The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-12-26
THE IRREPARABLE PAST.
A Sermon Appropriate for the Close
of the Year,
Preached at the Emmanuel Baptist
Church Yesterday by the Pastor,
Rev. s. p. Davis. -

Rev. s. p. Davis. 80
Last evening Rev. S. P. Davis, the new
pastor of the Emmanuel Baptist Church,
at Twenty-fifth and n streets, preached
asermon appropriate for the closing serv-
ice of the year on the theme, 1.-The IRE
parable Past" He spoke as follows:
L use as a text language concerning
Esau, found in Hebrews xii, II: "Ye
know that even when he afterward de-
sired to inherit the blessing he was re-
iected for he found no place of repent
ance), though he sought it diligently with
tears' (Revised Version. Esau had for
feited a blessing, which he diligently
sought to recover, but sought in vain.
He could find in his father mo place of
repentance" or no change of mind.
There could be no reversing of what had
been done. And the truth which
this incident suggests for our con-
sideration this evening is this:
During each passing year we are
all doing things which are done forever,
and neither time nor eternity can undo
them, so far at least as their effects are
concerned. This thought may not always
bring comfort, but L hope, nevertheless,
that it may have a salutary effect upon
our lives. What is here urged may be
said of
THE EFFECTS OF OUR WRONG DEEDS.
We may repent and God may forgive us,
but, to some extent at least, their effects
will remain.
In the first place there are their effects
upon ourselves. These effects may be
either physical or moral and spiritual.
Many q man in a life of dissipation is
sowing seeds of physical disease which
must bear their inevitable fruit, even
though he repent and reform. And still
oftener mems evil deeds are followed by
effects upon their moral and spiritual
nature from which they cannot entirely
escape. He who poisons his imagination
by the reading of vile literature and
weak ems his moral powers by deeds of
sin will suffer the consequences, even
when he repents and attempts to live
Christian life. He will find it more diff
cult than it otherwise would have been to
keep his thoughts pure and to order his
life Alright.
But what is said of the irreparable
effects of evil deeds is more especially
true of
THEIR INFLUENCE UPON OTHERS.
They who have been influenced may
q
distance. Or, if still with US, it may be
impossible for us to counteract former in
tluences. We may have led friends into
goddess. irreliglous life from which we
have no power to recall them if we
would. Further, they, too, have in
huenced others, and that influence can
never be recalled. You might stand
bricks on end three or four inches apart
in row of any length around the world
if it were possible, and if the first brick
in the row is pushed over against the one
nearest it, that in turn will go against the
next one, causing it to push down
another, and so on to the end of the row.
The first brick may be taken up at once,
but that will not recall the effect of its
fall and stop other bricks from going
down further on in the row. In like
manner we may repent of our evil deeds,
but there have gone forth from us in
fluences which we can not recall, which
will continue to go from one person to
another down to the end of time.
The gracious promise to those whose
sins may be las scarlet does not refer to
the effects of those sins, which so far at
least as others are concerned, are largely
irreparable. That man who has wrecked
a happy home, ruined lives and broken
hearts, may possibly repent and be for
given, but that repentance and forgive
ness will not undo what he has already
it reverently) cannot recall the evil effects
of the sinners deeds. We have no gospel
for this purpose We have gospel that
offers forgiveness and spiritual purifca-
ton to the Vilest sinner, but we have no
gospel for undoing the effects of his evil
deeds.
But we may go step further and saw
word to those who may think themselves
guilty of no deeds from the influences of
which they have anything to fear.
NEGLECTING OPPORTUNITIES
Are also in large measure irreparable
There may be blessings which we do NOT
avail ourselves of at the proper time. and
which, like Esau, we would afterward
inherit" but too late. One of the sad
sights which continually confronts us is
that OF the man with wasted opportuni-
ties-either for making something of him
self or for usefulness in the world. And
yet men go on neglecting opportunities
There are, for example, the opportuni-
ties ofyouth, which in our country are nm
surpassed. and yet are often neglected.
But future repentance will not undo the
consequences of such neglect. The
farmer may neglect to SOW his field at the
proper time and afterward repent. but
his repentance will do no good so far as
harvest is concerned. Youth is a sowing
time. What is being sown? And what
shall the harvest be'?
MOSL SeIIOuS OF All Is the effect of neg
lecting religious opportunities. Delaying
to become Christian is somewhat in eff
feet as delay in securing an education
one may begin later in life, but he will
never become what he might have been
had he begun earlier. And after having
become Christians we may neglect oppcr-
tunltIes for our spiritual improvement,
and as result be feebler forever.
And much might be said of the irren-
arabic consequences of neplectinp OnDor-
tunities of usefulness to others. We NAV
never have similar opportunity again.
The friend may be dead or beyond our
reach. Who has not been made sad be-
cause of such experiences? Or an oppor-
tunity may come again, but never one SO
favorable.
And what is said of the Christians
opportunities may be said of the oppor-
tunities of others TO become Christians.
You may have opportunities again, but
they will not be so favorable. Further.
you can not neglect those of the present