The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1903-07-31

fu tuc mast OF utf prayers nif Auihtu
to her son and said, leigh, If cease
PRAYING for five minutes l shall be
crushed under this sorrow. hut when /
pray 10 God he comforts and upholds
me-" So mo- wife and mother is able TO
braycly confront the sorrows Of the
home unless she is q Christian woman.
sooner or later troubles and awful
troubles will knock at every bedroom
door. and, man and woman, you cannot
afford TO say. like the bridegroom Of
old. that you cannot come 10 Christ on .
account of your domestic obligations. /
The simple fact is your home duties .
and sorrows ought 20 be mighty inspi- /
rauons To send you TO the feet of Christ /
Besides. parents, how can you have f.
the right influence over your children /
unless YOU are consecratcd Christian /
men and woment How can a father /
and mother tell their children how to /
love the Lord Jesus unless they them /
selves have accepted the invitation to
the gospel banquctf
Let US try To gcncralize the excuses
of the hundreds of other guests under
two simple headings First, believe
that they an with one consent began
to make excuse because they were
unwilling at that time to give mp their
sins. To hear some people talk, one
would suppose that the greatest enemy
Of the Christian church today is inhdel
/ thought / do not believe it. ! believe
that the reason you and do not come
/ 10 Christ. If we are not already ChriS-
/ tiaus is because we are not ready TO
give up our pet sins. We do not stand
before God in an attitude Of doubter.
We stand i'm the attitude of defiance.
We stand wrapped around 10y the pol
lutcd garment of sin. And deliberate
sin. what is it, once cried out Joseph
Parker. ut is a shut hand. chnched
fist. an upraiscd arm. the muscles TO
thc full tension. and the object God
Almichtv's face" Sin is the cause Of
uinctv-ninc I'm every hundred rcfusals
70 come TO Christ; not skcpticiSm' not
iuGdclity. not agnosticism. not doubt
|If I ms messenger of God come to
YOU with the gospel invitation and you
refuse To come. ] know that In all
probability. deep down in your heart
Won are conoalmg some secret SIN
which YOU refuse 10 give mp.
The next reason why "thcy all with
one consent began 10 make excuse
was because they expected at some fu-
ure time 10 accept the gospel invita-
lion. This is most natural supposi-
tion 10 make I'm interpreting the text
They mieht have stayed away and
made mo- excuse. hut then the host
would have been offended and would
never have invited them again. They
wanted 10 keep his good will so that
ne might invite them at some future
time.
NV brother and sister invited to Je-
Sus Christ ann mot going to force You
ID any decision. ann going TO leave
Inc whole matter with yourself IN
= ,tcld of asking YOU 10 come 10 the Cos
ncl banquet now am going 10 ask you
D. when vou will come VIII YOU come 10
Christ ten years from today ION. no.
b vou answer: Il would not like TO post
none the gospel invitation as long as
p fhat may never live ten years. Ten
] wears IS very long time. As | look
s back over my past life can see no"
many UNEXPECTED things have hap
: poncd during tcn years. Many OF my
r. host and dearest friends have died dur
b ing those ten years. They were just
s as Young and strong as am now.
. cannot afford 10 wait ten years Ihel
S will Won come in five years! NO;
j. will not delay it five years. That j.
@ also TOO long. have had certain warn
s ings that / may not live five years
o There was strange pain ion my heart
g tbore was that dizzy sensation in my
O head" Then will YOU come next yea
t. or next month 10 the gospel banquet
g no" Won answer: 81 dare not postpom
IS fhis gospel invitation for year or ever
@ for q month. | know that the gospc
Il invitation will not press itself upon m
g. I'm month with the same power as
s. is now doing. Each day postpone TN
d matter it is harder for me to come.
G.. Then. my brother and sister, Will yo
h accept this gospel invitation nowf
rs The ancicnts had n beautiful cusloI
m at every feast. When the guest woul
Id asl, Of the host q gift. be- felt compelle
lt TO grant his request II % guest WouI
N ask for the silver clmlice at his PLATE
Iy no could have it. or if hc might ask "a
m ono of the richly embroidered robes
NJ which were always provided for th
10 marriage bauquct~ and were called IN
lk wedding garments he would have tina
I'd also. My sinful brother at the wee
IN ding banquet of the Lamb will YOU M
e, MAKE a request Of your Heavenly II
H. thcr. MS you have right to dof WI
NJ Won not ask for % full pardon OF yor
ed sins? VIII you not ask for a robe
'e- righteousness which has been erin
er soned from the blood Of the Calyar