The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-10-31

we have In mind. So far as the alb
stract question of service is con-
cerned, one neither loses nor gains
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 q change of masters or q
change In the character and the re-
wards OF service, but so far as serv-
change. When. therefore, one is en-
treated to take Christ's yoke upon
him It Is not as If he had never worn
q 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 Il
great reward.
choose Religion isI matter Of
choice, for men may serve God or
not as they please. OF course, he may
compel man to serve him, but ordi
narily he does not do this, man
would be merely a machine II 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.
cay 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 God.
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 1t with you?
You may have attended church all
your life and vet never personally,
consciously, definitely and irreversi-
bly, made choice to serve God
through Jesus Christ. VIII Won do
It now?
"a 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 squad outside the camp. It was
a dangerous position and some one
said: 1--WE 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 It.
she exclaimed: "Ah, that was his
mistake from babyhood he was ever
pleading for ten minutes more On
this account sometimes called him
Mr. Ten Minutes" How many have
lost their souls IL not their bodies BY
a like procrastination?
God commands you to choose him
today. Does human monarch in
dulge his subjects in delay when the
edict has gone forth for their obedi-
ence? How, then, can we trife with
the law OF God?
4 And then think Of the privilege
"Now Is the accepted time. today iss
the day OF salvation" What tomor-
row may mean we do not know, nor
even that there shall be tomorrow
For millions tomorrow will not be.
wherefore, 1t is written. today II ye
will hear his voice, harden not your
hearts
What 10 Meant BY Serving ood7
What. indeed, but to yield our
Wills to him that he may have his
will in us in all things? That Will IL
In his word, and az we read
and mediate upon 1t, as 1t is preach
ID and expounded unto us in the pow (
er OF his Holy Spirit. 1t is for US to
follow where 1t leads. His grace ii
promised to enable us to do this
The first step. however, Is to con-
less his son Jesus Christ as Saviour
IND Lord No man is a soldier until
lie has enlisted, subscribed the oath
ind donned the uniform. and SO In .
he army of the Lord, he who would
belong to it must comply with simi-
ar conditions. When the countrymen
II Jesus said to him, What must we !.
10 that we may work the works Of .
sod?" Jesus answered. This is the
york OF God that We believe on him
whom he hath sent. To believe on
i'm is not merely to admit that he
nee lived on this earth and that he
vas crucified. and died and rose
gain from the dead The demons
relieve this and trembie, But it Is
o trust him and give ourselves over
D him to be saved. and cleansed
rom sin and guided and controlled by
is spirit If you have never done
his let me urge you ID do 1t now. as
our eyes fall upon these words. This.
or every unsaved soul. IS the mean
ng Of Joshua's words Choose you
49, -