Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1902-08-22

45HOldHtiy IedIeu III SIN ana who ig-
nOrantly died in sin and unrepentant
were totally lost It has always been
& question in my mind whether some
of those poor, lOathsOme creatures who
Were reared in the slums of a great
city and who never heard the name of
Jesus except in blasphemy might not
in Gods mercy be made as fit for the
celestial city as some who. having
been born in Christian homes. have led
a very different Christian life. God
will never condemn one who is born
blind because he cannot see. He win
never destroy one who is born deaf
and dumb because he cannot speak or
hear; but, my brother, though there
may be some excuse for those born in
the sinful slums OF a great city for not
renoUncing their sins and joining the
church, there is no excuse for YOU.
You were born in a Christian home
you were reared amid Christian sur
rounGings. you were started out with
Christian prayers, and the mere fact
that you made such an excuse as you
have proves that the Holy Spirit is
nightly striving with you today to
confess Christ and join the church the
Saviour founded on earth.
You are in exactly the same position
as was DR.. Farley when he was a dis
sipatcd college student. One morn
ing, when he was trying to sleep off
the debauch Of the previous night. a
classmate came into his room and, sit
ting upon the bed by his side, said:
''Parley. have been thinking Of what
you are doing. You are wasting your
life for time and eternity. Now, Par
ley, it does not matter much what hap
| pens to me. | am nobody, but you
have the best brain In college. Besides
that, you were born of good blood.
You have a praying mother and
| praying father. Unless you stop your
sins l shall cut your acquaintance"
! So today all the Christian influences
which surround your past life, all the
Christian influences which surround
your present life, all your hopes for
eternity, are pleading and begging you
in Christ's name to turn from your
sins. They are pleading with you to
come into the church of Jesus as a re-
pentant sinner because you know and
feel-yOu intensely feel today - that
you ought to come. Are you man
enough in Christ's name to come to his
altar now?
Your Duty to the Church.
But there is one answer yet to the
question Of my text. This answer
comes from many a troubled heart.
You say to me: Mr.. Talmuge, l do not
despise the church except by my ac-
tons In a public way. The reason l
do not join the church is because I
have SO many home duties that l can
not do my share in church work, if ]
should join. In a few years / expect
to take my place as a member at the
church altar" Now, my friend, l want
you to realize this great truth: God
never ordained that one duty should
conflict with other duties. He never
wants mother to leave the bedside of
her sick child in order to attend a mis-.
siOnary meeting. He never compels a
man to do for the church more than
lie can conscientiously do. But Christ
does demand this: He does demand
that you profess and confess his love
before men. And you cannot do that
in better way than at the church al
tar. Then let the most imminent
Christian duty decide what you ought
to do thereafter.
And ! would especially plead with
you to confess Christ in the church be-
fore men because, as you have other.
depending upon you, your present ac
tons will probably decide how your
loved ones will act and feel toward the
church of Christ's establishment. This
fact was demonstrated some years age
: il Smyrna. Two sailors for som,
weeks had been attending the mission
;, services. One night, in answer to tn,
: invitation to come forward and confes,
Christ and join the church, one Of thu
2 sailors turned and said, "Well. I will
7 come if Bill Will" But Bill would no
= come. But the night before the shiI
= was to sail the two sailors came for
ward and gave their hearts to Chris