Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1915-10-14

he remembered what kind of life he
had lived and how he had influenced
his five brothers to forget God and he
knew they would go to hell where he
was, and he wanted Abraham to send
Lazarus back and tell them what kind
of a place hell is and that the only
way to escape it is to repent. II
God were to let somebody crawl out
of hell and stand on this platform
with message he would preach a
sermon on repentance such as you
have never heard. May the Spirit OF
God move upon the audience tonight
and lead scores to repent
1. Repentance More Than Feeling
There are hundreds of people in
this city who are waiting for some
queer feeling. They seem to think
that repentance is a certain kind OF
feeling; that one has to feel very
sorrowful and weep much to be ac-
cepted of God. Ones feelings may be
wonderfully wrought upon and still
he does not repent. If you go to the
state penitentiary you will find many
who feel very badly and have shed
many tears, they are just sorry they
were caught, that's ALL There is nc
true repentance, no turning unto
Cod When we were children we
were always sorry when we saw
mother coming with a switch, but
that kind of feeling is no evidence
of repentance God has ordained
that no one shall find happiness in
wrong doing. The man who does
wrong is certain to feel bad about il
sooner or later whether he repents
or not.
Repentance is not crying over the
death of relative and wanting to go
to heaven because they are there. II
they had gone to Arkansas you would
want to go there for the same reason
When one repents he settles an ac-
count with God. Feeling a little
better is not repentance. When David
was repenting he said the pangs OF
hell got hold upon him. We must
awake to the fact that repentance is
something higher, deeper, broader
and more lasting than mere senti-
ment and feeling or we will never
reach heaven. Religion is not in
your handkerchief but in your will.
crying won't save you-if it would
my boy would have been fine
Christian before he was six months
old. A man may weep and brush
away his tears and forget all about
his feeling. II was the prodigal' s
win that brought him home. Jesus
did not say Except ye feel bad We
shall likewise perish. - But He did
say, Except ye repent, ye shall all
likewise perish" II was not the
feeling of the thief upon the cross
hat saved him but it was his re-
2entance. o, that hundreds would
likewise repent tonight
ii. Repentance More Than Fear
There are not a few people who
seem to think they must become
Harmed before they can become
Christians. If fear were repentance
hat brought salvation it would be an
Easy matter to win the world to God,
for we have all been more or less
frightened at some time. 1t does not
axe much to scare some people.
heard of tramp who asked lady
FOR cake of soap and she replied,
DO you mean to tell me you want
soap?" "Yes'm," came the reply,
Me pardner's got the hiccoughs an
want to scare him." You might cure
hiccoughs with a scare but you can
not get religion that way. When a
man discovers that he is on the
wrong train and is headed in an OPP
posite direction than that which he
hould go he does not have to be
afraid of an awful wreck to make
him leave the wrong train and take
one headed in the right direction.
Changing trains is repentance re-
gardless of fear.
Jesus said there was an endless
hell for the lost sinner and He pulled
aside the curtain once that we may
ook into that awful pit but He made
10 attempt to brighten men into be-
ing good for He knew that the re-
1entance that come only through fear
would last only as long as the fear
existed. AS soon as the fear was
gone the religion would be gone al
so. Fear is not necessary to repent
tnce nor is it an evidence that there
has beer a turning unto God. Let a
torn come up at sea and those who
had been cursing and indulging in
I'll forms of sin become frightened
when it seems there will be loss OF
life and call upon God. They are
frightened, but have they repented
/ once heard of ship in "A storm at
sea and when it was found that no
body could pray it is said they took
up a collection. They wanted to do
something religious. You would
think they were saints, but when the
torn passes away they are as wicked
rs ever. They have not repented.
Many men, when death comes and
axes a look at them, become very
much alarmed. They turn pale and
ihiver with fear like one afflicted
with the ague every time they see ID
hearse. The get well and forget all
about being religious. Not more
han one out of so of those who pro-
Tess on what they think is their death
)ed. amount to anything religiously
after they get well. 1t is like earth
quake religion. AS soon as the great
danger is over and they were not
sent into eternity, they say in actions
II unwilling to admit 1t in words,
Good bye, Lord; when ! get into
trouble again, | will call for you
The manly thing for you to do, my
friend, is to turn to God tonight, not
from a sense of fear but because you
know it is right Come with real re,
pentance and you will receive real
salvation.
Ill. Repentance More
Than Conviction
One may be convicted that he is
a sinner before God and not repent
There are those who have carried the
burden of conviction for years and
have not yet repented. 1t is one