Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1894-06-30

and the marble blocks OF Caarea viii
crunble. and the breakrater at the beach,
made of great blocks 0! scne SIXTY fest
long, must give way before the per-
pesual wash Of the sea, but the redemption
That Paul Offers ron will be forever? And
Ses and yet and yet you wave him back to
The gnardroon. saying 6 thy way for
This time. When I have q convenient season,
! will call fer thee"
Again. Felix adjourned this subject Of re-
iigion and put of Pauls argument because
he could not give up the honors OF the world.
He was afraid somehow he " ould Be COM
promised himself in this matter. Remarks
be made af'erward bowed him to be in
tensely ambitious. Oh, how he hu2ged the
favor Of mem
! never saw the honors Of this world Ia
their ho!iowness and hypocrisy ~ much as
In the life and death OF that wonderful man,
Charles Sumner. A he wentstoward tho
place Of burial. even independents Hall, in
Philadelphia, asked that his remains stop
thers On their way TO Boston. The fags were
at half mast. and the minute guns on Bost On
Common thrcbbed after his heart had ceased
fo beat. Was 1t always sou While be lived
how censured Of Legislative resolutions how
caricaturei OF the pictorials. how charged
with every motive mean and ridiculous
how all the urns of scorn and hatred and
b~iliingsgste emptied upon his head how,
when struck down In Senate chamber, there
were 0u01rels OF tnOuSl0Qe 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 hava a lit
tie peace, and how. when he went OF sick,
| they said he was broken hearted becausens
could not get TO be President or Secretary o,
State
o. Commonwealth Of Massachusetts,, who
Is that man that sleeps In your public hail
covered with garlan Is AMI wrapped in tho
stars and stripes? Is that tue man who. only
Il few months before, you denounced as the
foe OF republican and democratic institu-
tions! Is that the same man? Ye American
people. We could not BY one week OF funeral
euiogium and newspaper leaders, which the
dead senator could neither read nor hear,
atone for twenty-five years OF maitreatment
an caricature.
WhenI see a man like that, pursued by
all the hounds OF the political kennel so long
rs he lives and then buried under n great
! pile OF g%arlanis and amid the lamentations
OF n whole nation, l say to myself: What An
unuttcraoly hypocritical thin: Is all human
applause ani all human favor You toos
TWENTY-FIVE years in trying to pull down III,
fame and then take twenty-five years in Try.
ing TO build his monument. MY friends. wa.
ther- eyer a better commentary on the hoE
lowness OF all earthly favor? If there are
younc men who read this who are postpon.
ING religion in order that they may have the
fayors OF this world. let me persuade them
Of their complete folly. If yor are looking
forwarlto guhornatoria', senatorial or pres.
idential chair, let me show you your great
mistake.
Can it be that there is now any young
man saving: "I.at mo have political Office.
let me have soma o. the high positions of
trnst anil power. an | then I wilt attend TO
religion. hut not now. CT thy way for this
lime. When I have a convenient season, I
will call for thee"
AMI now my subject takes n deeper tone.
anil it shows what y dangerous thing is this
dcferrin- o: RELIGION Whom P,ui's chain
%rattlal down tho marale stairs Of Felix. that
was Felix : last chance for heaven. Judging
from his character a~iterward, he was re-
probate and abar donel. And SO was Dru-
silia.
One day in the southern Italy there was q
trembling OF the earth. and the air got black
with smoke intershot with liquid rocks, and
Vesuvius ralned npon Drusilla and upon her
son Il 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 Paul stood before
them. was the pivotal hour upon which every
thing was poised. and that it tipped the
wrong way. Their convenient season came
when Paul and his g~uardsman entered the
palace. 1t went away when Paul and his
gunrisman left. Have you never seen men
waiting for Il convenient season? There is
such Il great fascination about it that. though
yon may have great respect to the truth OF
Christ. yet somehow there is in your soul
the thought NO quite vet. It is
not time FOR me to become. 4 Christian I
say to n hoy, "Seek Christi He saws. "No
Wait until | get to he u young man." say
to the young man. Seek Christ" He says,
"Wait until I come TO midlife." / meet the
Same person in mldllfe, and I say. ''Seek
Christ" He says, "Wait until l get old
/ meet the same person in old age and say to
him.. ''Seek Christ" He says. "Wait until |
am on my dying bed" / am called to his
dying couch. His last moments have come.
] bend over the couch and listen for his last
words. have partially to guess what they
are by the motion Of his lips. he Is so feeble,
but rallying himself he whispers until I car
hear him say. "I--am-waitinS-for-a-
more-convenient-season." and he is gone
! can tell you when your convenient season
will come. l can tell you the year. It viii
be 1894. can tell you what kind of a da,
1t will be. 1t will be the Sabbath dav
lean tell You what hour it will be. It viii
be between 8 and 10o'clock. In other words
it is now. Do you ask me how / know thi
Is your convenient season? l know it be
cause you are here, and because the cleo
sons and daughters of God are praying 70
your redemption. All. / know it is you
convenient season because some of you. lik
Felix. tremble as all your past life come
upon you with its sin. and all the future lif
comes upon you with Its terror. This nigh
air is ag!are with torches to show YOU up O
I to show you down. 1t is rustling with wing
:, to lift you into light or smite yoa into dc
spair. and there is a rushing to and fro. an,
? IL beating against the door OF your souls wit
n great thunder of emphasis. telling yo.
G Now. now is the best time. as it may be tn,
q only time
4 May God Almighty forbid that any OF you
. my brethren or sisters. act the part of Fell
D and Drusilla and put away this great sub
= ject. II you are going TO be saved ever
why not begin tonight? Throw down YOU
= sins and take the Lords pardon. Christ ha
been tramping after you many a dav. A
n Indian and 4 white man became Christian.
The Indian. almost as soon as he heard tn
gospel, believed AMI was saved, but tn
{ white mar struggled on in darkness for
long while before he found light.
!, After their peace in Christ the whit
man said to the Indian. Why was it that
: Was kept so long in the darkness and 70
Immediately found peace:' The Indian Re
= piled Il Will tell you. 4 prince come
along. ana ne on-r> you 4 coat. You 100
at your coat. and you say. Ny Goa,
xy0nt