The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-13

metaphysics. and his eloquence, and his
logic. He was the chief OF sinners. He
said what was true when he said that.
And yet the grace of God saved him,
and so it will you. If there is any man
in this house who thinks he Is too bad
to be saved and says, Il have wandered
very grievously from God; 1 do not be-
lieve there is any hope for me, | tell
you the story Of this man in the text
who was brought 10 Jesus Christ in
spite of his sins and opposition.
There may be some here who are as
stoutly opposed TO Christ as Paul was.
There may be some here who are cap
tive of their sins as much as the young
man who said in regard to his dissipat-
ing habits: II will keep on with them.
! know I am breaking my mothers
heart, and 1 know 1 am killing myself,
and I know that when / die / shall go
TO hell, but ii is now too late to stop"
An Encouraging Example.
The steed on which you ride may be
swifter and stronger and higher met
tied than that on which the Cicilian
prosecutor rode, but Christ can catch
it by the bride and hurl it back and
hurl il down. There is mercy for you
who say you are too bad to be saved.
You say you have put off the matter so
long; Paul had neglected it great
while. You say that the sin you have
aggravating circumstances; but that was
so with Paul's.
You say you have exasperated Christ
and coaXed your own ruin; so did Paul.
And yet he sits today on one of the
highest of the heavenly thrones and
there is mercy for you, and good days
for you and gladness for you, If you
will only take the same Christ which
first threw him down and then raised
him up. 1t seems to me as if l can see
Paul today rising up from the highway
to Damascus, and brushing off the dust
from his cloak, and wiping the sweat
of excitement from his brow. as he turns
to us and all the ages, saying, This
a faithful saying and worthy of all ac-
ceptatiOn that Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners, of whom 1
am chief"
Once more. I learn from this subject
that there is a tremendous reality in
religion. If ii had been a mere optical
delusion on the road to Damascus, was
not Paul just the man to find it out?
If il had been a sham and a pretense,
would he not have pricked the bubble?
He was a man of facts and arguments,
Of the most gigantic intellectual nature.
and not man of Authorizations. And
when l see him fall from the saddle,
blinded and overwhelmed. / say there
must have been something in it. And,
my dear brother, you will find that there
is something in religion somewhere. The
only question is, where?
There was a man who rode from
Stamford 10 London, ninety-five miles,
in five hours on horseback. Very swift.
There was a woman of Newmarket
who rode 1000 miles in 1000
hours. Very swife. But there
are those here. aye, all of
US are speeding on at tenfold that
velocity, at a thOusandfold that rate
toward eternity. May Almighty God
from the opening heavens, flash upon
your souls this hour the question Of
your eternal destiny. and oh that
Jesus would this hour overcome you
with his pardoning mercy as he stands
here with the pathos OF a broken heart
and sobs in your ear: Il have come
for thee. l come with my back raw from
the beating. | come with my feet man
gled with the nails. / come with my
brow aching from the twisted bramble
/ come with my heart bursting for your
woes. l can stand it no longer. 1 am
Jesus whom thou persecutest."