The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-21

lived In sin and Is going down to the
grave unpardoned and without hope.
Dear old man, with one foot in the
grave and another foot on sandy foun
dalton, let me beg you to hear mo. BE
entreated, dear fellow traveller to etern
ity, before you take the awful plunge
into tho "blaokness of darkness for
ever, to pause and take serious and
impartial survey of your whole past life
II you have never done it before, be
persuaded now to bring yourself to q
solemn reckoning, that you may ascer.
tain what relation you stand to God
who made you. that iutg meptday which
awaits you and that eternity to which
you are Fastening. What madness to
live and die undecided.
You have doubtless heard OF tho
nobleman who kept 4 fool to whom he
ohe day gave staff, with charge to
keep IL till no should meet with one
VINO was greater fool than himself,
NOT many years after the noble
man fell sick, even unto death.
The fool came to sec him. Ills
sick lord said unto him, Il must
shortly leave YOU" land whittier are
you going?" said the fool. Into an
other world replied his lordship.
And when will you return? Within a
within a Year?" No" "When
then?" "Never!" Never" Said the
fool And what provision hast thou
made for thy entertainment there,
whittier thou goest?" None at all -
said the nobleman. "No.' said the
fool. None at all! mono at ALT! Here,
then, take my staff; for, with all nv
folly, am not guilty of any folly such
as this"
But you may say, 81 don't believe in
God and Christ and Christianity and the
Bible" Maybe not. But does that alter
the fact of your accountability and dan
ger? God and Christ, tho Judgment,
Hell and Eternity are intense realities,
and your not believing in God and Di-
vine revelation will not alter the facts
and will not save you. Tho infdel,
Tom Paine, did not believe until
he was about to enter through
the portals of eternity, and then his
eyes were opened to see that his damna-
tion for such a life of sin was just. "My
soul is going TO hell" he exclaimed and
died begging for mercy. In little
while the solemn realities of eternity
will be upon you. Old mau, what arc
you going to do about it? The pale
horse, whose rider is death, is at the
door. Oh, haste 10 commit our poor,
guilty, immortal soul to the keep
ing of that Savior who is able
to save to the uttermost and who SAYS:
Him that cometh unto me l will in no
wise cast out" Many and aggravated
have been your sins, dear old man, but
II the Spirit OF God has not ceased to
strive with your heart, there is ground
to hope and pray for mercy. The pre-
cious blood of Christ cleanseth from all
sin. Fly quickly to this cleansing
and though your sins be as
scarlet they shall be as white as snow;
though they BIO red like crimson they
shall be as wool" This is a faithful
saying and worthy of all accep-
tation, that Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners, even the
chief OF sinners. He could pardon n
Mary Magdalen, he could pardon thief
upon the cross, he could pardon blood
thirsty prosecuting Saul, and even YOU,
In this last moment of the eleventh
hour, may hope in his mercy; and re-
member there is no other way of saliva
ton but through the merits of cruel
he'd Redeemer; nor will this way be
open to you long. Your sands of life
are running, your probation is closing,
the grave is opening, eternity is APP
preaching, judgment IS fastening and
hell is gaping wide to devour you. Oh,
begin at once to get ready to die.
Open the Bible and read and reread the
5lst Psalm until God will hear you and
give you the penitence Of broken
heart and the Joy of salvation. o spirit
OF the living God convict. break, melt,
WOO and win the hard, cold, dead heart
OF the aged sinner who reads these lines
to-day.
20! What shall do IN bc sovcd
When the pleasures of youth arc fled?
And the friend. have loved
From the earth are removed,
ana weep DER thu graves OF he dead,
What Shall do: What Shall do:
q! What shall do to be saved:''
'Beievo on tho Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved whatsoever
shall call upon tho name of tho Lord
shall be saved" MARK.