Connecticut western news., 1894-06-14
SERMON ON THE SEA.
REV. DR. TAlMAGE'S SUBJECT WAS
 "ThE EXCITED GOVERNOR"

REV. DR. TALMAGE'S SUBJECT WAS
 "ThE EXCITED GOVERNOR" The Apostle P~ul's Great Eloquence Before
 Fehx-Clinging to Their Sins-"Go Thy
 Way For This Time"- The Convenient
 Season h Now.
 BROOKLYN, June 10.-Rev. Dr. Tal- mage, who is now speeding across the Pacific to Honolulu on his round the world journey, has selected as the sub ject for sermonic discourse through the press today "The ExcitSl Governor" the text being taken from Acts xxiv, 26: "Felix trembled and answered, Go thy way for this time. When I have a convenient season, I will call for thee."
 A city of marble was C@sarea- wharves of marble, houses of marble, temples of marble. This being the or dinary architecture of the place, you may imagine something of the splendor of Governor Felix's residence. In a room of that palace, floor tessellated, windows curtained, ceiling fretted, the whole scene affluent with Tyrian pur- pie and statues and pictures and carv- ings, sat a very dark complexioned man of the name of Felix, and beside him a woman of extraordinary beauty, whom he had stolen by breaking up another domestic circle. She was only IS years of age, princess by birth, and unwitting- ly waiting for her doom-that of being buried alive in the ashes and scoriB of Mount Vesuvius, which in sudden erup- ton one day put an end to her abomina- tiona
 We'll, one afternoon Drusilla, seated in the palace, weary with the magnifi cent stupidities of the place, says to Felix: "You have very distinguished prisoner, I believe, of the name of Paul Do you know he is one of my oountrymenY I should very much like to see him, and should very much like to hear him speak, 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, I heard the ap- plause that greeted the speech of Law yer Tertullus as he denounced Paul. Now, I very much wish could hear Paul speak. Won't you let me hear him speakp" "Yes," "said Felix, T will I will order him up now from the guardroom
 Pauls Great Sermon.
 Clank, clank, comes chain up the marble stairway, and there is shuttle at the door, and in comes Paul, little old man, prematurely old through ex- posure. only 60 years of age, but look ing as though he were 80 He bows very oourteously before the governor and the beautiful woman by his side. They say: Paul, we have heard a great deal about your speaking. Give us now specimen of your eloquence. Oh, if there ever was chance for a man to show oil. Paul had chance therel He might have harangued them about Gre clan art, about the wonderful water works he had seen at Corinth, about the Acropolis by moonlight, about pris- on life in Philippi, about "what saw in Thessalonica, about the old mythol- ogies, but "Nol" Paul said to himself, "I 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 8 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 go out of his shoulders, and he rises up, and his countenance is illu- mined 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 God B indignation. 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 a sudden chill His eyes glare, and his knees shake, and as he clutches the side of his chair in a very paroxysm of terror he orders the sheriff to take Paul back to the guardroom Felix trembled and said: Go thy way for this time When have a convenient season, will call for thee"
 A Ayoung man came one night to our services, with pencil in hand, to carica- ture the whole scene and make mirth of those who should express any anxiety about their souls, but I 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 me?" Fe- hx trembled, and so may God grant it may be so with others.
 Clinging to Their Sins.
 propose to give you two or three reasons why I think Felix sent Paul back to the guardroom and adjourned this 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 be- came Christian he must send her back to Azizus, her lawful husband, and he said to himself, "I will risk the destruc- tion 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 sinsl In vain all their prayers and all their ohurchgoing. You cannot keep these darling sins and win heaven, and now some of you will have to decide between the wine cup and unlawful amusements and lascivious gratifica- tions on the one hand and eternal sal vation on the other.
 Delilah sheared the locks of Samson; Salome danced Herod into the pit; Drusilla blocked up the way to heaven for Felix Yet when present the sub- ject now I fear that some of you will say: Mot quite yet Don't be so pre- cipitate in your demands. I have few tickets yet that have to use have a few engagements that I must keep. want to stay little longer in the whirl of conviviality-a few more guffaws of unclean laughter, few more steps on the road to death, and then, sir, will