Democratic messenger., 1894-06-16

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 l
have "a convenient season. will call
for theer"
And now my subject axes deeper
tone, and it shows what a dangerous
thing is this deferring of religion.
When Paul's chain ratified down the
marble stairs of Felix. that was Felix's
last chance for heaven Judging from
his character afterward. he was repso-
bate and abandoned. And so was Dru-
sillaA
One day in southern Italy there was
n trembling of the earth, and the air
got black with smoke intershot with
liquid rocks and Vesuvius rained upon
Drusilla and upon her son horrible
tempest of ashes and fire. They did not
reject religion. They only put it off.
They did not understand that that day,
that that hour when Paul stood before
them. was the pivotal hour upon which
everything was poised. and that it tip
ped the wrong way Their convenient
9 .ason came when Paul and his guards
man entered the palace. 1t went away
when Paul and his guardsman left.
Have you never seen men waiting for II
convenient season: There is such q
great fascination about it that. though
you may have great respect to the truth
of Christ, yet somehow there is i'll your
soul the thought: Not quite yet. 1t is
not time for me to become Chris
tian." say to boy, Seek Christ. +"
He says: NO Wait until / get to be a
young man." say to the young man,
Seek Christ" He says, Wait until
come to midlife meet the same per-
son in midlife, and say, Seek
Chri:i : He says, Wait until get
old" / meet the same person III old
age and say to him. Seek Christ. "
He says, wait until 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. have partially to guess what
they are by the motion Of his lips. he is
so feeble, but rallying himself he whis-
pers until l can hear him say, lam
waiting-for-a-m -more-convenient
season." and he is goae!
Now Is the Time.
can tell You when your convenient
season will come. l can tell you the
year. 1t will be 1894. can tell You
what kind Of day it will be. 1t will
be the Sabbath day. i can tell you what
hour it will be- twill be between and
10 O'Clock. In other words, it is now.
Do you ask me how | know this is your
convenient season? l know il because
you are here, and because the Holy
Spirit is here, and because the elect sons
your redemption. All, l know it is your
convenient season because some of you.
like Felix, tremble as all your past life
comes upon you with its sin, and all the
future life comes upon you with its ter
Tor. This night air is aglare with torch
es TO show you up or to show you down.
It is rustling with wings to lift you
into light or smite you into despair. and
there is a arushing to and for, and beat
ing agains: the door of your souls with
great thunder of emphasis, telling you,
Now, now is the best time. rs il may
be the only time"
May God Almighty forbid that any of
you, my brethren or 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 tramp
ing after you many day. An Indian
and a white man became Christians.
The Indian, almost rs 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 the white
man said to the Indian, why was it
that / was kept SO long in the dark
ness and you Immediately found peace!"
The Indian replied: II will tell you. A
prince comes along, and he offers you a
coat. You look at your coat, and you
say, My coat is good enough. and you
refuse his offer, but the prince comes
along, and he offers me the coat, and
look at my old blanket, and throw that
away and take his offer. You, sir.
continued the Indian, 'are clinging to
your own righteousness, you think you
are good enough, and you keep your
own righteouness. but i have nothing,
nothing, and so when Jesus offers me
pardon and peace simply take it. !"
My reader, why not now throw away
the wornout blanket of your sin and
take the robe of Saviour's righteous
ness-a robe SO white, so fair. SO lus-
trous, that no fuller on earth can whit
en- it? o Shepherd, tonight bring
home the lost sheep! o Father, to-
night give welcoming kiss to the wan
prodigall o friend Of Lazarus, tonight
break down the door of the sepulcher
and say to all these dead souls as by ir-
resistible fiat: Live! Liver