The record-union., 1894-04-09
THE DEMON OF REPRESENTATION.
Lessons Drawn From the Parable Of
the Foolish Virgins.
People Who Are Always Too Late
Warnings to Those Who Are
Liable to Die in SIn.s

said, shows the folly Of procrastination.
There is nothing said about the foolish
virgins being wicked; they were we'll
disposed toward the bridegroom and ex-
pected to sit down at the wedding least.
Their foolishness was in not making the
necessary preparation. They expected
the bridegroom SOD etime. but prepared
to meet him at no time. Ihefe Is silail
portion of time between time enough
yet" and "too late"
An artist had permission TO paint
portrait of Queen Victoria, and the time
and place was appointed. The Queen
was there. but the artist was not, so the
Queen left word that she had gone and
would not return. Thus the golden op-
portunity of lifetime was missed. The
man who refuses to plow or sow the seed
because he has a few bushels of wheat in
the granary, will be found hungerlng in
harvest time. Present preparation must
be made for future contingency. The
seaman takes the compass with him on
the voyage. 1t is too late to secure the
compass after the storm and darkness
have come upon him. We may not feel
the need of God and OF heaven now, but
when we do ieel that need it may be too
lale to prepare.
Christ came into the world to save sim
ners. That indicates that in the world is
the place to accept salvation. There was
no use of Christ's coming into the world
10 save sinners, If they could die in their
sins and go to Christ to be saved. This
is contradiction to much that Is
preached promising heaven to those
who die in their sins, because they
performed some deed of heroism that ell
titled them TO human immortality, but
not divine. If Christ has post-mortem
gospel to preach lie will attend to that. 1t
is my duty to preach the gospel He has
given-to hold forth its precious promises,
its warnings and commands. This is the
crying need of to-day, when evil is called
good; when the hardest crimes are men
toned by the sottest names, and damna-
ton is thought TO be too rough term to
ex press the condition OF the disobedlent;
when men are exhorted to join the
church, not because they are sinners, lost
and perishing outside OF II, but because
they are such good men that the church
needs them. The church does not need
US; we need the church.
Paul felt that he was chief of sinners.
The older we grow the more We would
give to blot out the memory OF the sins
to us some time to be greater than they
do to-day. We shall cry 20 The mountains
to iall upon us, and tie hills TO cover US.
We cannot begin too soon TO have the
pardon ofour guiltremoved. Erocrastiua-
tion is mighty evil; il is the thief OF time;
it steals away the opportunities of the
present under the false promise that We
shall be better tomorrow. Even be-
levers may be lost. Like the foolish
virgins, they believe Christ to come some
time. but prepare for him no time.
there is Il day Of decision-a day for
which all otEer days were made-and that
is when the powers of good and evil are
struggling Tor the mastery.
The time to become Christian is now
Our promptness in earthly matters de-
cities our prosperity anu happiness. The
SWitch-tender who was neg1ectful of his
duty for a single moment, allowed a train
load OF people to be- plunged into the
river. Y moment afterward he would
have given worlds, had he possessed
them, 10 recall the opportunity TO avert
the accident; but to-day he PAGES the
halls of the lunatic asylum, wringing his
hands and exclaiming: "Oh, if l only
had' His sin may be forgiven, but the
tact that people were lost by his faithless-
ness will remain forever. forgiveness
does not restore the opportunities OF life.
What though our sins may be forgiven
If sorrow in heaven could be. we should
mourn over our sinful neglect which led
people, whom we had the power To save,
10 ruin.
1t is delusion to live in sin WI III the
expectation to reform. Nine-tenths
never reform, and they who do are never
what they might have been. a reformed
man is still a damaged man. Some peo-
pie think youth is the time to SOW wild
oats, but Whatsoever man soweth that
shall he also reap"
Why is it some people are always too
late-too late for school, for church, for
the train? They hurry just as fast as
others, but they do not start in time.
That is why many shall fail TO enter into
the kingdom OF God. They will strive
hard enough, but they start too late.
Nv hen once the master OF the house has
risen up and ye begin to stand without
and knock and knock saying. Lord,
open unto u.s. then will l profess unto
you; l never knew you"
When James III. offered amnesty to
the Scottish chiefs who should lay down
their arms before the expiration Of
limited period of time. McIan, the brav-
est and proudest OF them all, had an am
bition 10 be the last one TO surrender, and
kept up his rebellion so long that he ar
rived at tie appointed place Just in time
TO be executed. That seems to be pop
ular ambition-to be the last to surrender
This demon of procrastinatIon that
hinders people from becoming Christians
proper effort 10 save other friends. They
give their children a knowledge of arts
and sciences, and leave them In ignorance
OF the art of doing good. or spend their
lives in accommodating dollars for them to
Quarrel over, and make no effort to lay
up treasures in heaven. To bring our
children into despair and ruin, it is not
necessary to say in so many words,
'sThere is no God" All We need to do is
to act as if there were no cod; to act as If
time was never TO end ami eternity never
to begin. The man who boasted that his
boy had become Christian and that he
had never salu a word to him about it,
ought to have been ashamed of himself.
Tor his son had become Christian IN spite
OF his fathers indifference.
''Seek the Lord while be may be found;
cali upon Him while he is near" | know
nothing of the force OF language If this
does not indicate that the time will come
when we shall call in vain-when the
Lord shall not be near TO hear our cry.
Every knee shall bow and every tongue
shall confess that Jesus is the Christ.
May it be in this life, with joy, and not in
the future, with tears and anguish, De-
cause il is too late for repentance. Yield
10 Christ and your defeat is glorious. he
asks you to surrender to Him, not that
he may rule over you with the heel OF
tyranny, but that he may give you JOY
you have never known before and make
you joint heir with Him in the everlast-
ing Kingdom of God.