Gilpin observer., 1912-03-07
SUNDAYS SERMON

~ a. VSooci dt tue NJ. T.. CnuTCn,
last Sunday evening:
Luke 1897, Jesus of Nazareth
passeth by"
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
AS he drew near to Jericho, q blind
man who sat by the wayside beg
ging, heard the company as they
were passing. He asked what 1t
meant. and they answered, Jesus of
Nazareth passeth by" He may not
have known it, but this was the Ia
time that Jesus passed that way, and
II he had neglected this opportunity
the probabilities are that he would
never have had another opportunity
to call upon him. This may have
also been his first opportunity; but
however this may have been, he en-
braced It and began to cry out,
Jesus thou son Of David, have
mercy on me-" Those who were there
bade him to be quiet, rebuking him
peace. But he cried so much the
more, Thou son of David, have
mercy on me-" He would not be quiet
until he attracted the attention of
the Savior. who said to him, what
wilt thou that l should do unto
thee?" And he replied, Lord that
/ may receive my sight" And Jesus
said unto him. Receive thy sight;
thy faith hath saved thee" And i'm
mediately he received his sight and
followed him, glorifying God and all
the people when they saw it gave
praise unto God.
/ have selected this text because
l believe that the only one who can
save the souls of men is now pass
ing this way. An opportunity has
come for such as would be saved to
call upon him. l might talk OF sin
blinded eyes, of men who are sick
and lame ard helpless. but the one
thing that l impress upon all is that
we are sinners and need a Savior.
The man who walks upon the edge
of rrecipice in the dark is in =
hundred times more danger than he
who walks in the same place in the
light. This leads me to say that the
person in greatest danger spiritually
is the person who is sleeping his
way to perdition. He must be awak
ened before he will call upon the
name of the Lord for salvation. Now.
then. / think you understand the
reason for the earnestness of those
who have been praying. and laboring
so earnestly here to awaken men to
a realization of their lost condition.
that they may call upon God before
it shall be everlastingly too late.
am quite sure that there are at this
time IN fhis city two classes of sin
ners, one. those who are awakened
to their need OF salvation, but are
neglecting to call upon the Savior,
hoping that there will come time
when it VIII be easier than II is now
to call upon him and be saved. They
are convinced, and they have made
up their minds that they will some
day call upon him, but their danger
is in the fact that If they continue
to grieve away the spirit there will
come time when the spirit will be
withdrawn, and they will be left in
darkness, to take their way to the
abode of the damned without hope.
They will then have gone beyond
the reach CT mercy. 1t will then be
too late to call upon God. The heav-
hx nd hntr
swered only by the echo of their own
voices. ] have wondered much, why
. 1t Is that men will trifle SO with their
souls salvation. There is only one
way to be saved. There is only one
Savior. And it would seem the part
of wisdom to accept this way and
call upon this Savior II we have any
desire to be saved. The question
, that concerns the person who is in
terested in the salvation of those who
are already awakened, is how to
lead them to come the whole way
and call upon God for salvation. They
are already awakened. They know
their need of salvation. The spirit OF
God has convinced them Of sin and
they confess their need of Savior,
but what can be said or done to
lead them to call upon the name Of
the Lord now while they have op-
portunity? / am convinced that there
is only one answer to this question.
| 1t is suggested In this text do not
know very much about this blind
man, but It is a natural thing to be-
lieve that he had used every means
that he knew. He had tried every