Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-10-30
MUST MAKE CHOICE
With Every Mortal Rests the De-
cision That Shall Save
or Doom Him.

&S1N tfs cRiftt Endn NOl AWAY =
strive with man. There is nothing In
human friendship like the long-suffer-
ing, patient and everlasting rove OF
our heavenly Father There comes q
period In the life OF every mortal when
he makes the Anal choice. when he de.
cides TO so toward Calvary. like Peter.
or toward suicide, like Judas.
The Holy Spirit. grieved. resisted.
despised and rejected. then takes its
everlasting flight from the soul who
prefers sin 20 holiness. devils 70 saints
and hell TO heaven.
Almighty God 80 built man. his mas
terpiece. that he cannot break through
the door OF the Will We have the
power to put out the only light to
guido us through time and eternity, to
extinguish the only FIRE OF love that
flames In the soul
The Holy Spirit calls the sinner by
a thousand voices ere ho gives up
striving. He comes In youthful days,
in manhood's strength. In our age and
feebleness extreme.
He waiteth long. is waiting stu.
You treat no other friend 30 Ill.
Behold he stands at the door and
knocks. 1t il the pierced hand knock
ing. A crown Of thorns puppies his
brow and his head Is wet with the
dews or midnight. The same old pro-
crastinating voice answers him, say
ing: Go thy way for this time; when
| have moro convenient season |
will call for thee" Angels have tried
to WOO that soul as they have minis
tered to him; the voice OF mother has
called from the battlements Of
heaven. Providence. bereavements.
losses. all have cried out. Come unto
me and will give you rest" But the
man, ais though ON the brink Of preci-
pice, pushes away all rescuers and
plunges down the abyss. II seems an
impossible thing that lost soul. with
but one heartbeat between 1t and the
Judgment, would endeavor to thrust
back the Divine Saviour, who has
paid for our redemption with his blood
and his life; who, with everlasting
kindness. has drawn us toward him
self. But such is the momentous fact
The resources OF heaven have been ex-
hnusted in the effort to win men back
to God. And there remalneth no
more sacrifice for sins"
Has Chosen His Own Place.
The determined sinner has trooden
under foot the Son OF God, counted
the blood OF the covenant an unholy
thing and done despite to the Spirit OF
Grace. He therefore must go to his
own place. He has missed his chance
OF immortal blessedness.
TOO late. We cannot enter now.
Some OF these rejectors of God are
leaders among men, carrying others
with them to destruction. They are
like the engineer whom the fireman
found dead In the engine ceb. He had
been struck by passing timber. Ills
hand was still on the throttle. but his
trainload OF passengers were running
wild to their death. The fireman. re-
versing the lever, saved them. SO mul.
titudes are following blind leaders In
their mad rush for gold, pleasure and
unholy ambition. The throttle Is
pulled out; a devils hand holds It;
the terrible curve is near; the awful
crash comes! Ruined" Is written
over the wreck.
Instead Of men turning away from
the God OF love and mercy. In order
to follow falBe guides, they should be
filled with Joy to know that the in
finite Father loves them, has planned
to save them, is filed with anxiety for
their welfare, has sacrificed his Son
to restore them to the heavenly inheri-
lance. What an honor to know that
we dwell in the hart Of God. In the
mind OF Deity--that angels are forgot
ten in the effort TO rescue lost race;
that other planets are left behind to
bring this one back to Its orbit OF wor.
ship and fellowship
Strange Contradiction.
When kings. presidents or other
earthly magnates take notice Of US we
are wild with delight. but when the
King OF all kings reaches down to lift
us up to honor and power with him
self we shrink back In terror we bias
pheme his name, curse his Son. deny
his Book and quench his fires of love.
With eloquent words DR.. William L.
Watkinson says: Il saw the other day
a tame eagle In butchers shop
Growing fat, he cares no longer for
the planes of heaven. His eyes. no
longer fxed on the sun. watch the FIRE
on the hearth, and the golden plumes,
once stretched above the clouds, are
dragged in the ashes. That royal bird
in the fiesher's shamble, forgetful OF
sky and sea and sun, is close image
of thousands of men who. debanched
by the grosser pleasures Of the lower
life, have forgotten the glories Of the
upper universe We content ourselves
by picking feshy morsels out Of the
ashes.
There is such a thing for us as
the Spirit and falling vic.
Tins to our carnal nature. Rev. Ed
win Whittier Caswell.