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


reason why great many men do not
succeed is because they begin at the
wrong end. Make partnar Of God in
your business and il the Bible is true,
you are sure to succeed. The young fel-
low said, .'No, mother, when l get rich
l will become Christian" The first
away from home, az WAS his
custom, he went to church and the
minister preached from that text. Dur
ing the week he wandered around and
the next Sunday he went to another
church and the preacher preached from
the same text. He made up his mind
he would not 20 to church, and for
years he absented himself from the
house of God, and when he did 90 he
heard third minister preach from the
same text. The years passed, his tuoth-
or died, and after the death Of his
mother he began to think about his life.
He was still trying to get rich, and Was
no richer than when he left home. WhyH
He began at the wrong end. And 30 he
made up his mind he would 60 to church
and. Try. *, become Christian. When,
some time later, he met Mr.. Moody he
said, "Mr. Moody, l tried, 1 have been
trying these years. but my heart 10 as
hard as I stone. have no feeling and
no desire. would give tho world II I
gould become = ChristtiiIil.,; but cannot
Tho thouEht pf6y d'uPoh his mind until
he became insane and Nas taken to the
asylum, and everybody who went there
after that vas met by. the lunatic point
ing his finger heavenwArd and repeating.
"Ssek first tho Kingdom of God and His
righteousness and all these things shall
DO added unto YOU" Tho thought had
burned itself into his soul. Mr.. Moody
visited him few days before he died,
and he uttered the same words, seek
ye first tho Kingdom OF God and His
righteousness and all these things shall
be added unto you. He died lunatic
and he was buried in lunatic's grave.
Men! Men who think! DO you mean
to tell me that you will blsme an end
like that upon the God of Heaven? DO
you mean to tell me that Providence
had anything to do with that mans in
sanity? Never! That man was de-
ceived: he was deceived through the
years; he never accepted Christ: he was
buried in a lunatics grave. Beware
men! But you say am not like that"
No, not now, but you may be some day!
Procrastination comes to you and says,
shat is sensible-keep on Hear me-!
Because you have the idea that some
day you are going to turn over new
leaf. your present rejection Of the Lord
Jesus does not appear to you, but your
present rejection and your giving the
guidance of your life into the hands of a
Thief, show your unspeakable baseness
and ingratltude. Being blinded by the
God of this world, the present baseness
of your rejection Of salvation does not
appear.
In the second place remark that not
only does REPRESENTATION, or the thief
of Time imply deception, but it sup
poses two things: First, that another
will certainly be given.
"A convenient reason, not tonight, some
other time" Secondly, it supposes that
the heart will be as ready to accent
Christ afterwards as now. That is the
second implication of Procrastiaation.
If these two propositions or suppositions
are not tolerably, then Reconstruction
is sheer madness, for no sane man
would throw away his one chance of
life.
First: Is not life proverbially inse-
cure? Listen to the Bible! JOB, the
14th chapter and first and second ver
ses' MAN that is born of woman, is of
few days, and full of trouble He
forth like Hover and is cut
down: he fieeth also like shadow, and
not.pp Man shadow. The
old Canannite Job, in speaking of the bre
vity Of life compares it toa shadow. "He
fleeth also as shadow and continueth
not" And coming down through the
centuries James says: Whereas, ye
know not what shall be on the morrow.
For what is your life? 1t is even va
pour, that appeareth for little time,
and the vanisheth away" And every
time you stand at the grave side
Of a friend and hear the Methodist or
services repeated, what do
you hear? I'm the midst of life we are
in DEATH" Is life secure? Is it? Is it?
Men, if this life is so secure, why do you
have your life insured: Every man
who has no money or property behind
him ought to have his life insured. |
know that there are a good many men
who are opposed to life insurance. l
once preached to fraternal Order and a
mana man that you could depend
on, every inch of him--a royal man, l
call him-one of the Lords aristocrats
on earth-that man wouldn't come to
the service because | was going to
preach to an organization that believ-
ed in life insurance. I want to say