Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-06-27
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S sun
DAY SERMON.



Subject: "The Excited Governor
Texr: ''Felix tremblei anil answered, CT
thy way fo- this time. When 1 have n con-
venient season 1 will call for thee. Acts
xiv, 25.
A city of marble was Caeslrea-wharves o.
marble, houses of marble. temples OF mar
BILE This being the ordinary architecture o
She place, you may imagine something oithe
splendc- OF Governor Felix's residence. II
a room OF that palace, floor tessellated, win
dows curtained. ceiling frctted. the whole
scene afluent with Tyrian purple and stat
ues and pictures AMI carvings. sat a very
dark compleXioned man OF the name OF Fc.
lix. and beside him woman of extraordi-
nary beauty, whom he had stolen by break
ing up another domestic circle. She was
only eighteen years OF age. princess by
birth. and uuwittinSiy waiting for her doom
that of being buried alive in the ashes and
sccriae of Mount Vesuvius, which in sudden
eruption one day put an end TO her abomi-
nations.
Well, one afternoon Drusilla. seated in the
palace, weary with the magnificent stupidi-
ties OF the place. says TO Felix: "You have
= very distinguished prisoner, L believe, o!
the name of Paul. Do you know he is one
OF my COuNtrYmen[ lSnOull WHY uCn likO
20 SEQ him, and should very much like 10
helr hiTsspeak, for have heard so much
about his eloquence. Besides that the other
day, when he was being tried in another
room OF this palace and the windows were
open, hoard the applause that greeted the
speech OF Lawyer Tertullus rs he denounced
Paul. Now, I very much wish could hear
Paul speak. Won't you let mo hear him
speak," eyes" said Felix, 81 will. I will
order him up now from the guardroom.
Clank, clank, comes n chain up the marbls
stairway, and there is 4 shuttle at the door,
and in comes Paul, a little old man, prema-
turely Old through exposure, only sixty years
OF age. but looking as though he were eighty.
He bows very courteously before the COVER
norand tho beautiful woman by his side.
They say: paul, we have heard a great deal
about your speaking. Give US now n specl-
men of your e!NqUence." On, if there ever
was n chance for man TO show of. Paul
had 4 chance therel lie might have har-
angued them about Grecian art. about the
wonderful waterworks he had seen at COrinth,
about the Acropolis by moonlight, about
prison life in Philippi, about ''what saw in
Thessalonica.' about the old mythologies,
but ''NOE Paul said to himself, 81 am now
on the way to martyrdom, and this man and
woman will soon be dead, and this is my
only opportunity to talk TO them about the
things Of eternity"
And Just there and then there broke in
upon the scene a peal OF thunder. II was the
voice OF Judgment day speaking through
the words Of tho decrepit apostle. As that
grand old missionary proceeded with MS re-
marks the stoop begins to so out of his
shoulders, AMI he rises up, aud his counte-
nance is illumined with the SlOries of a future
life, and his shacklcs rattle and grind rs he
lifts his fettered arm and with it hurls upon
his abashed auditors the bolts of Gods in
dignation. Felix grew very white about the
lips. His heart beat unevenly. He put his
hand to his brow as though to stop the
quicknass and violence OF his thoughts. He
drew his robe tighter about him, as under a
sudden chill. His eyes glare, and his knees
shake. and rs he clutches the side OF his
chair in a very I-iroNySm OF terror he orders
the sheriff to take Paul back 10 the guard
room. 'FeiIE trembled and said Go thy way
for this time. When / have a convenient
season, will call for thee"
\ young man came one night to our SER
vices, with pencil in hand, to caricatUre the
whole scene and make mirth of those who
should express any anxiety about their souls,
but 1 met him at the door, his face very
white, tears running down his cheek, as he
said, "DO You think there is any chance for
meI" Felix trembled, and so may God gran
it may be so with others.
Ipropose to give you two or three reason
why L think Felix sent Paul back to the
guardroom and adjourned the whole subject
of religion. The first reason was, he did not
want to give up his sins. He looked around.
There was Drusilla. He knew that when he
became n Christian he must send her back to
Azzius, her lawful husband, and he said To
himself, ~ will risk the destruction OF my
immortal soul sooner than 1 will do that. "
How many there are now who cannot get to
be Christians because they will not abandon
their sins! In vain all their prayers and all
their churchSoinG. You cannot keep these
I.
OF you will have to decide between the wine
cup and unlawful amusaments and lascivi-
Gus qualifications On the one hand and eter-
nal salvation on the other
Delilah shcared tho locks OF Samson; SI-
lome danced Hcrol into the pit, Drusilla
blocked up the way TO heaven for Felix. Yet
when present the subject now L fear that
some of YOU will say: ''NOt quite yet. Don't
be so precipitdte in your demands. L havea u
few ti'',ets yet that L haveto use. l have a
few en- saSements that I must keep. want
to stay a little longer in the whtrI of con-
VITALITY few more outlaws OF unclear
laughter. few more steps on the road 10
death, and then, sir, 1 will listen 10 what you
say. go thy way ior this time. When
have 4 convenient season, l Will call fol
thee"
Another reason why Felix sent Paul to the
guariroom and adjourned this subject was
he was 50 very busy. In ordinary times he
found the affairs OF state absorbing. bu
those were eXtrdOr iinlry times. The who'll
land was ripe for instruction. The Sicarii
n band OF assassins, wers already prowlin:
around the palace, and suppose he thought
81 can't attend to religion while l am s.
pressed by affairs ol state" 1t was bushes
among other things that ruined his soul, AM
l suppose there are thousands 81 people who
are not children OF God because they have 81
much business. 1t is business in the store
lOzsps rroins faifbrT arpp1py-ps
It is business in your law office-sub
pRnas, writs you have to write out, papers
you have to file, arguments YOU have t.
make It is your medical profession, will
its broken nights and the exhausted ankle
ties OF life hanging upon your treatment. !
/, is your real estate Office, your business witt
landlords and tenants and the failure OF mel
10 meet their obligations with you. Ave
with some Of those who are here it is the an
noyance Of the kitchen, andthe sitting room
and the parlor-the wearing economy oftry
ing to meet large expenses with n small in
come. Ten thousand voices OF "business
business, business drown the voice of m,
eternal Spirit, silencinS the voice Of the ad
vGncing judgment day, overcoming the yoic,
of eternity, and they cannot hear they can
not listen. They say. go thy way for this
, time" Some OF you look upon your goods
look upon your profession, you look upor
your memorandum books, and you see the
your time and your patience and youl
money. and while am entreating you about
your soul and the danger of procrastination
you say "Go thy way for this time. Wher
I have 4 convenient season, 1 will call lor
thee"
Oh, Felix, why be bothered about the at
fairs OF this world so much moro than about
the affairs OF eternity2 Do you not know
! that when death comes you will have to STOP
business, though it be in the most eIactina
period of it-between the payment of the
money and the taking OF the receipt? The
moment he comes you will have to go. Deatt
waits for no man, however high. howeve.
low. VIII you put your office, will you put
your shop in comparison with the affairs o
an eternal world, affairs that involv,
| thrones, palaces, dominions eternal? viii
you put 200 acres of ground against i'm
mensity2 VIII you put forty or fifty years o
| your life against millions OF aSes2 oh, Felix
} you might better postpone everything else,