Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-07-25


when we are alune, II Affects - more
nightly when we sxe ia tbs ss.emhly
the feelings ~ others emphasizing our
ossa nsiing> ne great Lsv Of sympsr
thy comes into play, and truth that
would take hcld olly with chs grssp ot
. sick man beAts misktaly sSslass ~
sDal with tao<lsand heart sbxoh<
Whsn yoa come into NE religious ear
cle. cone oaly with ana notion. and
only for enc poFpose--to find the way %
Christ. When see people critical about
sermoas. sad critical about soass vt
w,ica. and critical about ssrinoUic de-
livery. they make me think Of = nsn in
prison. he u condemnsd % death. bat
an eflicer Of the government brings =
pardon and pass il through the wiches
Of the prison. and says: "Herc IL your
pardon. Come and get ii" What
Do you expect me 70 take that pardon
offered with such voice a. you have.
with such IN awkward manner "a you
haseg would rather die than 90 COM
promise my rhetorical nosionsr All,
the man doss mot say that; he takes iti
II b his life. Hc does not care how II
h handed to HIM. And II this morning
that pardon from the throne Of God i
offered to our souls, should We not seize
il, regardless Ut all criticism, feeling
that il is matter Of heaven or hell?
NOW n THE THE.
But come now to the last part Of my
text. IL tells Us when We are TO seek
the Lord While he may be found.
When is thats Old age? You may not
eco old age. Tomorrow? You may not
SO tomorrow. Tonight? You may nSt
So tonight. Now: Oh, II ! could only
write on every heart In three capital let
ters that word N-O-W-now!
Sin Is an awful disease. hear people
say, with the toss Of the heal and with a
trivial manner, 'Oh. yes, rm , sinner"
Sin " an awful disease. 1t is leprosy.
1t Is dropsy. Il - consumption. 1t is
all moral disorders in one. Now you
know them Is q crisis In disease. Per-
haps you have had some illustration Of
IL in your family. Sometimes the physi-
clan has called and he has looked at the
patient and said: THAT cass wa simple
enough, bat the crisis has passed If you
had called me yesterday or this morning
could have cured tho patient. 1t b too
late now; the crisis has passed" just
80 it is in the spiritual treatment Of the
soul; there is crisis Before that. hfei
After that, DEATH Omy dear brother,
as you love your soul, do not let the
crisis pass unattended toll
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 Gust them almost moth
ing were offered them They refused
them. Afterward q large village OF
city sprang up on those acres Of ground
and they see what . mistake they made
in not buying the property. There was
an opportunity Of getting it. It never
came back again. And 81 1t is In re-
gard 10 . mans spiritual and eternal
fortune. There Is . chance; II you let
that so, perhaps it never comes back.
Certainly that one never comes back.
There Is . time which mercy has set
for leaving port. II you are on board
before that you win get passage for
heaven. II you are not ON board You
miss your passage for heaven. As in
law courts case is sometimes adjourned
from term to term, and from year to
year, till the bill Of costs eats up the en-
tire estate, so there are men who are adj
journing 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
hearer? Have you any idea that sin will
wear outi that it will evaporate? that 1t
will relax it's grasp? that you may find
religion as a man accidentally finds q
lost pocketbook? All, no! No man ever
became Christian by accident or by
the relaxing of sin. The emhsrrass-
ments are all the time increasing. The
hosts of darkness are recruiting. and the
longer you postpone this matter the
sleeper the path will become. ask
those men who are before me this morn
ing whether in the ten or fifteen years
they have passed in the postponement
Of these matters they have come any
nearer God or heaven?
FLY FoR REFUGE.
Iwould not be afraid to challenge this
whole audience, so far as they may not
have found the peace Of the Gospel, In
regard TO that matter. Your hearts,
you are willing frankly to tell me. are
becoming harder and harder. and that
II you come to Christ it viii be moro OF
IN undertaking now than it ever would
have been before. Oh. fly for refugel
The avenger Of blood il on the track!
The throne Of Judgment will soon be
set, and If you have anything to do to.
ward your eternal salvation you had
better do it now, for the redemption Of
the soul Is precious and it ceaseth for.
ever.
Oh. if men could only catch Just one
glimpse Of Christ. know they would
love him. Your heart leaps at the sight
OF q glorious sunrise or sunset. Can you
be without emotion as the Sun of Right
sousness rises behind Calvary and sets
behind Joseph's sepulcherf He Is q
blessed Saviouri Every nation has il
tspe Of beauty. There Is German bean
ty and Swiss beauty and Italian beau
~ and English beauty. but care not il
what land man first looks at Christ. h
pronounces him ''chief among ten thou
sand. and the one altogether lovely {
my blessed Jesusl Light in darkness
The rock on which I buildl The cap
tain Of salvstioni My joy' My strength
How strange IL ia that men cannot low