The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-06-20
A DANGEROUS DELAY.
The Rev. DR., Talmsge Prsarhss Through
The PrEss.

BROOKLYN, June 10.-ReT. DR.. Tai
mage, who is now speed pg acioss toe
Pacific to Honolulu on his round the
world Journey, has selected as the sub
iect for sermonic discourse through me
press today The Excited Governor"
the text being taken from Acts XIV, 70:
"Felix trembled, and answered: 20 thy
way for this time. When l have con-
venient season, will call for thee"
A city of marble was Csesarea-Thar-
YES OF marble, houses Of marble, temples
of marble. This being the ordinary
architecture Of the placs, you may M
agine something of the splendor OF Gov:
ernor Felix's residence. In room OF
that palace, floor tessellated, windows
curtained, ceiling fretted, the whole scene
afluent with Tyriau purple and statues
and pictures and carvings, sat very
dark complexioned man OF the name OF
Felix, and beside him q woman OF eX'
traordinary beauty, whom he bad stolen
by breaking up another domestic circle.
she was only Is years Of age, princess
by birth and unwittinslY waiting for her
doom-that of being buried alive IN the
ashes and scorise Of Mount Vesuvius,
which IN sudden eruption one day put al
end to her denominations.
Well, one afternoon Drusilla, seated
in the palace, weary with the magnlh-
cent ,stupldities of the place, says to
Felix: s'You have very distinguished
prisoner, I believe, Of the name OF Paul.
Do you know he ls one OF my country
mer? I Ishould very much Ike to see
him. and I should very much Ike 10 hear
him speak, for I hays heard so much
about his elcquence. Besides that, the
other day, when he was being tried IN
another room of this place and the Win
dows were open, heard the applause
that greeted the speech CT Lawyer Ter
tullus as be denounced Paul. Now l
very much wish could hear Paul speak.
Won't you let me hear him speak?"
Yes" SAID Felix, 81 will l will or
der him up now from the guardroom."
Clank, c!ank, comes chain up the mar.
bic stairway, and there is q shuttle al the
door, and II comes Paul, little old
man, prematurely old through exposure
only 60 years Of age. but looking as
though be wee 80. He bows very
courteously before the governor and the
beautiful woman by his side. They say:
paul, We have heard great deal about
your speaking. Give Us now specimen
OF your elcquence.
Oh, if there ever was chance Of a
man to show of, Paul had chance
there! He might have harangued them
about Grecian art, atCut the wonderful
waterworks be had sem at Corlnth,
about the Acropolis by moonlight, about
prison life in Philippi, about "what |
saw in Thessalonica," about the old
mythologies, but "No!" Paul SAID to
himself. II 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. It
was the voice OF a judgment day speak"
ing through the words of the decrepit
apostle. AS that grand old missionary
proceeded with his remarks the stoop
begins to 60 cut of his shoulders, and he
rises up, and his countenance IS lllunlned
with the glories Of a future life, and his
shackles rattle and grind as he lifts his
fettered arm, and with 1t hurls upon his
abashed auditors the bolts Of GODS H.
dignatisn. Felix grew very white about
the lips. His heart beat uneVenly. He
put his hand to his brow, as though to
stop the Quickness and violence of his
thoughts. He drew his robe tighter
about him as under sudden chill. His
eyes glare, and his knees shake, and as
be clutches the side Of bis chair in very
paroxysm of terror he orders the sheriff
to take Paul back to the guardroom.
s'Fehx trembled and said: Go thy way
for this time. When I have a c0nVen-
lent season, will call for thee" A
young man came one night TO cur ser.
vice, with pencil ID hand, to cariceture
the whole scene and make mIrth OF those
who should express any anxiety about
their souls, but I met him at the door,
his lace very white, tears running down
his cheek, as he said, "Do you think
there is any chance for me?" Felix
trembled, and 80 may God grant it may
be 30 with others.
I propose to give you two or three
reasons why I think Felix sent Paul back
to the guardroom and adjourned this
whole subiectof religion. The first rea.
son was he did not want to give up bis
sins. He locked around. There was
Drusilla. He knew that when he be-
came Christian he must send her back
to Azizus, her lawful husband, and be
said to himself, II will risk the deatruc-
ton of my immortal soul sooner than !
will do that"
How many there are now who cannot
get to be Christians because they will
not abandon their sins! InVain all THEN
PRAYERS and all their church going. You
cannot keep these darling SINS and win
heaven, and low some Of you will have
TO decided between the wine cup and ua.
lawful amusements and lasciVious graft
fcations on the cne hand, and eternal
salvation on the other. D9lilah sheared
the locks of Samson; Salome danced
Herod into the Dit; Drusilla blocked "
the way to heaven for Felix, Yet When
present the subject now, fear that
some Of you will say: mot quite yet.
DON'T be so precipitate in your demands
have a few tickets Jet that I have tC
use. have q lew engagements that l
must keep, I waEt to stay 6
little longer in the whirl Of con
viviality-a few more outlaws o.
unclean laughter, few more steps or
the road TO death, and then, sir, l vii
listen to what you say, 60 thy way for
this time. When I have a convenient
season, I will call for thae.'"
Another reason why Felix sent Pau
back to the guardroom and adjourned
this subject was he was so very busy
In ordinary times be found the affairs ot
state absorbing, but those were extra
ordinary times. The whole land was
ripe for insurrection. The Sicarii, banC
of assasslns, were already prowling
around the palace, and I suppose ne
thought, II can't attend, to orelgjon whllt
I am pressed by affairs OF state" 1
was business, among other things, that