News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-03-24
"SPACE TO Repent"
Gods Definition of Time of
Greatest Significance to
Mankind.

Gods definition of time is a space
to repent" This is it's greatest inn
portance and significance to mankind.
We are wont to speak of time as the
measure of duration. God calls it "a
space to repent" Is it not wiser to
accept divine lexicon rather than a
human one? According to Gods def
milton man is not here primarily to es-
tablish home and fortune, but Ito re-
pent."
God is the great giver. But as
Fenelon said, ITO show us the worth
of time, God, most liberal of all other
things, is exceedingly frugal in the
dispensing of that, for he never gives
us two moments together, nor grants
us a second till he has withdrawn the
first, still keeping the third in his
own hands, SO we. are in perfect I'M
certainty whether we shall have it or
not. The true manner for preparing
for the last moment is to spend all
the others well and ever to expect
that. We dote upon this world as if
IL Wtl0 lSNtl W nave oil Gnu, anu VIC
neglect the next as if it were never
to have beginning"
How we trif1e away our brief and
uncertain space to repent" Though
it is brief and uncertain the period al
lotted is sufficient if we will use it,
else God would not have given it. Its
brevity and uncertainty is Gods ap-
peal against delay. Had the space to
repent been fixed and sure for long,
definite period, would any give the
the last moment, and the whole pur-
pose of life thus be defeated? The
life is more important than time. But
we have no fixed and definite space in
which to repent
Now Is the Time.
"Thou canst not delay said Rich
ter, for a single moment the flight
of time, and thou complainest that
time is a continual overdropping of
moments, which fall down one upon
the other and evaporate. Above hangs,
unchanged, the future, and under
meath grows the past, and becomes
always larger the farther it flies back.
And thou askest, What remains
with me?' The present. l answer.
However much time may fly away
from you, the present is your eternity
and never abandons you. Time is the
chrysalis of eternity"
The space to repent" is bounded
upon every side by now" You can
not repent in the past or in the fu-
ture, for you will never be in either.
You are ever and always in the pres
ent
You have space to repent. 1t is now,
just now. To-day if We will hear his
voice." ETC. Nov is the accepted
time" Come, for all things are now
ready"
Delay not, delay not, o sinner, to come,
For mercy still fingers and calls thee to-
Her voice is not heard in the vale of the
tomb;
Her message unheeded will soon pass
away.
Delay not, delay not, the spirit of grace.
Long grieved and resisted may take his
sad flight,
And leave thee in darkness to finish thy
race
And sink in the vale of eternity's night
Gods Demand of Men.
What God asks of men is to have
repentance for their rebellion against
him and his authority and to have
faith in his son, whom he sent as
ransom for the sins of the world. Re-
pentance is that sorrow for sin which
will cause one to turn from it. 1t
means turning from evil to good. This
is clearly a duty. He gives you space
in which to perform that duty. And
he tells you how.
BY faith in him whom he hath sent. |
Repentance and faith go together.
Repentance is the earthly side of
faith, faith the heavenly side of re-
pentance," or Repentance is the tear
in the eye of faith
The space given for these things is |
the present. The time for the sinner |
to stop and turn about is now. The |
space to repent is limited in duration. |
Your now" will go on forever, but not |
your opportunity to repent. The time
is rapidly coming to all of which it is
written:
HE that is unjust, let him be I'M
just still; and he which is filthy, let |
him be filthy still; and he that is
let him be righteous still;
and he that is holy, let him be holy
still"