Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-20

in my heart that any of you are going
to pass into Judgment from this room
tonight. but say you live till tomorrow
and you had another opportunity of re-
pentance-suppose you live another week,
good. suppose you live another month,
that is fine. suppose you-hve a year-rve-
ten years, glorious. Let me tell you
hear me-for I am a man who has had
experience in leading sinners to Jesus, as
the years go over your heads and. hearts,
you are going to find yourselves less IN
clined towards Jesus Christ than you are
inclined tonight. Men are not always IN
spiritual feelings. The Holy Spirit does
not always knock at a sinners heart with
the same degree of force or power. Inc
Holy Spirit is long-suffering and tender
and full Of mercy, but the Holy Spirit
sometimes gives up sinners to their Ideals
and to their dreams. and leaves. them for
ever. 800 us
1 read a little story some time ago OF
wealthy fariner who lived in Texas ne
was the sDn of a. Methodist minister,
very rich man. a man who was noted for
his kindness and for his sbenevolence and
had only one public sin which the people
knew Of and that was profanity. One day.
in very sweet and glorious revival. the
Holy Spirit came 70 that mans heaft
with great power But he shook on the
conviction; he wrestled with God ana
sick bed with the Holy Spirit, as it were,
knocking at his heart, and there he lay,
crying out with awful agony, both in his
body and in his soul. Finally. when the
doctor could not avail and when the min
listers prayers were helpless and when
his wife's consultations gave no comfort,
he Just fixed bis eyes as on space, open
ed his mouth wide, his eyes bullying from
their sockets. and cried out with the most
awful and the most unspeakable agony,
just two words, MY Godi'and went down
to the grave, reeking in, the widest de-
SPAR, simply because he had neglected
his opportunity and put the day of saliva
ton off until tomorrow, and when tomor-
row came his doom came. To wait longer
than now is to risk too much, Is to risk
Gods wrath, is to risk your hope OF heaV-
en-, is to risk an eternity of happiness.
Oh, sinner hear me today, you cannot
afford to take any risk upon this all i'm
portant question Of seeking the souls
salvation. If God Almighty had wanted
to say tomorrow, He would not have said
today. II God in His infinite wisdom knew
that today was not the best time for you,
sinner, He would have said: 81 win give
you chance for tomorrow" Let the finite
pay attention when the Infinite speaks.
Let the hapless sinner WIG expects mercy
accept ii when the Almighty gives IL. Let
the man who has no power to rise on
wings OF faith TO meet his God In Judg-
ment, simply crouch at his feet and say,
Lord. / believe, help thou my unbelieft'
Oh, do not risk 1t tonight, do not risk it..
beseech you. beseech you through the
love in my heart, through my own hope of
heaven, with all OF the Christian fellow
ship which is my joy. beseech you to-
day to be reconciled 20 God. One night
may fix your doom. One night may seal
your despair. Come now, come. try God.
Take him at his word. Put your soul on
him, and If God deceives YOU today ask
YOU, in all fairness and honesty, to can
this speaker liar and say God Is de-
ceiver, and the church is myth, but If
God accepts you, then praise him, praise
him, praise him. and go your way rejoic-
ing that ever he thought of you and gave
himself for you.