Democratic messenger., 1894-06-16
SERMON ON THE SEA.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE'S SUBJECT WAS
"THE EXCITED GOVERNOR"

FeIix-Ciinging tn Their sins-"Go Thy
Way For This Time" The Convenient
season Il Now.
BROOKLYN. June lO.-Rev. DR. Tai
mage. who is now speeding across the
Pacific TO Honolulu ON his round the
world journey, has selected rs the sub
ject for sermonic discourse through the
press today The Excited Governor,
the text being taken from Acts xiv,
%: Felix trembled and answered.
Go thy way for this time When have
a convenient season, ! 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 affiuent 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 n
woman Of extraordinary beauty, whom
he had stolen by breaking mp another
domestic circle. She was only Is years
Of age. princess by birth. and unwitting-
" waiting for her doom-that of being
buried alive in the ashes and scorig Of
Mount vesuvius, which in sudden erup-
tion one day put an end to her abomina-
tions.
Well, 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
countrymen: 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. heard the ap-
plause that greeted the speech of Law
yer Tertullus as he denounced Paul
Now. very much wish could hear
Paul speak. Won't you let me hear
him speak, "Ycs, 3" said Felix. II will.
/ will order him mp now from the
guardroom.
Paul's Great Sermon.
Clank. clank, comes q chain up the
marble stairway, and there is a shuttle
ut the door, and in comes Paul, little
old man, prematurely old through ex-
posure, only so years of age. but look
ing as though he were so. 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 a
specimen of your eloquence. oh, if
there ever was n chance for n man TO
show off, Paul had chance there! 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 MOI 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 peal Of thunder. 1t
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 mp, and his countenance is illu-
mined with the glories of future
life, and his shackles rattle and grind
as he lifts his fettered arm and with
IL hurls upon his abashed auditors the
bolts Of Gods 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 very paroxysm Of terror
he orders the sheriff TO take Paul back
10 the guardroom. Felix tremblcd and
said: Go thy way for this time When
have q convenient season, will call
for thee"
A young 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 ! met him at the
door, his face very white, tears running
Aoxxrx, his rhaaE hn ros1 stTln
think there is any chance for me:" Fe-
lix trembled, and SO may God grant it
may be SO with others
Ciinging Ia Their Sins.
propose TO give You two or three
reasons why l 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 n Christian he must send her back
to Azizus, her lawful husband, and he
said to himself, II will risk the destruc-
tion Of my immortal soul sooner than
i 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 churchgoing. 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.
walton ON the other.
Delilah sheared the locks of Samson;
Salome danced Herod into the pit;
Drusilla blocked up the way 10 heaven
for Folk. Yet when present the sub
ject now / fear that some Of you will
say: Not quite yet Don't be so pre-
cipitate in your demands. l have few
tickets yet that have 10 use. have q
few engagements that / must keep I
want to stay little longer in the whirl
vou want frct-cIaSS tOb