The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1892-09-17


seek the Lord: 'While He may DO
found" When is that? Old age? You
may not see old age. Tomorrow? You
may not see tomorrow Tonight!
You may not see tonight. Now! oh,
if could only write on every heart in
three capital letters that word NOW
Now!
Sin is an awful disease. hear peo-
pie say, with the toss of the head and
with trivial manner: "Oh! yes, I'm
a sinner" Sin is an awful disease. 1t
is leprosy. 1t is dropsy. tits consump-
ton. 1t is all moral disorders in one.
Now, you know there is crisis in
disease. Perhaps you have had some
illustration of it in your family. Some
times the physician has called, and he
has looked at the patient and said:
"That case was simple enough; but the
crisis has passed" If you had called
me yesterday, or this morning, could
have cured the patient 1t is too late
now; the crisis has passed" just SO it
is in the spiritual treatment OF the soul
there is a crisis. Before that, life.
After that, death. my dear brother.
as you love your soul do not let the
crisis pass unattended to!
There are some here who can remem-
Der instances in life when, if they had
bought certain property, they would
have become very rich. A few acres
that would have cost them almost moth
ing were offered them. They refused
them. Afterward large village or
city sprang up on those acres OF ground
and they see what a mistake they made
in not buying the property. There was
an opportunity of getting IT. 1t never
came back again. And so it is IN regard
to mans spiritual and eternal for
tune. There is chance; if you let that
go perhaps it never comes back. Ger
tainly, that one never comes back.
There is time which mercy has set
for leaving port. If you are on board
before that you will get passage for
Heaven. If you are not on board you
miss your passage for Heaven. As in
law courts a case is sometimes ad-
journed from term to term, and from
year to year, tilt the bill of costs eats up
the entire estate, SO there are men who
are adjourning the matter of religion
from time to time, and from year to
year, until heavenly bliss is the bill of
costs the man would have to pay for it.
Why defer this matter, o my dear
nearer? Have you any idea that sin
will wear out? that 1t will evaporate?
that it will relax its grasp? that you
may find religion as a man accidentally
finds lost pocket-book? All, no! No
man ever became Christian by acct
dent, or by the relaxing OF sin. The
embarrassments are all the time in
creasing. The hosts of darkness are
recruiting, and the longer you postpone
this matter the sleeper the path will
become l ask those men are before me
this morning whether, in the ten or fif-
teen years they have passed in the post
ponement of these matters, they have
come any nearer God or Heaven?
I would not be afraid to challenge
this whole audience, so far as they may
not have found the peace of the Gospel.
in regard to the matter. Your hearts,
you are willing frankly to tell me, are
becoming harder and harder, and that
if you come to Christ it will he more of
an undertaking now than it ever would
have been before. o fly for refuge!
The avenger of blood is on the track:
The throne of Judgment will soon be
set; and, if you have anything to do to-
ward your internal salvation, you had
better do it now, for the redemption of
the soul is precious, and it ceaseth for.
ever!
Why should stand here and plead,
and you sit there? 1t is your immortal
soul. 1t is soul that shall never die. 1t
is soul that must soon appear before
God for renewal Why throw away
your chance for Heaven Why plunge
off into darkness when all the gates of
glory are open? Why become a casta-
way from God when yau can sit upon
the throne? Why will ye die miserably
when eternal life is offered you, and il
will cost you nothing but just willing
ness to accept it Come, for all things
are now ready" Come, Christ is ready,
pardon is ready. You will never find .
more convenient season, if you should
live fifty years more, than this very one.
Reject this, and you may die in your sins
c Why do say this? Is it to frighten
your soul? Oh! no. 1t is to persuade
you. j show you the peril. show you
the escape. Would 1 not be coward
beyond all excuse If, believing that this
great audience must soon be launched
into the eternal world, and that all who
believe in Christ shall be saved, and
that all who reject Christ will be lost
would not be the veriest coward OH
earth to hide that truth or to stand be-
fore you with a cold or even a placid
manner? My dear brethren, now is the
day of your redemption.
1t is very certain that you and must
soon appear before God in judgment.
We can not escape it. The Bible says:
Every eye shall see Him, and they also
which pierced Him, and all the kindreds
of the earth shall wall because of
Him" On that day all of our advan-
tages will come up for our glory
or for our discomfiture-every prayer,
every sermon, every exhortatory
remark, every reproof, every call
of grace; and while the Heavens are
rolling away like scroll, and the world
is being destroyed, your destiny and my
destiny will be announced. Alas! alas!
if on that day it is found that we have
neglected these matters. We may throw
them OF now. We can not then. We
will all be in earnest then. But no par