The Alaska citizen., 1915-11-29
Sermon to the People
BY THE REV. G. C. BRUCE

above it to the spiritual. God breathed into the nostrils of man and he became a living soul; never. never, never to die that soul, or to go out of existence. It is, there fore, worth while to think
 Again. where am I? You are on the most uncertain footing imagin able. Here today. and gone tomor- row. You go on a journey for busi ness or pleasure and your life is cut off in the preparation, GoI cannot guarantee yourself twenty four hours for this life.
 Again, where am l going? Here the scientist and philosopher fail again. The Bible says We must ap- pear before the judgment seat of Christ. The grim reaper is cutting us down one by one. and who can stay his hand Everyone to apear Think of it. To hear the judge say Come. ye blessed" or De part. ye cursed" And who is re sponsible for your condition when you meet him? God grant that you will not fear to come to this final judgment
 This man who thought on his way was a practical thinker, for he said, T thought on my ways, and turned my feet Tcle you are called face to face with this practical thought Do not dismiss it as you have all those that have preceded it. The prodigal might have eaten husks un- til he died, but he thought on his ways. and got up and returned home. He had to walk every step of the way back by himself, humber and converted youth.
 What is the great difficulty in conversion? It is simply the go ing back It hurts to go back. But when a fellow thinks long enough he does not thing of the hurt but the remedy of the hurt. When you call the doctor you do not talk about the bitter pills, you talk about get ting we'll The doctor leaves some pills for you to swallow, not to chew It is a bitter pill to be con verted, and many a fellow has had some mighty wrestlings with himself before he was willing to leave the swine and come home.
 I wish I could make it plainer. but you see cannot. Those same feet, outgoing energies, powers by which you went to the devil, must carry you back to God, if you ever get back. Plgstys and swine food were made for hogs. not men. On the same feet, bleeding, bare, torn, tanned, limping, tired and aching must the prodigal go back to his Fathers house. Home. Home, Home, at last. but Home All that scorching path behind him, but be hind. As Richard Baxter says, Tt is turn or burn"
 To every prod!gal there is a turn ing point and a turning time. The turning point may be a friend, sudden stopping to think, a solemn warning of the future, mothers prayer lingering in the memory whatever brings you face to face with Christ, to Christ on the cross, to the fact that you need redemp tion. Until you have seen Christ on the cross you will go to the devil right merrily, when you realize your need of redemption you will return rejoicing. It all lies in the need that is yours.
 There is a turning time. 'I made haste and delayed not" The turn ing point is Christ and the turning time is now Yes, quicker than now if it could be expressed. Now look here, suppose this was an ad dress on how to find plenty of gold on bedrock, or to find plenty O. bedrock with gold, it would have followed just the divisions of this text-thinking and acting. And f you were not practical and prompt e3meone else would have staked the claim and you would have lost. With Jesus there are enough claims for all Come quick and get yours, while you can come "I made haste and delayed not"
 But some will say "I don't be. lieve in instantaneous conversion, have often spoken against it, and I am confident that no one can be converted in such a short time.' IA that so? Come with me and take stroll on the bank of the rivei Look, look, there is a man in the water drowning We call to him, How did you come to fall in?' "I did not come to fall in do you hear him say? Help, I am drowning Would you send for a committee to discuss how he got there or would you help him out first and discuss the matter later' What a drowning man needs is help, and that help right away. And some old sinner who has been so cantankerous and twisted all his life, and so utterly crooked be