The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-03-24

inertia of the soul
which shrinks
a from graphing
~, with a subject so
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 f1atters himself that he viii
yield to God by and by, he is not will
ling to do it 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 ga, 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 a
refusal. Proverbs 1924, 25, &c, %, BE
cause / have called, and ye refused'
/ have stretched out my hand, and no
man regarded; l also will laugh at
| your calamity; will mock when your
| fear cometh; then shall they call upon
me, but / will not answer; they shall
seek me early, but they shall not find
me-"
II Cor. 6:2, Behold, now is the &C
! 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 of 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
! 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 little
longer. The old serpent does not dare
suggest that he never repent, or ever
that he put it off long time, but he
cunningly says, mot now"
Occasionally 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 il
apparent. A friend of mine at a North
field conference was asked to speal
to young man with whom many haC
labored in vain. Meeting him alone
one day, he said to him, These people
in the hotel are bothering you good
deal on the subject of religion, are
they not?" The man blushed and ad
mitted that he had been somewha
annoyed Then followed a converse
ton something like this:
you don't need to give any though
to this matter for long time yet
You had better put it off for at leas
a couple of years, don't you think SOP
II am not sure it would be well t
put it off so long as that" "Wh,
not?" Because l might not live tw,
years." THAT is true. Well, put it OF
one year. That is safe enough, is i
not?" mo. don't suppose it is en-
tirely safe, for 1 might die in on
year." Sure enough, you might
Well, put it OF six months. Are 20,
willing to do that?" The young mai
hesitated. Call it three months vii
you promise not to think of it 70
three months?'' II wouldn't like T.
promise that" why not?" "Becaus
might die in three months Evil
you promise not to think of it for
week? That is safe enough, isn't it?
mo one can be sure of week. | SUI
pose.'. you are certainly sure of on
day, aren't your" mo, not positivel
.. sure of even one day" WELL" sal
my friend, "if you are not sure of eve
a single day, hadn't you better Civ
your heart to the Lord now?" And h
did, right then and there.
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