Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-08-10
ALMOST.
By REV. wN. VI. TAYLOR.

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stifled conviction; and the third
murdered the teacher whom be
once delighted to hear. But such
occurrences, the murder only eX-
cepted, are by no means uncommon
y ~ our own days, and il becomes an
7 Interesting question, why SO many
4 who have been deeply impressed by
the teaching of the gospel, are con-
I tent with stopping short of conver-
! sion, and fail to enter into the king
dom.
The answer may be given in a
! sentence. Il J. because they feel
l that, if they become Christians,
! they must give up something which
they are not willing to part with.
once heard two men, who, in state
of intoxication, set out during the
night, 10 cross wide firth in open
boat. They rowed, and rowed, ana
rowed, till the gray light of the
dawn began TO open upon them,
when to their astonishment they
found that they had not moved
yard. Would you know the reason!
Ia the stupidity Of their intemper-
ance they had neglected 20 lit the
anchor before they beganl Now so
it is with many, in their endeavOrs
after Christian life. They hear
ministers gladly, and the more earn
est the sermon is they are the more
delighted; they converse with Chris
tians about their souls, and are con-
sidered 10 be IN a hopefal state, but
somehow they never move out of
their position. Why? Because deep
down their hearts are anchored TO
some hidden thing, aud they have
not lifted the anchor when they be-
gan. There is a righteou sness of
their own, which they will not part
with. even for the spotless robe
which Jesus would bestow upon
them. There is a sum Of money, of
which they do not choose that
Christ should have the disposal.
There is a secret chamber ia their
souls, of which they arc determined
that Christ shall not have the key.
There is a darling lust which they
are resolved vet to crafty, and so
they still hang back and are only al
most persuaded after all
They are like the man who came
| to Jesus long ago, saying, Lord, ]
will follow thee, but."-But what?
Look the thing in the face, and tell
| il out. Is it tho love of the world
! that keeps YOU? What viii the world
do for YOU? What has il done for
YOU? Look back upon your past ex-
Derience and see. Is it not true that
your only happiness has been in the
pursuit. and that when you have
gained your object IL has burst in
| your hand ike some glittering bub-
| BILE, or crunched IN your teeth ike
| apples of Gomorrah? AS the child
I y5A tti 90 fOI q. ba-sst hem. IN his new
toy, and then, breaking it in pieces,
cries for another, so has it been with
you and the various objects of your
ambition. But this dissatisfaction
of your heart with the worlds
things, is, if YOU only interpret il
Alright, the thirsting of your soul for
God. Why then will you persist in
chasing those things which, after
all can give YOU no abiding satisfac-
ton? Over every earthly fountain
these words are written: WhosO-
ever drinketh OF this water shall
thirst again" but il is Christ alone
who can say, "Whosoever shall
drink of the water that l shall give
him, shall never thirst, but il shall
be IN him a well of water springinS
up TO everlasting life"
But perhaps You are kept back by
your love Of sin. And what will sin
do for you? 1t may clOthe your body
with rags, and consume IL with rot
tenness. 1t certainly shall I'LL your
heart with poisonous stings, and
when, at length, all miserable. and
forlorn, YOU crawl to the feet ofthat
master whom you have served so
well, and throw down at his feet the
money he has given you, saying, Il
have sinned,' he viii reply with
fiendish malice, What is that to me,
see thou to that Oh who would
serve master like that?
know better. Come and be a fol-
lower of Christ. He may give you
sorrow, but he viii give you peace
beneath il. He may lead you through
suffering, but he will bestow upon
YOU, even in the midst Of il, calm,
abiding joy, such as the sinner
knows not even when corn and wine
abound. And in the end, when you
appear before him saying: ALAS, l
have been but an Improbable SER
want" he will reply, mo, no. Well
done! good and faithful servant, en-
ter thou into the joy Of thy Lord
Reader, are you in this critical
condition of almost pursuaded?
Then take with you these two
thoughts. You may never be so
near salvation again. You are on
the very threshold of decision, but
If YOU 90 away back into your sins,
YOU may never again be brought so
near the gate. Felix never found
the convenient season for which he
professed to wait. Do not, there
fore stifle conviction Do not choke
down the cry that Is pressing for
utterance IN your heart Let il come
out now, least 1t never come again.
Look at that blind man sitting at
the wayside. Hear how he raises
his voice above the noise of the
passing crowd, "Jesus, thou son of
David, have mercy on me-" They
bid him hold his peace, but does he?
Nay, he cries so much the more a
great deal, Jesus thou son ofDayid,
have mercy on me-" Would YOU
know the reason of his earnestness?
Here 1t is. Jesus of Nazareth was
passing by. 1t was a glorious op-
pOrtunity, but il was transient one
and if he allowed the Saviour to pass
then, he might never come that Way
again; 50 be cried and cried again
until he received his sight. Go, then.
initiate him. Seize the present op-
portunity and let the ''almost" ripen
into the altogether"
One thought more. Almost saved
if it be no more, Is, in the end, alto
Sether lost, and that too in the most
melancholy of circums tances. When
after safely circumnavigating the
globe, the Royal Charter went
To peices in Moelfra bay, on the
coast of Wales, IL was my melancho-
Iy duty, "a a minister in LIVERPOOL,
TO visit and seek to comfort the wife
Of the first officer, made by that ca
lamity a widow. The ship had been
telegraphed from Queenstown, and
she was setting in the parlor cypec-
ting her husband, with the table
spread for his evening meal, when
the messenger came 10 tell her he
was drowned. Never can | forget
the grief so stricken and fearless.
with which she wrung her hand, as
she said. $50 near home, and vet
lost" That seemed to me to be the
most terrible Ofhuman sorrow. But.
ha! that Is nothing 10 the anguish
which must wiring the soul who Is
compelled TO say at last. "Once
was at the very gate OF heaven. and
had almost entered in, but now. /
am in hell" Ny reader, NAV this
awful soiilOquy never be yours, and
TO this end, iet the "almOst" IN Won
become now the altogether"