Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-04-17
think we had time for nothing else.

think we had time for nothing else.
Other persons apologize for not en-
tering the Christian life because 1t n
time enough yet. That 10 very Ike
those persons who send regrets and
say. Il will come in perhaps at IL or IL
o'clock; will not be there at the open-
ing of the banquet, but will be there
at the close" Not yet! Not yeti.
Now, I do not give any doleful vier
OF this life. There Is nothing In my
nature, nothing in the grace OF Goo,
that tends toward a doleful view OF
human life. / have not much sympa-
thy with Addison's description Of the
Vision of Mirza," where he represents
human life as being a bridge OF hun
dred arches and both ends of the
bridge covered with clouds, and the
race coming on, the most Of them fall
Ing down through the first span and
all of them falling down through the
last span. 1t is a very dismal picture.
| have not much sympathy with tho
Spanish proverb which says, THE sky
is good and the earth is good; that
which Is bad is between the earth ana
the sky" But while we as Christian
men are bound to take cheerful view
OF life, we must also confess that life
is great uncertainty, and that NAV
who says II can't become Christian
YET is running risk infinite. You do
not perhaps realize the fact that this
descending grade of sin gets sleeper
and sleeper and that you are gathering
up rush and velocity which after
while may not answer to the brakes.
Be not among those who give their
whole life to the world and then give
their corpse to God. 1t does not seem
fair that while our pulses are in full
play of health we serve ourselves and
serve the world and then make God at
last the present of coffin. 1t does not
seem right that we run our ship from
coast to coast carrying cargoes for
ourselves and then, when the ship In
crushed in the rocks, give to God the
shivered timbers. 1t Is great thing
for man on his dying pillow to re-
pent-better that than never at all;
but how much better. how much more
generous 1t would have been II he had
repented fifty years before! My friends.
you will never get over these procras-
tinations.
We have started on a march from
which there is no retreat The shad-
ows of eternity gather on our path
way. How Insignificant Is time COM
pared with the vast eternity! As I
was thinking Of this one day while
coming down over the Allegheny
mountains at noon. by that wonderful
pass which you all have heard de-
scribed as the Horseshoe-a depression
in the side of the mountain where the
train almost turns back again upon
itself, and you see how appropriate is
the name of the Horseshoe-and think
ing on this very theme and preparing
this very sermon, 1t seemed to me as II
the great courser of eternity speeding
along had just struck the mountain
with one hoof and gone on into illimit-
able space. So short is time, SO insig-
nificant is earth, compared with the
vast eternity! This moment voices
roll down the sky and all the worlds of
light are ready to rejoice at your dis
enthrallment. Rush not into the pres
ence Of the King ragged with sin when
you may have this robe of righteous
ness. Dash not your feet to pieces
against the throne of a crucified Christ,
Throw not your crown of life of the
battlements. All the scribes OF God
are at this hour ready with volumes of
living light to record the news OF your
soul emancipated.