The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-10
"r,Ip Valley OF DEors1oNy

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"TiIE VALLEY OF Decisions.
\ (Selected for The Timcs-D ispatcf.)
"N1ultitudes multitudes In the valley
OF decision; for the day OF the Lord Is
near."-Joel Ill. IA. G
It is not "a period afar of, nor ono
which Is shadowy and uncertain: It Is
here and now Each day--cvcry day
multitudes are meeting their day OF
Judgment, and making their final de-
clsion.
Multitudes in the valley OF decision
now; vast multitudes brought togeth-
er that they may be examined in the
light of heaven. and Judged by tho
eternal and Interchangeable standard.
There Will be time Of Judgment,
when the right and the left shall be
distinguished, when the good and the
bad shall be known, and separated
the one from the other forever.
Who shall undertake this marvellous
classification? Blessed be God! not
man! We are to be Judged by the Gre
ator, not the creature. What man
could Judge his brother, his child, or
his dearest friend? Than when judg-
ing can know only a little part. But
God is the Judge. and blessed be His
name! He knows and understands all
He knows our frame. "IIe remember
eth (what we SO often forgctD that
we are but dust"
The Lord will portray us to our
And afterwards Every one shall give
an account of himself to God" and
therefore every man will pronounce
his own sentence. Every one knows
whether he is good or bad. Brethren,
IL our hearts condemn us"-that is the
standard.
The answer is in yourself. Are you
proud in your soul?
Are you honest? Are you truthful?
DO you feel gentle in heart? Are
you kind even to the untruthful frow-
ard? and are you sober? You may be
sober according to the flesh, and drunk
in the soul every night. A man is
what he is in his soul. Let us in
spire and solemnize ourselves by this
refection---the Lord will judge. Be Sc
we're with yourself but gentle towards
others: thrust in the knife still deeper:
hold the light nearer and still nearer;
that you may know and measure your
self by the one Perfect Pattern.
There is no time to halt. Time is
earnest, and swiftly passing. Behold.
our days are like post. our moments
outfly the weaver's shuttle. 1t is
scarcely morning before 1T is night
and the seasons quickly glide into each
other. We give the New Years greet
ing, and before we know it we are
walking on the shed leaves of autumn;
and just ahead lie the short days Of
1.-THE closing year.
Whatsoever thy hands fndeth to
do do 1t with thy might; in the morn
Ing sow thy seed, and In the evening
WltnnOlQ not my manu-. fIlSe early anu
be amongst the first to go into the
Lords field to do thy part in His Vine
yard.
There is no time for sloth. to neglect
| myself to lie, to starve thy soul. to
crafty thy passions, which are secret
)ly eating up thy heritage of immor-
tality-there is no time. If we had
century at our disposal, we might
allot the decades-but we know not
what day may bring forth He that
judgeth thee is at the door; set thy
house in order, for this year thou
mayst die-nay! this very night thy
soul may be required of thee.
Thy breath is In thy nostrils; oh,
haste thee, for the time is short! Hear
the sweet word, its silver tones float
ing over land and sea, coming from
Eternity: Seek We the Lord while He
may be found; call We upon Him while
-while-while'-Gt is measured
word)-"whle He is near" Make your
decision today