The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1894-06-22
DANGERS OF DELAY.
Rev. Dr. 'TalmaGe's Discourse On
"The Excited Governor"
The Dangers or DeferrIng the Accept
ance o. Christ Portrayed-N0w Is
the Accepted Time; Now is the
Day of salvation


The following discourse on ''The Ex-
cited Governor was selected by Rev T.
Dewitt Ta.mage, who is en- route across
the Pacific, for his reading congrega-
tion this week. IT is based on the text:
Felix trembled. and answered co thy way
for this time; when have . convenient sea-
con. win call for thee-Acts xiv. 25.
a city Of marble was Cesarea-
wharves Of marble, temples of marble.
This being the ordinary architecture of
the place, you may imagine something
Of tie splendor Of Gov. Felix's resi-
dencc- In a room Of that palace. floor
tesselated, windows curtained, ceiling
fretted, the whole scene affluent with
Tyrian purple, and statues, and pic
lures, and carvings, sat a very dark
complexioned man by the name of
Felix, and beside him a woman of ex-
traordinary beauty, whom he had
stolen by breaking up another domestic
circle She was only eighteen years of
age, a princess by birth and unwftting-
" waiting for her doom-that of being
buried alive in the ashes and scoriae of
Mount VcsE-ius, which in sudden
eruption, one day, put an end to her
denominations. Well, one afternoon
Drusilla, seated in the palace, weary
with the magnificent stupidities of the
place, says TO Felix: You have very
distinguished prisoner, believe, by the
name of Paul. Do you know he is one
of my mycountrymen? I should very much
like to see him, and should very much
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 were open, heard the ap-
plause that greeted the speech of Law
yer Tertullus. as he denounced Paul.
Now, 1 very much wish l could hear
Paul speak Won't you let me hear
him speak2n ''Yes, said Felix, Il will.
] win order order him up now from
the guard room" Clanlx, clank,
comes "a chain up the marble stairway,
and there is a shuttle at the
door, and in comes Paul, a lit
tie, 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 eloquence." OH if there ever
was chance for 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
=. e~-1,k r1
life in Philippi, about what / saw in
Thessalonica." about the mythologies;
but 'No.r Paul said to himself: Il
am now on the way to martyrdom, and
this man and woman viii 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 peal of thunder. 1t
was the voice of a Judgment day,
speaking through the words Of the de-
crepit apostle. As that grand old mis-
sionary proceeded with his remarks the
stoop begins to go our of his shoulders,
and he rises up, and his countenance is
illumined with the glories of future
life, and his shaclxles rattle and grind
as he lifts his fettered arm, and with IL
hurls upon his abashed auditors the
bolts Of Gods Indignation Felix grew
very white about the lips. His heart
beat unevenly. He put his hand to his
brow, as though TO stop the quichness
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 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 / will call for thee. I"
A young man came one night to our
services, with pencil in hand, to carl
cature the whole scene, and make mirth
of those who should express any anx-
iety about their souls; but / met him
at the door. his face very white, tears
running down his cheeks, as he said:
'Do you think there is any chance for
me?" Felix trembled, and so may God
grant il may be so with others.
propose to give YOU two or three
reasons 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 to
give up his sins He looked around;
thare was Drusilla- He knew that
when he became Christian he must
send her back to Azizus, her lawful
hus band, and he said to himself; 4
will risk the destruction of my immor-
tai soul sooner than viii do that. I"
How many there are now who can not
get to be Christians because they will
not abandon their SINS In vain all
their prayers and all their church
going. You can not 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
qualifications on the one hand and
eternal salvation on the other. Delilah
sheared the locks Of Sampson; Salome
danced Herod into the pit; Drusilla
blocked MP the way 70 Heaven for Fe-
lix Yet when ! present the subject
now fear that some Of you viii say:
mot quite vet. Don't be so precipitate
IN your demands. I have a few tickets
vet that i have TO use. i have a few
engagements that / must keep. / want
20 stay little longer in the world of
conviviality--= few more outlaws OF
unclean laughter, "a few more steps on
the road 10 death, and then. sir, will
listen TO what you say. Go thy way
for this time; when have a convent
ent season 1 viii call for thee"
Another reason why Felix sent Paul