Nevada County picayune., 1890-01-15
RELIGIOUS COLUMN.
Edited by -. GEO. A. GARDNER.
REPRESENTATION.

Go thy way for this time, when 1 have con ycneni season will call for thec.-I Acts xxy 25. lnfirmities are a part of the natur- al heritate of the human family. Some inherit peculiar infirmities, from which others more favored are exempt. But there is one infirmity of our fallen nature which seems to be universal-we allude to the uni versal tendency in a greater or less pronounced degree to postpone to tomorrow what ought to be done to- day. It is perhaps useless to specu- late as to the causes of this constitu- tional weakness, though it is proba- bly, one of the effects of the fall. Our whole moral and mental, as we'll as physical nature, seems to have un dergone degeneration and perversion from the fathlessness of our first parents, and instead of having dis position to do that which is right we have a disposition to do that which is wrong.
 This tendency in the wrong direc- tion develops itself very early in life, perhaps before the dawn of the reas- oning and moral faculties. All through life we are to battle against these weaknesses of the flesh. In order to gain the victory over our lower nature. we find that it is neces- sary to wage unceasing warfare, and | to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. The disposition to procrastnate extends itself along spiritual lines, and the persistent in- diligence of this disposition has been the cause of numerous wrecks on the shores of time. The eloquent ap- peals and forcible logic of the Apos- 1 tie Paul, as he reasoned of temper ance, righteousness and judgment to come, doubtless riveted conviction upon the mind of Felix, but he weakly yielded to the promptings of his lower nature and said what thous- ands have since said in their hearts, Go thy way for this time, when l have a convenient season l will call for thee.
 The Record is profoundly silent as to whether this convenient season ever arrived, but the legitimate in ference Is that it never arrived, and he passes away from our view, leav- ing the sad impression on our minds that he made final shipwreck of his immortal interests. If we had con trol of the future, or if we could see what lies beyond the veil, then we might be justified in postponing the settlement of this great question {; | but when it is remembered that the present moment only is ours, and that we have no promise of to-mor- TOW, the reasons for prompt and im- mediate action become very urgent and imperative. The present mo- ment belongs to us, and it is our duty to improve it to the very best advantage.
 The past is history, the future is beyond our control, but the present is pregnant with the untold possibili- ties of an immortal destiny. We can not recall the past, we cannot fore cast the future, but we can mold and shape the living present. God has [ invested Us with the royal preroga- tive of selecting and moulding our character and our future home. If 1 it is not convenient to look after the interests of the soul now. then it never will be in the future. Of one thing we may rest assured, the fu- ture will never present a more favor able opportunity than we now enjoy {; the probability is that while there may be favorable opportunities for deciding the great question of our spiritual interests, we ourselves will be less inclined to embrace and inn prove them.
 It is we'll known that the longer we persist in any habit the more difficult it is to break that habit, and the | harder it is to get our consent to re- form our lives. So far as the ques- ton of convenience is concerned, it is never convenient to our carnal na- turc to deny ourselves, or to inaugu- rate radical reforms in our habits. But the appeal is not to our carnal or lower natures--it is always to our higher or spiritual nature. The higher or spiritual nature finds it convenient at all times to respond to the appeals of the holy spirit, on the line of spiritual reform, until the dead line has been passed, after which the conscience having been scared as with hot iron, all moral sensibility is gone, and the snirifual nafure is m lonupr rasnon-