Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-05-03

the feelings q others emphasizing our
own feelings. The great law Of sympa-
thy comes into play, and truth that
would take hold only with the grasp Of
sick man beats nightly against the
soul with q thousand heart throbs.
When you come into the religious cir
Gle, come only with one notion and
only for one purpose-to find the way
to Christ. When I see people critical
about sermons, and critical abo1t tones
Of voice, and critical about sermonio
delivery, they make me think Of man
in prison. He is condemned to death,
but an officer Of the government brings
pardon and puts it through the wick
ct of the prison and says; Here is your
pardon. Come and get it. " What Do
you expect me TO take that pardon offer
ed with such voice as you have, with
such an awkward manner as you have?
l would rather die than so compromise
my rhetorical notions. All, the man
does not say that He takes it. Ii is his
life. He does not care how it is handed
to him. And if today that pardon from
the throne Of God is offered to our
souls should We not seize it regardless
Of all nonessentials?
But come now TO the last part Of my
text 1t tells us when we are TO seek the
Lord, "while he may be found. " When
is that? Old age? You may not see old
age Tomorrow? You may not see to-
morrow. Tonight? You may not see to-
night Now Oh, if 1 could only write
on every heart in three capital letters
that word N-O-W-nowl
Sin is an awful disease. I hear peo-
pie say with a toss Of the head and with
trivial manner, "Oh, yes, I'm a sim
ner. " Sin is an awful disease. 1t is
leproSy 1t is dropsy. 1t is consumption
It is all moral disorders in one. Now,
you know there is a crisis in a disease.
Perhaps you have had &ne illustration
of it in your family. Sometimes the
physician has called, and he has looked
at the patient and said: THAT case
was simple enough, but the crisis has
passed. If you had called me yesterday
or this morning, l could have cured the
patient. 1t is too late now. The crisis
has passed. Just SO it is in the spirit
ual treatment of the soul-there is a
crisis.
The Accepted Time.
There are some here who can remem-
Der instances in life when, if they had
bought a certain property, they would
have become very rich. A few acres
that would have cost them almost moth
ing were offered them. They refused
them. Afterward a large village or city
sprung up on those acres Of ground. and
they see what a mistake they made in
not buying the property. There was an
opportunity Of getting it. 1t never came
back again. And so it is in regard to a
mans spiritual and eternal fortune.
There is a chance. If you let that go,
\ perhaps it never comes back Certainly
that one never comes back
A gentleman told me that at the bat
tie of Gettysburg he stood upon height
looking off upon the conflicting armies
He said it was the most exciting mo-
ment of his life. Now one army SEEM
| ing to triumph and now the other. Aft
er awhile the host wheeled in such
wav that he knew in five minutes the
whole question would be decided He
said the emotion was almost unbearable.
There is Just such time today with
vou-the forces Of light on one side,
the forces of death ON the other side,
and in few moments the matter Will
be settled for eternity.
There is a time which mercy has set
for leaving port. If you are ON board
before that, you will get a passage FOR
heaven. If you are not on board, you
miss your passage for heaven. As in
law courts case is sometimes ad-
iourned from term TO term and from
year to year till the bill Of costs eats up
the entire estate, SOC there are men who
are adjourning the matter Of religion
from time to time and from year to
year until heavenly bliss Is the bill OF
costs the man will have to pay for it
Delays Are Dangerous.
Why defer this matter, oh, my dear
hearer? Have you any idea that sin will
wear out; that it will evaporate; that
it will relax its grasp; that you may
find religion as a man accidentally finds
lost pocketbook? All, mol No man
ever became Christian by accident or
by the relaxing Of sin The embarrass-
ments are all the time increasing The
hosts of darkness are recruiting, and
the longer you postpone this matter the
steeper the path will become. / ask
those men who are before me now
whether in the 10 or 10 years they have
passed in the postponement OF these
matters they have come any nearer God
or heaven? would not be afraid to
challenge this whole audience, so far as
they may not have found the peace OF
the gospel, in regard to the matter.
Your hearts, you are willing frankly to
tell me, are becoming harder and hard
er. and that if you come to Christ IL
will be more of an undertaking now
than it ever would have been before.
The throne of judgment will soon be
set. and if you have anything to do to-
ward your eternal salvation you had
better do it now, for the redemption OF
your soul is precious, and it ceaseth
forever.
Oh, if men could only catch one
glimpse of Christ, know they would
love himl Your heart leaps at the sight
of a glorious sunrise or sunset. Can
YOU be without emotion as the Sun OF
Righteousness rises behind Calvary and
sets behind Joseph's sepulcher? He is
blessed Saviour Every nation has Its
type of beauty. There is German beau
} ty, and Swiss beauty, and Italian beau
ty, and English beauty, but l care not
in what land a man first looks at Christ
he pronounces him "chief among lO,'
600, and the one altogether lovely.
The diamond districts Of Brazil are
carefully guarded, and man does not
get in there except by a pass from the
government, but the love Of Christ rs 9
diamond district we may all enter and
pick up treasures for eternity. To-day
n va will hear his voice, harden not