Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-11-27

CGFneu, one uSlLuSF iOobs hOl S1'iiN
by accepting Christianity. Know We
not" says the apostle Paul, that to
whom We yield yourselves servants TO
obey his servants we are to whom We
obey. whether of sin unto death or OF
obedience unto Righteousness" There
may be a change of masters or a
change in the character and the re-
wards of service, but so far as serV-
ice itself Is concerned there is no
change. When. therefore. one is en-
treated to take Christs yoke upon
him 1t is not as If he had never worn
a yoke before. but only question as
to whether he would remain in the
bonds Of iniquity or obey one in the
keeping of whose commands there is
great reward.
(2) Let us lay emphasis upon
choose" Religion is a matter or
choice, for men may serve God or
not as they please. OF course he may
compel a man to serve him, but ordi-
narily he does not do this. man
would be merely machine If he did.
This liberty of choice is mans glory
and also his peril. AS Whittier says:
Though God be good and free be heaven.
No force divine can love compel;
And though the song of sins forgiven
| May sound through lowest hell;
The sweet persuasion of his voice
Respects thy sanctity Of will.
He giveth day: thou hast thy choice
To walk in darkness still
(3) Let US lay emphasis upon
you" Judge therefore yourselves,
brethren, that we be not judged of the
Lord" Let every other personality
fade from your consideration and
consciousness. and think only Of your
own solitariness in the Divine pres
ence when Every one Of us shall
give an account OF himself to Cod"
In every congregation where the COS
pei is preached Satan entraps indi-
viduals in the snare of self-deception
by helping them to lose themselves
in the mass. How is it with you?
You may have attended church all
your life and yet never personally,
consciously, definitely and irreversi-
/ bly, made a choice to serve God
through Jesus Christ. VIII you do
it now?
az Let us lay emphasis on this
day" There is peril in delay. The
young prince. Napoleon, in the Zulu
war, was one day riding at the head
of a squad outside the camp. 1t was
dangerous position and some one
said: I'VE had better return or we
shall fall into the hands of the enc
my" oh" said the prince, Let us
stay here ten minutes and drink our
| coffee" Before the ten minutes
elapsed the Zulus were upon them
and the prince lost his life. When
his sorrow-stricken mother heard 1t,
she exclaimed: "Ah. that was his
mistake from babyhood; he was ever
pleading for ten minutes more On
this account l sometimes called him
Mr.. Ten Minutes" How many have
lost their souls If not their bodies by
like procrastination?
What Is Meant by Serving God?
What, indeed, but to yield our
Wills to him that he NAV have his
will in us in all things? That will is
revealed in his word, and as we read
and mediate upon 1t, as it is preach
ed and expounded unto us in the pow
er of his Holy Spirit. 1t is for us to
follow where it leads. His grace is
promised to enable us to do this.
The first step, however, is to con-
feSs his son Jesus Christ as Saviour
and Lord. No man is a soldier until
lie has enlisted. subscribed the oath
and donned the uniform, and so IN
the army of the Lord, he who would
belong to it must comply with SINH
lar conditions. When the countrymen
of Jesus said to him. what must we
do that we may work the works OF
God?" Jesus answered, This is the
work of God that ye believe on him
whom he hath sent" To believe on
him is not merely to admit that he
once lived on this earth and that he
was crucihed, and died and rose
again from the dead. The demons
believe this and tremble But 1t is
to- trust him and give ourselves over
to him to be saved, and cleansed
from sin and guided and controlled by
his spirit If you have never done
this. let me urge YOU to do it now as
your eyes fall upon these words This,
for every unsaved soul, is the mean
ing of Joshua's words Choose you
this day whom ye will serve"