The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-11
TALK BEFORE FELIX
Talmage Makes II the Subject Of a
SermOliC Discourse.

Inspired Sermon PTeceQ6d Dy a CLAP
of Thunder The Governor Com
pletely Unnerved by the Words of
His Prisoner.
Brooklyn, June 1O.-Rev. DR.. Talmage,
who is now speeding across the Pacific to
Honolulu, on his round-the-world jour
ney, has selected as the subject for ser
monte discourse through the press to-day
"The Excited Governor" the text being
taken from Acts "a; %; 'Felix trem-
bled, and answered, Go thy way for this
time: when have a convenient season, L
will call for thee"
A city of marble was Cesarea-wharves
of marble. houses of marble, temples Of
marble. This being the ordinary, archi-
lecture of the place, you may imagine
something OF che splendOr of Gov. Felix's
residence. In a room of that palace, floor
tesselated, windows curtained, ceiling
fretted. the whole scene affuent with
Tyrian purple, and statues, and pictures,
and carvings, sat a very dark-cOmpleX-
toned man by the name of Felix, and beside
him woman of extraordinary beauty
whom he had stolen by breaking up anoth-
err domestic circle. She was only Is years
OF age d IIluGGSo bN bALbLls anu NV IL
tingly waiting for her doom-that of be-
ing buried alive in the ashes and scorie
of Mount Nesuvius, which in sudden
eruption, one day, put an end to her
denominations. Well. one afternoon Dru-
silla, seated in the palace, weary with the
magnificent stupidities of the place says
TO Felix: You have a very distinguished
prisoner, ! believe, by the name of Paul
Do you know he is one of my country
menu l should very much like to see him,
and should very much like to hear him
speak, for l 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 applause that greeted
the speech of Lawyer Tertullus, as he
denounced Paul. Now, l very much
wish / could hear Paul speak.
Won't you let me hear him speaB} 20
'Yes,," said Felix, II will. | will
order him up now from the guard m."
Clank, Clank, comes chain up the mar
bic stairway and thereis a shuttle at the
door, and in comes Paul, 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
ElONi uEuGt. vi IL bnGIt was ever ii
chance for 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 moon
light, about prison life in Philippi, about
what | saw in ThessalOnica,' about the
old mytholigies: but Mop Paul said to
himself: 81 am now on the way to mar
tyrdom, and this man and woman will
soon be dead, and this is my only oppor-
tunity 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 up, and his countenance is illumined
with the glories of future life, and his
shackles rattle and grind as he lifts his
fettered arm, and with it hurls upon his
abashed auditors the bolts of Gods indig-
nation. 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 sud
den chill. His eyes glare and his knees
shake, and, as he clutches the side of his
chair in very paroXysm of terror, he
OtuCES Jllb SuGTlH 10 Jake 1dul DdCk 10
the guardrOom. Felix trembled and
said, Go thy way for this time; when /
have convenient season, l 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
down his cheek as he said, DO you
think there is any chance for mel" Felix
trembled, and so may God grant it may
be so with others.
propose to give you two or three rea-
sons why think Felix sent Paul back TO
the guardrOOm and adjourned the whole
subject of religion. The first reason was.
he did not want to give up his sins. He
looked around; there was Drusila He
knew that when he became a Christian,
he must send her back to AZizus, her law
full husband, and he said to himself, Il
viii risk the destruction of my immortal
soul, sooner than / will do that" How
many there are now who cannot get to be
Christians, because they will not aban-
don 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 viii have
TO decide between the wine-cup. and
unlawful amusements and lascivious
qualification on the one hand. and eternal
odlFdllOu Ol Tie OlnGF. 1etlldn SledreQ
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, MOT quite yet. Don't be
so precipitate in your demands. | have a
few tickets yet that can use Ihave few
engagements that / must keep. / want
To stay little longer in the whirl of con
VITALITY few more outlaws of unclean
laughter, few more steps on the road to
death, and then, sir, [ will listen TO what
you say. Go thy way for this time; when
have convenient season, | win call for
thee ="
Another reason why Felix sent Paul
back to 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 proving around
the palace, and | suppose he thought, Il
can't attend to religion while ! am SO
pressed by affairs of state" 1t was bust.
ness, among other things, that ruined his
soul, and l suppose there are thousands
of people who are not children of God be-
cause they have so much business Ii is
business in the store-losses, gains, un-
faithful employees. 1t is business i'm
your law office-subpmnas. writs YOU