South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-09-12
SEVEN MINUTE SERMON
ON THE GOLDEN TEXT
BY OUR OWN PREACHER

Lesson: Inc len Virgins. MATT.
25:f-I3
for We know not the day nor the
hour Matt. 25:13.
BE READY.
1. Inform yourself about eternal
things. The story OF the ten virgins
was to impress upon the people the
necessity of being prepared for the
coming of the Lord, or, being pre-
pared for death and for entering into
the land beyond the sky line. The
FIVE foolish virgins were unprepared,
the five wise virgins were prepared.
1t is therefore. our duty 10 inform
ourselves about eternal things, so
that we may make the necessary
/ preparation to meet whatever emer-
gency may arise in the future. There
are so many who do not take time
10 think seriously about religion or
about their souls, or eternity. and
when by and by death overtakes
them, they go out into the other
I world without having made the nee
| esSary preparation. The bane OF
Gods ancient people was that they
would not consider. that they would
not think, and they thus reduced
themselves to the condition of the
I
consider and then follow the die
tates of reason and conscience, they
will soon inform themselves concern
ing essential spiritual truth. Why
not then spend a short time every
day with your soul, and with the
Bible, and think out your duty to a
finish, and then do the reasonable
and the right thing in view of the
facts concerning eternity which will
l hor bf To -fcfn
.. Find out what God expects of
YOU. The best way to watch accord
ing 10 the meaning of Jesus. in the
text is to get in touch with God and
receive light from him. You will
be helped in your approach to God
by reading the experiences OF other
men when they have been in pursuit
of the same knowledge as you are.
The Bible is a most wonderful book
in this regard. 1t is a history of the
church of God in different ages. II
gives the experiences of men in other
years, who had the same hopes and
fears and lOngings as you have, and
how they solved their problems and
got surcease from their SORROWS, and
fears by praying to God. The Bible
tells of what God said to them, and
how he dealt with them, and what
the results were of their intercourse
~
good thing to converse with living
Christians. and TO find out their ex-
periences in the things Of God. But
after all, you will not get lasting
light or entire satisfa elton. either
from the Bible or from Christians,
YOU must wait upon God yourself,
and learn his mind concerning you.
just as if there were no Bible, or as
if you were the only man in the
world. 1t is a fact that God deals
with men as individuals and he will
impart it to you and will make
YOU seek the light from God, he Will
so deal with you. Just as sure as
your duty as clear to YOU as the
nOOn-day sun.
3. Be We recOnciled to God.
Having passed along the same way
myself. as YOU are now treading. l
can tell you that the first step to-
wards being ready for the coming of
the Lord. either at Our death. or
when he comes TO wind up all things,
will be for you to be reconciled to
God. You have the consciousness
that you are a sinner. that you have
been living untrue to your con-
science. and untrue to God your
heavenly father. No person knows
better than you how unfaitbful you
have been. You know how you have
fought against the light and have
deliberately done what you ought not
to have done, and left undOne what
you ought To have done. You know
that you have been in rebellion
against God and that this consti-
tutes you a rebel The first thing to
do is TO turn away from your sins
and come to God for forgiveness.
Tell him in words as fully as you
can all about your sins. 1t Will do
you good to tell him in as much detail
as possible, for as your sins pass in
review before your mental vision, you
will see how sinful you have been
and that will produce in you peni-
tence.
4. Live right and thus be ready tn
die right. The best preparation for
the coming of the Lord is 10 be found
doing your duty. If YOU live a life of
self fOrgetfulness. and of helpfulness
To your fellow men. that is the best
possible preparation for being ready
for death. or any other emergency.
A man who lives a life OF prayer, Of
communion with God. whose heart is
tender towards his fellows, is always
ready for the coming of the Lord
and whether he is overtaken by sud
den death, or whether he sees the
death angel in the distance. and grad
ually awaits his approach, he is ready.
We know not the day, nor the hour,
when God will send for as. but we do
know that we shall be sent for and at
no very great distance. Life at the
longest is a very brief affair. when il
is finished il seems as though Il were
but dream in the night, as II il had
been but a ST Jrt tale that had been
told. and il is certain that tomorrow
or next day. Ut the day after. God
will come for US. II we are living
right: doing our duty with prayerful
dependence upon God, we shall never
be taken unawares. but when the
Lord comes for US our hearts will
respond with gladness. for we know
that We have a building OF God eter-
nal in the heavens. a mansion which
Jesus has been preparing for us in
the skies
HOSPITAL NOTES
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