Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-04-30

Will IhC nluh ID
don. The real cause is that the man
is not willing to surrender his VIII
to God. He wants his WI way, n
though he f1atters himself that he VIII
yield to God by and by, he Is no Will
ling to do 1t now.
Whatever the cause, the cure Is
always the same-God's Word. ASK
the man by whom he expects to De
saved, If he is aver saved. He Will
answer, God alone can save me-
Emphasize that thought by having
him read aloud John 6:44, mo man
can come to me, except the Father
which sent me. draw him" Call his
attention to
Acts 1890, God now commander
all men everywhere to repent After
he has read the verse ask him II God
has a right to make such a command.
Ask him If he, who is dependent on
God for salvation, has the audacity to
refuse to obey this plain command.
Show him the consequences OF such a
refusal. Proverbs 1:24, rs, rs, 20, Be
cause l have called, and we refused,
l have stretched out my hand, and no
man regarded; l also will laugh at
your calamity; l will mock when your
fear cometh; then shall they call upon
me, but l will not answer; they shall
seek me early, but they shall not find
me-"
II Cor. go, Behold, now is the &C.
| cepted time; behold, now Is the day
of salvation" Show him that Gods
time is the best timet and the only
sure time. There is no certainty that
he will be accepted tomorrow, but
there is a positive promise for today.
Make him realize that the habit OF
putting off duty will grow constantly
stronger. and that ten years from now
he will be less disposed to repent than
he is today. Show him that there
must be some moment of definite sur
render to God, and that no lapse OF
time will make that surrender any
easier. Indeed, it will grow harder
as the years pass by, and If he puts
1t off, the chances are that he will
never do 1t.
Proverbs 27:1, Boast not thyself of
tomorrow, for thou knowest not what
a day may bring forth" Show him
that in putting Off repentance he is
reckoning upon the continuance OF
life which is entirely uncertain. Re-
member that Satan is persuading him
in his subtle way to wait a little
longer. The old serpent does not dare
suggest that he never repent or even
that he put it off a long time, but he
c%unningly says, mot now"
Occasionally a soul may be won by
taking the DEVILS side of the argu-
ment, and pleading his cause so boldly
that the absurdity Of his reasoning is
apparent. A friend of mine at a North
field conference was asked to speak
to a young mar with whom many had
labored in vain. Meeting him alone
one day, he said t. him. These people
in the hotel are bothering you a good
deal on the subject Of religion, are
they mott" The man blushed and ad-
mitted that he had been somewhat
annoyed. Then followed a converse
ton something like this:
you don't need to give any thought
to this matter for a long time yet.
You had better put 1t off for at least
a couple of years. don't you think so?"
IL am not sure it would be well to
put it off S 70 long as that" Why
not?" Because l might not live two
years." THAT is true. Well, put it off
one year. That is safe enough, is it
not?" mo. I don't suppose it is en-.
tirely safe, for l might die in one
year." Sure enough, you might.
Well, put it off six months. Are you
willing to do that?" The young a
hesitated. Call it three months. VIII
you promise not to think Of 1t for
three m%onths?" 81 wouldn't like to
promise that" why not?" Because
l might die In three months will
you promise not to think Of 1t for a
week? That is safe enough, isn't it,"
mo one can be sure Of a week, I sup
pose" you are certainly sure Of one
day, aren't your" mo, not positively
sure Of ever one day" WELL" said
my friend, III you are not sure Of even
a single day, hadn't you better give
your heart to the Lord now?" And he
did, right then and there.
1t pays sometimes to interpret
Scripture with a watch, as in the fol-
lowing instance. A Christian worker
met a man one day with whom he had
often talked on the subject of relig-
ion. Asking him when the question
was to be settled, he received the an
swer, VERY soon, l think"
III you wish to be saved, what have
you to do?" Accept Christ" Just
30, but when?" Now, / suppose"
"Yes," said the worker, that is just
what the Bible says, and now means
now" Taking out his watch, he said,
1T is Just three o'clock. Will you at
three o'clock this afternoon accept
Christ as your S~avior?" After a long
struggle he replied, II will" on went
their hats and there In the street they
praised God for the grace of decision.
At a meeting that night the convert
was the first to pray, and this is what
he said, Lord. l thank thee for saw.
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