Milford chronicle., 1907-06-21

temperance and judgment to come.
Thou canst not stop thine ears to his
arraignment any more than David
could ignore Nathan or Herod ignore
John the Baptist or Felix could tenn
porlze with Paul. Is thy domestic life
a morally pure, clean life? That is
what God is asking thee today. Better
crush that hideous skeleton Of sin
which thou hast hidden away in thy
closet. Crush it in Gods name, and
crush it now.
$40 vsss corrupt
But Felix had more than the sin OF
Hbertinism laid Mt his door. He was.
like PLATE, officially corrupt. He was
ready to sell his soul his honor, his
oath of office. He was ready to sell
everybody about him and anything
that he owned for money or position.
He knew. after he had heard the argu-
ments, that there was no case against
Paul Every sense Of justice demand
ed that he should say to the prisoner
paul, thou art free" But he Kept
Paul for two long years in prison be-
cause he (Felix) was a financial robber
and wanted a bribe to release Paul
from his prison bars.
Can't you today picture the merce-
nary avariciousness of this Roman gov
ernor? The Bible reads thus: He
hoped also that money should be given
him of Paul that he might loose him,
wherefore he sent for him the oftener
and communed with him" What does
that mean? Every little while Felix
turns to one Of his officers and says,
Bring out Paul and let me talk to
him" Paul comes forth rattling in his
chains. Felix turns and says: Paul,
shall I release thee? Why should do
it," Then the great apostle, the great
orator. begins to show his innocence.
He says: why, governor, l have done
nothing. Why should you keep me IN
Jail? have done nothing contrary to
the law" Felix was perfectly aware OF
that fact, but he knew that Paul had
friends, some of whom were wealthy
and he thought that by keeping the
case undecided some of them would
come forward with a bribe. But If he
hinted that idea to Paul we may be
sure it was Indignantly secuted. Paul
preached to him, "and as he reasoned
of righteousness, temperance and Judg-
ment to come Felix trembled and an
swered: Go thy way for this time.
When l have a convenient season l will
call for thee" 0 my God, are some
Of us turning our backs upon thee be-
cause. like Felix Of old, the palms of
our hands are tainted with dishonest
gold?
The character Of Felix is a type that
reaches far beyond governors ana
Judges in the present day. There are
men in Office who would not accept
bribe. but they would be Influenced by
the prospect Of political preferment.
They assess lightly the man whose
friendship they wish to gain; they IA
vor the men who can help them for-
ward. l have known even ministers
who shrank from denOuncing certain
sins from the pulpit for fear they
should offend their influential hearers.
Modern Instances.
Felix trembled for his political pros
poets. We all despise the hedger' the
trimmer. the man who is not willing
bravely to defy the powers that be ana
denounce and rectify a wrong. no mat
ter where he may find it. Just read the
last verse of this chapter Of Acts. what
do YOU find there? We find that Gov
ernor Felix kept Paul in Jail for two
long years for unjust cause He Kept
him there like the French government
held Captain Dreyfus on Devils island.
Then. when the new governor was ap-
pointed. he handed over Paul prison
er to him. Why? The Bible tells us;
"And Felix, to show the Jews pleas
IRE left Paul bound" "Ah." l can
hear that cowardly political governor
saw. "these Jews have large political
influence I must not do anything to
make them angry with me. Therefore
I will keep Paul in jail and hand him
over to my successor, and he can de-
eide his case, and then l will make no
enemies unnecessarily" Do you Won
der that when Paul denounced Felix he
made him cringe7 Do you wonder also
that when Paul is denOunclnS sOIle "a
us for our cowardly actions in life he
is making some Of US cringe as welIF
mo" you say. Il am no coward
No one holds the whip hand over me.
You are not talking fairly when you
compare me to Felix" Am l not!
Why, my friend, you are such a polt-
ical coward that you are afraid to call
YOUR soul your own, and you know 1t.
II you are not a political coward then
why do you not put on your hat and
walk out Of the store where you are
emploved? You know your employer
is not an honest man. You know that
some of the goods you sell are not
marked right. Why are you staying
there unless you are a party to his
crime? If you are not political cow
ard. then why did you not turn your
e,Ioss down the other night at that