The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-11-18
know whom I have believed" Not tili
then can you be az peace

know whom I have believed" Not tll
then can you be az peace.
j am not called upon 70 explain The mys-
<ery OF Christ by which we are able 20 ar
rve az this blessed conviction OF faith. Ii
would be a difficult thing % follow hy a
fogieal process. There are many things In
kbe working out OF your deepest conscience
h3hich are beyond our logic. Nevertheless,
I say there is no escape into the realm Of
rest save by faith in the atonine grace Of
Jesus Christ. The thing that is at the bot
tom Of the fear is the latent conviction that
You are not right with God. IL is that
which kept you vaguely unsatisfed. IL is
eating the heart out Of you- enjoyment Of
hie. Get that night once and yoe viii IT,
ceive the peace. OF God which passeth un-
derstandinc." Perhaps l may not have
been sufficiently personal. direct and pun
gent, and. IL so. i pray Gods forgiveness
and yonrs. 1t will not heal a deeply
poisoned wound 20 skin il over. pray
yon, probe your hearts 20 the uttermost.
III YOU feel Won have been wrong until now
begin 20 he right from this hour. Get the
central STAY made firm and strong. Get fast
hold Of God The great step is 10 he really
persuaded that God is your father To
be persuaded that He loved you. unworthy
as you are: that He reekons you among
the number Of those 20 whom He gives
eternal life. The unrest comes from the
fear that Won have not got on the solid
ground: that YOU are still worse. riskine
the losing of your soul. At any moment
the Master may rise and close the door
Your soul may suddenly look back upon
the probation neriod forever and look for
ward toward heaven for everlasting q.
try, l beseech you. for the hope set forth
m the gospel. Have II out with God. once
for all. Get on terms OF peace with Him
before the dav NAV close. Cast yourself
IN the everlasting arms.
l have spoken OF two things First. the
consuming care: second the latent convic-
ton. There is one other experience that
may break our sleep. ! pray God that none
OF You NAV have IL. IL is the experience
OF one who has committed spiritual suicide.
In one of Victor Hugo's books there is n
character who. after a long series of exper-
fences, at last arrived at a great crisis; he
wavers. hesitates. and then commits a co.
lossal sin. Conscience rs insulted beyond
forgiveness. Then suddenly he hears. as it
were. an internal burst of laughter-laugh-
ter Of the soul-and the soul rarely hears
this innermost laughter more than once
without hearing 1t forever. This character
afterward falls asleep and dreams. He en-
ters the town: he comes upon many men
standing in various postures, silent and i'm
movable. as II dead. In unspeakahle terror
he tries 10 flee out OF the lifeless city.
when. looking back. he is appalled, to see
the inhabitants coming after him. They
overtake him and hold him and crv: DO
YOU know that YOU have been dead for n
long while?' Now and then, in polite So
ciety, in select communities, even in this
fellowship, unknown 10 us. but not un-
known TO God. one comes upon one OF
these dead men. who have heard the inter
nal hurst Of laughter, who mocks and de-
fies God and insults divine mercy. There
Is such thing as spiritual suicide Men
sometimes hy their action or non-action
take the life Of the soul; they are dead TO
repentance and to hone. and at last they
are dead to God. Thus men drive sleep
forever from their evelids, like Macbeth
When once the conviction seizes upon the
soul then farewell TO slumber and peace
God forgive me If | have spoken too
plainly. If I have misrepresented the spirit
of truth. hut il have been true TO the
word Of God then let him that hath ears
hear what the spirit says: To-day, If Won
Will hear His voice. harden not vour
hearts" Lay hold upon eternal life. Then
you may lay down in sleep, since when Won
awake you shall still be with Him; and
whether YOU wake or not, you will be the
Lords and His forever.