The Penn's Grove record., 1894-06-15

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their hollowness and hypocrisy so much as
in the life and death Of that wonderful man,
Charles Sumner. As he went toward the
place OF burial, even Independence Hall, in
Philadelphia, asked that his remain stop
there on their way TO Boston. The flags were
ut half mast, and the minute guns on Boston
Common throbbed after his heart had ceased
to beat. Was It always so? While he lived
how censured oflegislative resolutions how
carlcatured oil the EDITORIALS how charged
with every motive mean and ridiculous
how all the urns of scorn and hatred and
~billingsgate emptied upon his head how,
when struck down In Senate chamber, there
were hundreds of thousands OF people who
said. GOOD for him serves him right
how he had to put the ocean between him
and his maligners that he might have a lit
tie peace, and how, when he went Off sick,
they said he was broken hearted because he
could NIT get to be President or Secretary Of
Statel
o, Commonwealth of Massachusetts,, who
Is that man that sleeps In your public hall
covered with garlands and wrapped in tho
stars and stripes? Is that the man who, only
n few months before, you denounced as the
foe OF republican and democratic institu.
tons? Is that the same MANI Ye American
people, ye could not by one week OF funeral
eulogium N newspaper leaders, which tho
dead senator could neither read nor hear,
atone for twenty-five years OF maltreatment
and caricature.
When l see a man like that, pursued by
all the hounds of the political kennel so long
as he lives and then buried under a great
pile OF garlands and amid the lamentations
Of a whole nation, l say to myself What an
unutterably hypoeritical thing is ali human
applause mad all human favor! You TOOK
twenty-five years in trying to pull down his
fame and then a twenty-five years in try
ing to build his monument. My friends, was
there ever a better entary on the hol-
'lowness of all earthly favor? If there are
young men who read this who are postpon-
ing religion In order that they may have the
favors of this world. let me persuade them
of their complete folly. II you are looking
forward to gubernatorial, senatorial or pres
idential chair, let me show you your great
mistake.
Can it be that there is now any young
man saying "Let me have political office,
let me have some of the high positions OF
trust and power, and then l will attend to
religion, but not now. Go thy way for this
time. When 1 have a convenient season, l
will call for theer"
And now my subject takes a deeper tone,
and it shows what n dangerous thing Is this
leferring of religion. When Pau(s chain
ratified Town the marble stairs of Felix, that
was Felix's last chance for heaven. Judging
from his character aiterward, he was re-
probate and abaEdoned. And so was Dru-
silla.
One day in the southern Italy there was n
trembling of the earth. and the air got black
with smoke intershot with liquid rocks. and
Vesuvius rained upon Drusilla and upon her
son a horrible tempest of ashes and fire.
They did not reject religion. They only put
1t of. They did not understand that that
day, that that hour when Pau stood before
them, was the piyotalhour upon which every
- - Atk a. - A.
wrong way. Their convenient season came
when Paul and his guardsman entered the
palace. 1t went away when Paul and his
guardsman left. Have you never seon men
waiting for n convenient season. There is
such a great fascination about il that. though
you may have great respect to the truth OF
Christ, yet somehow there is in your soul
the thought mot quite yet. 1t is
not time for me to become a Christian l
say to a boy, "Seek Christ" He says. mo.
Wait until / get to be a young man" Isay
| to the young man, "Seek Christ" He says,
| "Wait until 1 como to midlife." l meet the
same person in mfdlife, and | say, ''Seek
Christ" He says, "Wait until l get old
/ meet the same person In old aga and sayto
| him, "Seek Christ" He says, Swat until I
an on my dying bed" 1 am called to his
| dying couch. His last moments have ome
! / bend over the couch and listen for his last
| words. l nave partially to guess what they
ore by the motion of his lips, he is so feeble,
but rallying himself he whispers until l can
hear him say, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
more-convenient-season, " and he is gone !
/ can tell you when your convenient season
1 will come. l can tell you the ye:-. 1t will
be 1891. I can tell you what kind of n day
it will he. 1t will be the Sabbath day.
| / can tell you what hour it will be. It will
be between 8 and 10 O'Clock. In other words,
it is now. Do you ask me how l know this
49, I 49,. "a L.
/ cause you are here, and because the elect
sons and daughters of God are praying for
your redemption. All, l know it is your
convenient season because some OF you, like
/ Felix, tremble as all you past life comes
1 upon you with its sin, and all the future life
comes upon you with its terror. This night
air is aglare with torches to show you up or
to show you down. 1t is rustling with wings
to lift you into light or smite yol into de-
spair, and there is a rushing to and fro, and
a beating against the door OF your souls with
a great thunder OF emphasis, telling you,
"Now, now Is the best time, as it may he the
only time"
May God Almighty forbid that any OF YOU,
my brethren or sisters, act the part of Felix
and Drusilla N put away this great sub
ject. II you are going to be saved ever.
why not begin tonight Throw down your
sins and take the Lords pardon. Christ has
been %tramping after o many a day. Au
Indian and a white man became Christians.
The Indian, almost as soon us he heard tho
gospel, believed and was savel, but tho
white man struggled on in darkness for 4
long While before he found light.
After their peace in Christ tho white
man said to too Indian, why was it that l
was kept so long in tho darkness and you
Immediately found peace?" The Indian re-
piled: Il will tell you. A p:inre CONES
along, and ho Offers you Il coas. You COX
at your coat, and you say, Ny coat IS
good enough and you refuse his
offer, but the prime" "o,nra aloaE.
and he offers mo tho coat. and 1
look at my old blanket, AMI l throw that
away and take his Offer. Iou, sir" rou'i4-
ued the Indian, ''are clinginS TO your own
righteousness you think you are good
enough, and you keep your own righteous
ness but l have nothing, nothing, and 80
when Jesus offers me pardon anl pNl'i |
simply take it,"
My reader, why not now throw away the
wornout blanket of your sin nni take the
robe of a S~aviour's rightcousness-l rohr 50
white, so fair. so l%ustrous, that no fuller on
earth can whiten it, . shepherd, Tonight
bring home the lost sheep! o Father. to.
night give a welcoming kiss to tho WAL
prodigall o friend of Lazarus, tonight
break down the door of the sepuIcher uni
say TO all these dead souls rs BY irresistible
fiat 'Livel Liyel"
The injury of productivity leads to this