Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1889-08-22

| arc sure christ Will pardon us 10 the
present. Now, what is the common
sense thing for us to do in view of these
three facts? You will all agree with me
to quit sin, take Christ and take Him
now. Suppose some business man in
whose skill you had perfect confidence
should tell you that Tomorrow Monday)
morning between IL and IL o'clock you
could by q certain financial transaction
make five thousand dollars. but that on
Tuesday perhaps you might make it, but
there would not be any positiveness
about it, and on Wednesday there would
not be SO much, and Thursday less, Fri
day less, and SO on less and less-when
would you attend to the matter? Why,
your common sense would dictate: I'm
mediately will attend to that matter
between II and II o'clock tomorrow
(Monday) morning, for then can surely
accomplish it, but on Tuesday I may
not, and on Wednesday there is less
prospect. l will attend to it to-mor-
row." Now let us bring our common
sense in this matter of religion. Here
are the hopes of the Gospel. We may
get them now. Tomorrow we may get
them and We may not. Next day We may
and We may not. The prospect less and
less and less and less.
The only sure time now-now. I
would not talk to you this way if l did
not know that Christ was able to save
all the people, and save thousands as
easily as save one. l would not go into
hospital and tear OFF the bandages
from the wounds if had no balm to APP
ply. would not have the face to tell
man he is a sinner unless l had at the
same time the authority of saying he
m no IN
is Raphael, faded picture, great in
its time, bearing some marks of its
greatness. History describes that pic
ture. 1t is nearly faded away. You
say: oh, what a pity that so wonder
full picture by Raphael should be
nearly defaced!" After awhile a man
comes up, very unskillful in art, and he
proposes to retouch it. You say: Stand
off! would rather have it just as it is;
you will only make it worse" After a
while there comes An artist who was the
equal Of Raphael. He says: Il will re-
touch that picture and bring ont all its
original power" You have full conf
dence in his ability. He touches it
here and there. Feature after feature
comes forth, and when he is done with
the picture it is complete in all its
original power. Now God i'm
pressed His image on our race, but
that image has been defaced for hun
dreds and for thousands of years, get
ting fainter and fainter. Here comes
up q divine Raphael He says: Il can
restore that picture He has all power
in Heaven and on earth. He is the
equal of the One who made the picture,
age of God in our soul. He touches
this sin and it is gone, that transgres-
sion and it disappears, and all the de-
Placement vanishes, and where sin
abounded grace doth much more
abound" Will you have the DETACHMENT
or will you have the restoration? / am
we'll persuaded that if 1 could by
touch of Heavenly pathos in two min
utes put before you what has been done
to save your soul, there would be an
emotional tide overwhelming.
Mamma" said a little child to her
mother when she was being put to bed
at night, mamma, what makes your
hand SO SCARED and twisted and unlike
other peoples hands?" WELL" said
the mother, my child, when you were
younger than you are now, years ago,
one night after had put you to bed l
heard a cry, a shrek upstairs. I came
up and found the bed was on fire, and
you were on fire, and took hold of you
and 1 tore off the burning garments, and
while 1 was tearing them off and trying
to get you away burned my hand, and
it has been burned and SCARED ever
since, and hardly looks any more like a
hand; but got that, my child in trying
to save you." o man! o woman! wish
to-day could show you the burned hand
of Christ-burned in plucking you out
of the fire, burned in snatching you
away from the fame. Aye. also the
burned foot, and the burned brow, and
the burned heart-burned for you. BY
his stripes We are healed.