The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1906-04-05
GREATEST
THIEF IN MIN0T
sern,,on{ 9ched in Vincent Me-
IthodiS piscopai Church, nAinot,
IN. D. a Crowded House, BY
/ the Pas, Rev. q. l.. Powell,
Pm. D., o. Sunday Night, March
10. 1906, Stenographically Re-
ported, and Published by Re-
quest.

n Who is 1T what lSlt! lou Will hnu
I the text in tho: Acts Of the Apostles,
Ath chapter, and the last part of the
! 18th verse: aFeiix trembled, and ans
wefed, Go thy way for this time; when ]
nave convenient season l will call for
thees' The whole verse roads thus: And
Is be reasoned Of righteousness, tom
perance and judgment TO- come, Felix
Assembled and answered, Go thy way for
fthb time: when I have convenient
season I will call for thee."
heAm IN eminent educator Say that
environments on Which sSpSneefianphi;
lb6o 5hers N1Sy so muc mphSsisIf 'alf
supreme in human life. Now, doctors
differ, Rrsst minds fdiffer, aud small
minds differ too, and this small MUD
differs from, the great. mind Of the edu
cstor who spoke recently in our city
and laid emphasis on environment or
Surroundings. I agree in part, Of
course, but yet differ ia part with that
statement, for believe this, that there
is in life IN all.supIeme moral. or spiri-
tual dynamic, that makes man master OF
his surroundings, makes man control
his circumstances, makes conditions
bend to his will: and instead Of having
circumstances, conditions, surroundings,
environ nent supreme, you have man
himself standing in the history Of the
ages as all supreme and all important.
Paul is an illustration of this thought.
He had been accused by his enemies of
raising up sedition, and acertain man
by the name of Tertullus had been
hired by the Jews to accuse Paul; and
ifypu will read the oath chapter Of the
Ac6 of the Apostles you will find that
this man was great orator. suppose
the Jews thong hit that if they could
Throw the glamour of Oratory about the
occasion. Paul would succumb and they
would silence the leader of the despised
sect called "the Nazarenes," but they
reckoned withou, their host. For not
only was Yertullus an orator but Paul
was one also. and we find him posses
sing real genuine oratory and logic and
mental fire, rivalling those qualities
which the Roman orator possessed; and
so much did Paul show his mastery
of circumstances, that he was conque-
ror of environment and had it under his
heel, that the man representing the I'M
perial power of Rome, Felix, and his
unprincipled paramour Druci a,
trembled. So much, ] repeat. did Paul
have circumStant eS, environment, under
his control that the power of II Q m e
represented in Felix, trembled. wavered
and shook. When Paul reasoned of
righteousness. Temperance and judgment
to come. the man all supreme, IN Pales
tine in that day, trembled before PaLls
mighty words and said, go thy way for
this time Paul: when have convenient
season will call for thee.
Now. what is the greatest thief in
Minot? The name is given by implication
in cd next. Procrastination. What is the
greatest thief in North Dakota? Pro
>e.gstination. What is the greatest
thief in the United States? Procrasti-
nation. What is the greatest thief on
this American continent? Procrastina-
that it is. Go back to history, when
expression to an utterance that has
come down to us to-day as warning,
and by which Elizabeth will never be
forgotten, namely, "a million of money
for moment of time. Procrastination
not only steals a mans money, it steals
his opportunities, steals his privileges,
steals the dearest things OF life. Pro-
crastination steals mans present and
it mortgages mans future and claims
it. too. 1t has been truly called the
"Thief of Time" and l would like to add
another title and call it tho Murderer
of Souls for it is the primal cause. OK
ceeding all other causes. of the murder
of millions of men and women living in
Christian lands. Murderer of souls
art thou, Procrastination
Deliberate rejection of Christ is very
rare. have found very few men in my
short life who will deliberately reject
the Lord Jesus. l once came across a