The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-01-09

the opportunity given you to speak q
timely word for the good OF another's soul,
speak it; the opportunity may not come
again, or If it does, you may not be in the
right frame TO utter 1t. L am ready to
confess that the best words or deeds that
God has ever moved me to say or do, have
been from obeying first impulses. Nearly
all the worst blunders have come from
tampering with good intentions, or freez-
ing them to death by delay. 1t is in this
way that we Christians "grieve the Spir-
it," He is the mover often of those
blessed impulses. To kill them by pro-
crastination hardens the heart. Ii in an
other world can ever catch Tomorrow"
l shall want to scourge him with whip
of scorpions. And 80 will many lost
sinner who has let tomorrow rob him
of heaven. So will you, my still uncon-
verted friend, if you die in your sins.
To-day that heavenly Friend says
to you, "Give me thy heart,' and
in return his will be gift of
eternal life. Salvation is not all get
ting, and getting for nothing as
some fashy exhorters often assert fin re-
vival meetings. 1t is the giving of your
hearts and your time and purposes and
your all to Jesus. You have had blessed
seasons when your heart was melted by
his love and softened into penitence, and
the Spirit stirred you to the glorious i'm
pulse to give yourself right up to Jesus.
Then was the time to do it. 1t was the
accepted time for you to accept the Savior.
But that arch-tempter, Procrastination,
persuaded you to say, " Go now, and come
again tomorrow" when thou hadst every
thing by thee. The faculties were there
right by you, the opportunity was there,
and the melted heart and the divine Spirit
was by you also, pressing you up towards
the great decision. But alas delay killed
everything. God said to you to-day; "
but your foolish, guilty heart replied to
him, tomorrow" l often think of the
illustration of the beautiful dove which
flew into the chimney. A few prompt,
strong flaps of the wing would have carried
it out into the air and the sunshine. But
it f1uttered down into the dark, sooty flue,
and soon, blinded and suffocated by the
smoke, it dropped into the flames of the
CRATE beneath. This is vivid picture of
q human soul. If you will make the
quick, strong effort of obedience to the
call of Christ, you may rise heavenward.
The help, the grace, the strength are
offered you. But if you do not obey him
quickly, you will find yourself sinking
into the darkness and binding delusions
which will end in the flames of remorse
This is the way that millions have sunk
into the fires that are never quenched
Let us set it down, then, that all good i'm
pulses grow weaker and die by delay
Sin grows stronger at every victory
Under the double process the heart hardens
towards God. In these wintry days the
sun loses its power, and the earth freezes
rapidly as it draws towards sunset. Time
is not in your favor in the great matter o.
securing your salvation; it is agains
you. To-day Christ will save you if you
accept him. But as DR.. Cheever ha.
forcibly said, "Faith in tomorrow in
stead of Christ, is the DEVILS decoy.net tx
perdition." We are all now standing or
the crumbling edge of another year tina
will soon disappear into the ocean O.
eternity. 1t is a good time for "new de
partures," for Christians to lay hold O.
duties that lie nearest them, and fo
backsliders to return to their " first love.
In these Christmas days you may have {
Savior born in your own soul, my friend
if you will give your heart to him. Ther
indeed will you know what it is to hav'
such happy New Year " as you neve
knew before. - Theodore L. Cuyler, i,
! EpanoeliI