Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1914-04-30


serious, but more
likely there is some secret sin
which the man is unwilling to aban-'
don. The real cause is that the man
Is not willing to surrender his will.
to God. He wants his own way, and,
though he flatters himself that he will
yield to God by and by, he is not 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 be
saved, if he Is ever 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
Gods Command.
Acts 1890, God now commandeth,
all men everywhere to repent" After
he has read the verse ask him If God
has a right to make such 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
refusal. Proverbs 1924. 20, 26, 2S, Be
cause | have called, and ye refused,
| have stretched out my hand, and no
man regarded; / 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. 6:2, Behold, now is the ac-
cepted time; behold, now is the day
of salvation" Show him that Gods
time is the best time, and the only
sure time. There is no certainty that
he will be accepted tomorrow, but
there is 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
as the years pass by, and If he puts
it off, the chances are that he will
never do it.
Proverbs 27:1, Boast not myself 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 long time, but he
cunningly says, Not 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 North
field conference was asked to speak
to young man with whom many had
labored in vain. Meeting him alone
one day, he said to him, These people
in the hotel are bothering you a good
deal on the subject of religion, are
they not?" The man Dlushed and adj
mitted that he had been somewhat
annoyed. Then followed converse
ton something like this:
you don't need to give any thought
to this matter for long time yet.
You had better put it off for at least
a couple of years, don't you think so r.
Il am not sure it would be well to
put it off SO long as that" why
not?@ Because might not live two
years THAT is true. Well, put it of
one year. That is safe enough, is il
not?' No, l don't suppose it LIS 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 mar
hesitated. Call it three months. VIII
you promise not to think of 1t for
three months?' Il wouldn't like tc
promise that" why not?" Because
! might die in three months "Will
you promise not to think of 1t for 2
week? That is safe enough, isn't it?'
No one can be cure of week. sup
pose. You are certainly sure of one
day. aren't you?" mo, not positively
sure Of even one day" Well said
my friend, IF you are not sure of ever
single day, hadn't you better give
your heart to the Lord now?" And he
did, right then and there.