The Bossier banner., 1894-07-26
NUMBER D.


nation, say to myself; What an un-
utterably hypocritical thing is all hu-
man applause and human favor! You
took twenty-five years in trying to
pull down his fame, and then take
twenty-five years in trying to build his
monument. My friends, was there ever
better commentary on the hollow
ness of all earthly? If there are young
men who read this who are postponinc
religion in order that they have the
favors of this world, let me persuade
them of their complete folly. If
you are looking forwad to guber-
material, senatorial, or presidential
chair, let me show you your great mis-
take. Can it be that there is now any
young man saying: "Let me have po-
litical office, let me have some of the
high positions of trust and power, and
then | will attend to religion; but not
now. Go thy way for this time; when
| have convenient season, will call
for thee!'"
One day in southern Italy there was
trembling of the earth, and the air
got black with smoke intershot with
liquid rocks, and Vesuvius rained
upon Drusilla and upon her son a
horrible tempest of ashes and fire.
They did not reject religion; they
only put it off. They did not under
stand that that day, that that hour,
when Paul stood before them, was the
pivotal hour upon which everything
was poised, and that it tipped the
came when Paul and his guardsmen
entered the palace; it went away when
Paul and his guardsmen left.
Have you never seen a man waiting
for convenient season? There is such
great fascination about it that, though
you may have great respect for the
truth of Christ, yet somehow there is
in your soul the thought: Not quite
yet. 1t is not time for me to become
Christian" l say to a boy: Seek
Christ" He says: mo; wait until l
get to be young man" say to the
young man: Seek Christ" He says:
''Wait until l come to mid-life" l
meet the same person in mid-life, and I
say: ''Seek Christ" He says: 'Wait
until l get old" l meet the same per-
son in old age, and say to him: Seek
Christ" He says: ''Wait until l 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. 1 have partially to
guess what they are by the motion of
his lips, he is so feeble; but, rallying
himself, he whispers, until l can hear
him say: ''I-am-waiting-
nvenient-season"- he is
gone.
l can tell you when your convenient
season will come. | can tell you the
year-it will be 1894. | can tell you
what kind of a day it will bet will be
the Sabbath day. | can tell you what
hour it will bet will be between
eight and ten o'clock. In. other
words, it is now. Do you ask
me how 1 know this is your
convenient season? | know it because
you are here, and because the Holy
Spirit is here, and because the elect
sons and daughters of God are praying
for your redemption. All know it is
your convenient season because some
of you, like Felix, tremble as all
your past life comes upon you with
it's sin, and all the future life comes
upon you with its terror. This night
air is aglare with torches to show You
up or to show you down. 1t is rustling
with wings to lift you into light, or
smite you into despair, and there is
rushing to and fro, and a beating
against the door of your soul as with
great thunder of emphasis, telling you:
''Now is the best time, as it may be the
only time.''O
May God Almighty forbid that any of
you, my brethren and sisters, act the
part of Felix and Drusilla, and put
away this great subject. If you are
going to be saved ever, why not begin
tonight? Throw down your sins and
take the Lords pardon. Christ has
been tramping after you many day.
An Indian and a white man became
Christians. The Indian, almost as
soon as he heard the Gospel, believed
and was saved; but the white man
struggled on in darkness for long
while before he found light.
After their peace in Christ,
Jle WHlUe man Sdlu 10 tne IN
dian; ''Why was it that was
kept so long in the darkness, and you
Immediately found peace?" The Indian
replied: 81 win tell you. A prince
comes along, and he offers you coat
You look at your coat, and you say:
My coat is good enough and you re-
fuse his offer; but the prince comes along
and he offers me the coat, and | look
at my old blanket and / throw that
away, ard take his own offer. You,
SIR" continued the Indian, "are cling
ing to your own righteousness, you
think you are good enough, and you
keep your own righteousness; but
have nothing, nothing, and so when
Jesus offers me pardon and peace, l
| simply take it." Ny reader, why
not now throw away the worm
out blanket of your sin and
take the robe of Saviours right
| eousness-a robe so white, So fair, so
lustrous, that no fuller on earth can
whiten it? Oh, Shepherd, tonight bring
home the lost sheep! Oh, Father, to-
night give welcoming kiss to the wan
/ rf I -