Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-06-16
SERMON ON THE SEA.
REV. Or. TALMAcE's SUBJECT WAS
1.-THE EXCITED GOVERNOR

1.-THE EXCITED GOVERNOR"
The Apostle Paui's Great EIoquence Before
Eelix-Ciinging to Their sins-"Go Thy
Way For This Time The Convenient
Season Is Now.
BROOKLYN, juno 10.-Rcv. DR.. Tai
mage. who is now speeding across the
Pacific to Honolulu on his round the
world journey, has selected as the sub
jcct for s%crrlonic discourse through the
press today 'sThc Excited Governor. "
tle text being taken from Acts xiv,
%: 'Felix trcmbled and answered,
Go thy way for this time. When ] have
a convenient season, l will call for
thee.
A city of marble was Casarea-
wharvcs of marble, houses of marble,
temples of marble. This being the or
binary 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 %afTluent with Tyrian pur-
pie and statues and pictures and cary
ings, sat a very dark complexioned man
of tho namc of Felix, and beside him q
woman of extraordinary beauty. whom
be had stolen by breaking up another
domestic circle. She was only IS years
of age, a princess by birth, and unwitting-
" waiting for her doom-that of being
buried alive III the ashes and seoria of
( Mount Vesuvius, which in sudden erup
ton one day put an end to her ebomina-
tons.
Well, ono afternoon Orusilla, seated
in the palace, weary with the magnifi
cent s~tupidities of the place. says to
Felix: you have a very distinguished
prisoner, / 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 mach 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 We're open, | heard the ap-
plause that greeted the speech of Law
yer Tertullus as he denounced Paul.
Now, l very much wish | could hear
Paul speak. Won't you let me hear
him speak?'' Yes, - said Felix, 4 will.
| will order him up now from the
guardroom.
Paul's Great sermon
Clank, clank, comes n chain up the
marble stairway, and there is a shuttle
at the door, and in comes Paul, a little
old man, prelnaturely old through ex-
posure, only GO years of age, but look
ing as though he were so. He bows
very cautiously before the governor and
the beautiful oma by his side. They
say; Paul, we have heard a great deal
about your speaking. Give US now a
specimen of your e~loquence. Oh, if
there ever was Il chance for a man to
chow off, Paul had Il chance therel 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 Nor 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 4 peal of thunder. 1t
VAS the voice of q judgment day speak
ing through the words of the decrepit
apostle. As that grand old missionary
proceeded with his remarks the stoop
begins TO 90 ont of his shoulders, and
he rises up, and his countenarce is illu-
mined with the glories of a 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 Indignation. Felix grew
very white about the lips. His heart
beat unevenly. lie 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 i'll a very paroxysm of terror
he orders the sheriff to take Paul back
to the guardroom. Felix trembled and
said: Go thy way for this time, When
| have n 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
down his cheek, as he said, do you
think there is any chance for me?" Fee
lix t~rembled, and so may God grant it
may be so with others.
ClinEinG to Their Sins.
l propose to give you two or three
reasons why | 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 lie be-
came a Christian he must send her back
to AzizuS, her lawful husband, and he
said to himself, II will risk the destruc.
ton Of my immortal soul sooner than
/ will do that" How many there are
now who cannot get to be Christians
because they will not abandon their
sins! 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
amusementi and lasciyious gratihca-
tons on the one hand aud eternal sal
walton on the 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 sub
ject now l fear that some of you will
say: mot quite yet. Don't be so pre-
eipitate i'll your demands. l have Il few
tickets yet that l have to use. | have a
Few engagements that l must keep. |
Eant to stay a little longer in the whirl