Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-10-10
REPENT OR PERISH.

1t is painful, my friends, to address you
in this language; but when | deliver |
Gods message, | must deliver it plainly /; !
l must, to the utmost of my power, apply |
it to your consciences in all its unbending,
unaccommodaling strictness; turn in
which way we please, it will say nsthing
but this,-repent or you perish And
what, after all, is there SO very irksome
or disagreeable. in religious life, that
you should wish to defer It's commence
ment? If you must begin sometime,
why not begin to-day2 Will you reply,
l know not how to begin3 Gods voice
if you listen to it, will inform you. 1t
tells US that there is a veil upon our
hearts veil which prevents us from
discerning the path of duty; and it also
tells US. that when our hearts turn to the
Lord, that veil shall be taken away. Turn
then to God. Go TO him, as his servants,
for direction, and he will teach you what
you must do. If mistake not, many of
you are like Agrippa, and for long time
have been almost persuaded to be Chris
tans; but you hesitate, you linger, you
dread to take the first step. Perhaps
when you are ust on the point OF yield
ing to conviction, the question, what will
my companions say2 occurs to you and
causes you 10 fear. You feal to be tho't
serious YOU dread the remarks, the rid
icule, which it would draw upon you =
and, therefore, do violence to your convic-
Itions, or lock them up in your own breast,
Till they die away. In this manner thou
sands gradually and insensibly harden
their hearts, till the truth ceases to affect
them. Let such remember, that the fear
of man bringeth a snare; that Jesus
Christ has said, Whoever is ashamed OF
me, of him will be ashamed at the last
day. Ii you cannot bear the reproach OF
men how will you bear his condemning
sentence, and the everlasting shame and
contempt which will follow it7 Ii will
then be known that you had sersous thoi's,
but that you banished them through fear
of men and sinners themselves will de-
spise you as a coward, who did not dare
do what he knew 10 be right. Dare then
to do your duty, to obey your conscience
and your God, to be religious for you
cannot be christian in disguise. You
must come out, and be separate, or Goo
will not receive you. Take then, at once
some decided step, and let it be known
what you mean to be; and you will fine
that this, and all the other objects OF YOU
f fear, are mere shadows, and will fee
ashamed that they should ever have influ
, enced you Tor moment. If your hear
still fingers, press it with the command o
God; press it with the dreadful conse
/ quence of offending and provoking him tc
forsake you: press it with the terrors o
the last day, and all the awful realities O
| eternity. Above all. press il with tn
consideration, that if you ever turn t
) God, Ii must be to-day; that your soul
your salvation, depends on your becom
# ing religious to-day. My friends, are yor
not convinced that this is the case ? d
> you not perceive that if you disobey, o
;, trifle with this solemn command, it will,
q must harden your hearts; and reade
j your conversion exceedingly improbable
}. Do you not perceive, that it, with thi
n command before you, and with all Ties
II motives to obey it, you cannot resolve L
!. obey, you feel still less disposed 10 obedi
q ence tomorrow, when the subject is for
gotten. and the world, with all lis care
;. and alIurements, again ru.hes upon you
I Be persuaded then TO listen and obey
IS while God, and Christ, and the Hol
= Spirit, while death. and judgmegt, an
eternity, and heaven, and hell, continu all
cry, to-day to-day! hear Gods voice
= and harden not your hearts l-PGySon.