's wrath fell upon him. His friends sonfc for a ministf^r to come and counsel and pray with him ; but though he sought earnestly to lead him to Jesus, it .-oec^ied of no avail. Every exncrt^,- tion was met by the mournful plaint, " It is too late; — too late ! " Tbe mii>iptcr spoke of the mer- cy of God, of his long siafFering under prcvoca- tion, and of his gracious assurance tha*^^ he has ^' no pleasure 'in the death of the wicked, huh rather that he turn froin his way f nd live." A bitter groan was the first respop.i^e } and then, as a look o{ asrony convulsed his features, he delib- erately E»id : "•J/y caFe is beyond all- this. There was a time when God's mercy might have reached me. In after life I often felt the need of religion, but I could not bear to give up the pleasure of sirt, and I quieted my conscience by resolvihg to spend only a /c?'' vears in sinful indulgenccF; then I thought I woH'Td marry, and promipcd my- self that when once settled down in life, I v^culd without delay give my heart to God. H At twenty-four I manned, and ^i«tt •g« conscience reminded me of my vow, and cl«iau'd its immediate fulfilment.* But I was too deeply intoxicated with the cup of earthly joys to listen to the faithful monitor, and I said, ' Go thy w&y for this time also/ " . " Then affliction came, and I was brought to the Very borders of the grave. In bitter agony I sought the mercy-seat; and again I promised that, if spared, I would at once, repent and lead a new life. God's mercy spared me; but with returning health came renewed cares about my business and family, and the great business of life was again put off for a more convenient sea- son. That season never came ; serious thoughta and solemn resolutions have often visited m« ; God's messages of wrath and of mercy have been sounded in my ears, my broken vows have clam- ored loudly of my guilt, and again and ag&iji I have promised myself that to-morrow I would re- pent. Thus have I passed forty years of thft most aggravated folly and guilt — God's tnereies and judgments alike unregarded ; and can yoti wonder that lie now forsakes Ihe wreti^i he ha* so long and so patiently borne with? Be is ju**-. My destruction is the work of my own hands, and I must reap the bitter frait to all eternity. Xoa<,-, ^05^, lost! mustyor ever be my wail." And thus he died, another fearful exaitepU erf the danger of delay^ aa.d the vital importaaca «s>C living in prepai'ation to meet God. ^^^^^ HoUinger Corp. pH8.5