The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-06-13

Talmage, 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 Excited Governor" the
text being taken from Acts xiv, %:
Felix trembled, and answered: Go thy
way for this time. When 1 have a con-
venient season. will call for thee"
A city Of marble was Caesarea-wharves
OF marble. houses of marble. temples Of
marble. This being the ordinary archi-
lecture Of the place, you may imagine
something OF the splendor of Governor
Felix's residence. In a room OF that
palace, floor tessellated, windows cur
tanned. ceiling fretted, the whole scene
affiuent with Tyrian purple and statues
and pictures and carvings, sat a very
dark complexioned man OF the name Of
Felix, and beside him a woman of extra
ordinary beauty, whom he had stolen by
breaking up another domestic circle
She was only eighteen years OF age, a
princess by birth and unwittlngly wait
Ing for her doonn-that Of being buried
alive in the ashes and scoriae of Mt
Vesuvius. which in sudden eruption one
day put an end to her denominations.
Well. one afternoon Drusllla, seated in
the palace, weary with the magnificent
stupidities of the place, says to Felix:
You have very distinguished prisoner,
l believe. Of the name of Paul Do you
know he is one of my countrymen?
should very much like to see him. and
should very much like TO hear him speak,
for 1 have heard so much about his elo-
quence. Besides that. the other day.
when he was being tried in another room
of this place and the windows were open
I heard the applause that greeted the
speech of Lawyer Tertullus as he de-
nounced Paul. Now ! very much wish
could hear Paul speak. Won't you let
me hear him speak? - Yes" said Felix.
II viii. 1 will order him up now from
the guard room" Clank. clank. comes a
chain up the marble stairway, and there
is a shuttle at the door, and in comes
Paul, a little old man. prematurely old
through exposure-only sixty years of
age, but looking as though he were
eighty. He bows very cOurteOuSly 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 a specimen of your elo-
quence."
Oh, IL there ever was a chance of a
man to show off Paul had a chance
there, He might have harangued them
about Grecian art, about the wonderful
water works he had seen at Corinth,
about the AcropOlis by moonlight, about
prison life in Philippi about what
saw in Thessalonica." about the old
lnytholOgies, but Mo- Paul said TO
himself. II am now on the way to mar
Jyrdom, and this man and woman will
soon be dead. and this is my only oppor-
tunity 70 talk 10 them about the things
of eternity"
And just there and then there broke
in upon the scene a 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 be-
gins TO go out of his shoulders and he
rises up and his countenance is fllu-
minated with the glories of a future life
and his shackles rattle and grind as he
lifts his fetteTed arm and with it hurls
upon his abashed auditors the bolts of
Gods indignation. Felix grew very
white about the liDs. His heart beat UNI
evenly. He put his hand to his brow as
though to stop the quickness and viO-
lence 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 guard-room. Felix trembled and
said: Go thy way for this time. When
] have a convenient season l will call
thee. A young man came one night
10 our services with pencil In hand to
car1cdture the whole scene and make
1nirth OF those who should express any
anxiety about their souls, but 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- Felix trembled. and so may God
grant 1t may be so with others
Three Reasons.
I propose to give you two or three rea-
sons why / think Felix sent Paul back to
the guard-room and adjourned this whole
subject Of religion. The first reason was
he did not want 10 give up his sins. He
looked around. There was Drusilla He
knew that when he became a Christian
he must send her back to Azizus. her
lawful husband, and he said TO himself
/ VIII risk the destruction Of my inn
mortal soul sooner than will do that"
How many there are now who cannot
get 10 be Christians because they will not
abandon their SINS In vain all their
prayers and all their church going. You
cannot Keep these darling sins and win
heaven, and now some Of you will have
10 decide between the wine cup and I'M
lawful amusements and lascivious graft
heattOns on the one hand, and eternal
salvation on he 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 subject now. fear that
some Of you will say: Not quite yet
Don't be so precipitate in your demands
have a few tickets yet that ] have to
use. have a few engagements that
must keep. / want to stay a little
longer in the whirl OF conviviality-a few
more outlaws Of unclean laughter, few
more steps on the road TO death, and
then, sir. / will listen 10 what you say
Go thy way for this time. When / have
a convenient season, will call for thee 4"
Convenient Season.
Another reason why Felix sent Paul
back 10 the guardroom and adjourned
this subject was he was so very busy. In
ordinary times he found the affairs Of
state absorbing. but those were extraor-
binary times. The whole land was ripe
for instruction. The Sicarii. a band Of
assassins, were already providing around
the palace. and I suppose ne thought. Il
can't attend TO religion while / am pressed
by affairs Of state" II was business.
among other things, that ruined his soul,
and suppose there are thousands OF peo-
pie who are not children Of God because
they have so much business.
u Is business In the stOre-losses, gains,
unfaithful employees. 1t is business in
your law of1ce-subpoenas. writs you have
TO write out, papers you have to file, ar
guments you have to make. II is your
medical profession, with it's broken nights,
and the exhausted anxleties OF life hang
ing upon your treatment. II Is your real
estate Office. your business with land
- - n-HT.