The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1906-04-05

man thought the spirit OF GOd nAd
left forever. He was dying OF consump-
ton, and when spoke to him about his
end he looked at me with cynical
smile and said, "Oh, am not going, to
be present at my own funeral was
silenced. didn't know what to think
OF the hardness of heart of a man SO
near the grave, who would look into the
face OF q poor follow who had come to
speak to him about his soul and he
belonged to the supper ten OF the
town, and his parents were active in
church work and. with an almost sar-
eonic smile, say, II am not going to be
present Ut my own funeral" left with
him = book, aThe Christians Secret Of
\ Happy Life, and within 48 hours that
man had become gloriously converted.
When went to him two days after
wards that smile had passed away, and
upon his face was : heavenly radiance
almost, a joy unspeakable, not to be
paintcd by any words. Of mine.
Deliberate rejection Of Christ is very
rare, But it is very common to hear men
say to the question, '"Why DO you not
accept tho Lord Jesus o. your SavioEy
Not tonight" or, in the historic words
81 old @Fefif, the Roman GoveruorSof
Palestine uttered two thousand years
or 80 ago, $50 thy way for this time;
wheA hayss, ceaysnisnt sessoa II Willy willy
Lot me show you that this procrastins
alton, this putting OF of the
claims Of GOD upon the human
heSrt, isaa thief, the worst thief,
tho greatest thiefin al Minot and in all
the land.
Let me show you that prscrastination
astounding that men and women who
reflect: men and women who are intelli
gent, who are keen, alive, always on the
Election upon the great eternal interests
Of the soul they seem 20 be so unde-
cil3s<l 50 uncertain, words fail
me. It is amazing to I think OF men,
keen, logical, busiuess-li like, judicial,
considering both pro and con, putting
one against another, coming to an intel
matters, but when it comes to matters
of the soul, they are undecided or rath-
or, they decide against their best in
terestS.
In the first place remark that pro-
crastination helps man to deceive him
self. Don't you despise deceiver? The
essence of a lie is in its deception. For in
stance,I once went into my aunt's house
and had pair of shoes on that had
bought for myself that were little
large. My aunt looked at them and said,
"You have nice pair of boots on" and
I said, Eyes, but they are mile too
long" She said, Gideon, l thought
you were Christian. That's lie" l
replied, sit is not. it is only an hyper
bolical expression! The essence Of lie
is in its deception. Now, if l gave you
to understand that the boots were paid
for when they were not, that would be
lie She said, THAT is not so: what
you said was lie" and | answered
"Then l am in good company, and |
opened the Bible and read these words
of the Psalmisr: Let the floods clap
their hands: let the hills be joyful to.
gether" Whoever heard OF floods that
had hands, and if they did, of their
clapping them: When YOU use hyper
bolical expression there is no deception
in it. The lie that is acted is white
lie, the worst kind Of lie: and l accuse
Procrastination tonight Of being the
greatest Thief in Mino. because of its
deception. 1t has been decelv-
ing some of YOU for the last twenty
years. perhaps, and others for the last
five years. Procrastination deceives a
man when it says, mot yet. not yet, it
will be all right some day. Now, you
don't intend to finally reject the Lord
Jesus Christ, but you must enjoy life,
and you must be rich, there is plenty Of
tune for you to become Christian
Hear me- That is the essence of de-
ception, and believe in my very soul
that If the uncorverted men and women
in this congregation believed that they
had sinned away the day of grace-that
there was no hope of Heaven for them
you would be the most miserable, the
most unhappy persons in this city: and,
furthermore. l believe that the very
thought would drive you to insanity. Yes,
if you thought that the day of grace
had been forever sinned away. that there
was no salvation for you, that you would
be lost through all eternity, the very
thought would take such deep hold
upon your convictions that you would
become insane. Once young man left
home, but before he took his departure
his mother gave him Bible,and marked
this text, "Seek We first the King dom Of
God and His righteousness, and all these