Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-12-27


soiteIad ;aiI keener as one crushed out by
his misfortnnes, pressed out by his misfor-
iunez The falling OF the penitentiary, MS
occnnatfon was gone Besides that. the
6ioht nf a missioner vas ordinarily the death
of the taller, He was held responsible. IL
ali had gone veil. if the prison walls had not
been shaken Of the earthquake, IL the prs.
oners had all stayed quietly in the stocks, II
the morning sunlight had calmly dropped on
the iailor's pillow; do you tnlnX ne Wo1lu
have hurled this red hot question from nus
soul into the ear OF his apostonc prisoners
All. no. You know as we'll as do II was the
earthonake that reused him up: And it is
trouble that starts great many people TO
ask the same question. 1t has been 50 with
multitude ofyou. Your Apparel is NOT as
bright as 1t once was. why nave you
changed the Aarb2 Do you not like softer
inc AMI crimson and purple rs we'll as onceI
Yes. But YOU say: "While was prospere
and Happy those colors were accordant with
nv feelings. Vow they wouldbe discord to
my SOUL" And 50 you have plaite1 up the
shadows into your apparel. The world is Il
very different place from what Ii was once
for you. Oncayou said, "Oh, II could only
have it quiet little While" II Is TOO quiet.
Some people say that they would not
bring. back their departed friends from
heaven even if they had the opportunity;
but IL you had the opportunity you would
bring back your loved ones, and soon their
feet would be sounding in the hall, and soon
their voices would be heard In the family,
and the old times would come back Just as
the festal days OF Christmas and Thanksgiy-
ing-davs gone forever. Oh 1t Is the earth
quake that startled you to asking this ques-
tion--the earthquake of domestic misfortune.
Death is 80 cruel, so devouriny, 50 relenr-
less. that when it swallows up our loved
ones we must have some one to whom we
can carry our torn aud bleeding hearts VIC
ryed a basam better than anything that
ever exudel from earthly tree to heal the
pang of the soul. 1t is pleasant to have our
friends gather around us and tell us now
sorry thev are, aud try to break up the lone
illness but nothing but the hand Of Jesus
Christ can take the bruised soul and put It
in HIS bosom, hushing it with the lullaby OF
heaven. 0 brotherI 0 sister! The grave
stone will never be lifted from your heart
until Christ lifts IL. Was It not the loss OF
vour friends or the persecution OF your enc
mics. or the overthrow OF your worldly es-
tate-was it not an earthquake that startled
YOU out to ask this stupendous question Of
my text?
But I remark again, characterize this
question of the agitated jail keeper as nasty,
urgent and immediate. He put it. on the
run. BY the light Of his torch as he goes to
look for the apostles, behold his face, see the
startled look AMI see the earnes ness. NO
one can doubt by that look that the man is
in earnest. He must have that question an
syered before the earth stops rocking, or
perhaps he will never have it answered It
al. Is that the way, my brother my sister,
YOU are putting this question: Is 1t on the
rum Is lit ha5ty? Is it urgent? Is 1t imme-
diate7 If It is not, 1t will not be answered.
That is the only kind OF question that IS an
swered. 1t is the urgent AMI immediate
question of the gospel Christ answers.
Great many ara asking this question, bat
thew drawl It out and there Is indifference
in their manner as II they do not mean 1t.
Make it an urgent question and then you
will have IL answered before au hour passes,
before q minute passes. When man with
ali fine earnestness Of his soul cries out for
God. he finds Him, and lnd5 Him right
away.
Oh, are there not In this house to-day those
who are postponing until the last nour OF
living the attending tot the things OF the sour
give 1t as my opinion that ninety-nine out
Of the ons hundred death-bed repentances
amount 10 nothing. OF all the scores Of per-
sons mentioned as dying In the Bible, of how
many do you read that they successful ly re-
pented in the last hour2 Of502 No. OF 4D'
| No. OF 30l No ORR No. OF 10? No.
| Of5? No. Of12 Only one, barely one, az
If to demonstrate the fact tn 1t there is bare
possibility OF repentance in the last hour.
| But that Is improbable, awfully improbable,
terrincalIy improbable. One hundred to
one against the man. i, my brother,
my sister, you have ever seen man
try to repent in the last hour, you
have seen something very sad. do not
| ht RI az
man to repent on deathbed. There is not
from the moment that life begins to breathe
in infancy to the last gasp such an untaycr-
able, completely unfayorable. AoR for re-
pentance as the death hour.siisstst hour.
There are the dastssp sss1 s.'ls 3" with the
medicines. TtksSre Is the lawyer standing
With ...S haIf written viii. There is the
tHfnily in CONSERVATION as to what is to be-
Zone of them. All the bells OF eternity ring
ing the soul out Of the body. All the pat
rising before us and all the future. Oh, that
man is an infinite fool WAC procrastinates TO
the deathbed his repentance!
NV text does not answer the question. 1t
only asks If. with deep and importunate ear
nestness asks 1t, and according to the rules
of sermonizng you would say, Adjourn
that 70 some other time" but | dare MT.
What are the rules OF sermonizing to me
when I am after souls? What other time
eould have when perhaps this is the only
timer This might be my list time for
preaching; this might be your last time Tor
hearing.
After my friend In Philadelphia died. his
children gave his church Bible to me, AID l
read 1t, looked over it with much interest. L
saw in the margin, written in lead pencil,
''AIr. Talmage said this morning that the
most useless thing in Gods universe is that
anv sinner should perish" l did not remem-
Der saying 1t, but it is true. and say 1t
now whether l said 1t then or not-tne most
useless thing in all Gods universe is that any
sinner should perish. Twelve gates wide
open. Have you not heard how Christ bore
our sorrows. and how sympathetic He is with
all our woesl Have you not hearl how thai
with alkthe sorrows of heart and all tie
agoDies of hell upon Him, He cried, Father,
forgive them, they know not what they do'
Bv H feet bistered OK tn mountain way,
by His back whipped until the skin came on,
by His death couch OF four spikes, Two Iof
the hands and two for the feet; by His sepul-
cher. in which for the first time for thirty
three wears the cruel world lot Him alone
and bv the heavens from which He now
bends in compassion, offering pardon and
neaoe and life eternaito all your souls. l leg
of YOU put down your all at His feet.
saw one hanging on a tree
In agony and BLOOD
Who fixed His languid eyes on mo
As near His cross stood.
oh. never till my latest breath
Will forget that LOOK,
II seemed to charge me with H is death.
Though not word He spoke.
In the troubled times of Scotland Sir Johu
Cochrane was condemned to death by tn
ILL., Thn d.,nL YIN rrn nf rrac Oh tha WAY