Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-06-23

will not be based on wealth or position
or birth or education or genius, but on
Christlikeness-on that divine and eter-
nal thing we call character. Every
thing else shall go away into destruc-
ton, into death. into punishment, into
Punishment from God. And Danish
ment from God will be hell. and It will
be hell not made by God. but by man
himself. who had an opportunity-nay.
thousand opportunities--every day Of
his life to accept the bliss Of heaven
and Of his own selfish choice rejected
every one Of them and went to his own
place.
"But some soul starts up and says:
You are not preaching the gospel; you
are preaching fear, hell, torments. Is
this your boasted love of GodY Yes; for
what am preaching If not the love OF
God when | say. God 80 loved the
world that he gave his only begotten
Son. that whosoever believeth In him
should not perish, but have everlasting
lifeY Is there no danger Of perishing?
Why did Christ come then? Why did
he say the things he did? Why did he
speak Of the condemnation Of the wick
ed and unbelieving If that were not q
part of the gospel? .....
1.-The gospel Is glad tidings, but what
makes it glad tidings2 Because Of the
danger we are In. What Is salvation?
1t Is the opposite Of being lost We
cannot have one without the other. So
| am preaching the gospel here today
when | say. We must all appear be-
fore the judgment seat Of Christi
There will be no fear to us then If we
believe in him. II we have lived his life
here. II the things done in the body are
good. And. more than that, as long as
this earth life continues Gods mercy
is with us every moment.
"It Is possible some soul Is here who
for years has lived selfishly within his
own little toys Of pleasure. He looks
back on a life Of uselessness, Of neglect
of all that Christ did for him. He this
day hears the voice Of God. He listens,
he repents. he cries out, shifting on his
breast, God be merciful to me, SIN
nerr Then what will God do? VIII he
reject him because he is old In sin, be-
cause be has wasted beautiful years9
When he appears before the judgment
seat, will Christ say: You repented too
late on earth. You cannot be saved
nowT
"No! Even If after 100 years Of shame
and sin soul with it's outgoing breath
in genuine repentance and faith In the
Son of God cries out for mercy that
cry would be answered. and he would
be saved. What less Of glory and pow
er such q soul may experience In the
realms OF glory we may not be able 10
tell. But he himself will be saved.
"Is not God merciful, thenl Let no
man depart from this house Of God
fearful or despairing. The earthly life
is full from beginning to close with
the love Of an Almighty Father. Shall
men complain because they cannot
have all Of this life and all Of the 9th
er, too, In which to repent and be for
given? Now Is the accepted time;
now Is the day Of salvation Today
If ye will hear his voice harden not
your hearts
"Men Of Barton, you have heard the
word of God proclaimed from this desk
today. Young men, will you wait un-
til you are old In sin and shame before
you will repent and be saved? How
4 will n1yn 70 ho oil
men? And what life to live, even If
you were sure Of q hundred years, to
pour out the dregs at last as an offer
ing to Christ just to escape hell! Oh,
all men, hear ye this day the message
Of Christ! He is Saviour Of sinners.
It is not necessary that any man 60
away from this service unsaved. You
may believe here and now. Won't you
do It? Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved Then
go home and pray, rejoicing.
"And If the Almighty call you out
and away from this prison Of clay into
his resplendent presence this very
night what will you have to fear? Not
one thing. You have put your trust In
him. Your sins are all forgiven. You
can appear before his judgment seat
and await your verdict with a calm
and joyful soul. for you know as you
gaze into the loving countenance of
your Redeemer and Judge that when
he turns and speaks to you he will
say, Come, ye beloved Of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world
Truly God is love"
The prayer that followed the sermon
seemed to bring all the souls In the
church very close to God. The events
of the past week had stirred the town
deeply. The awful disaster so near
them, the speech Of Mr.. Hardy in the
town hall. rumors Of the experience he
was having-al these had prepared the
audience for just such sermon on
Sunday morning. And men bowed their
heads and prayed In that house who
had not done such q thing sincerely In
many years.
Robert had many inquiries concern
ing himself and Clara to answer at the
close Of the service. He finally went
up and thanked the minister for what
he had said and spoke as he never had
spoken before In encouragement Of his
pastors work. But 1t seemed to him