Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1915-04-15


belong almost wholly to the laboring
class, and whose time is not their own
as a rule, are the most regular church.
goers in the community. The fact is
that people find time for what they
consider important.
/ know a young man who wished to
attend a certain series of meetings
The factory where he was employed
was running evenings. and every man
was expected to work overtime for a
few weeks during the busy season.
for which of course, they received ex-
ira pay. He was not Christian, but
he went to his employer and asked to
be excused from working evenings for
a week, and he also went without his
| supper each night in order to attend
the services. Very soon he gave his
heart to God, and before the end Of
the week he had the pleasure of see
ing his brother converted.
Not the Real Reason.
When one offers the lack of time
as an excuse for not being a Chris
tian, 1t is well to show him by some
simple Illustration that this is not the
real reason. Say to him, "If, In addi-
ton to your regular work, you had an
opportunity to earn ten dollars each
week by one hour of extra work,
would you accept the offer?"
He will doubtless answer, 81 think
would"
"In other words, If you want time
for something extra, you manage to
find 1t. You see, my friend, the sim
pie fact is that you do not feel the
need of salvation, and you are not in
terested in it. You are in the condi-
ton described in Ephesians AIS, 'Hav-
ing the understanding darkened, being
! alienated from the life of God through
the ignorance that is in them, because
of the hardening of their heart Why
not face the fact, disagreeable as it
may be, and when people ask you why
you are not Christian, give them the
real reason instead of offering a false
one? And furthermore, it is we'll to
remember that If you do not take time
to consider this question of salvation,
you will soon lose your capacity to
know God, and will be in the condition
described In the nineteenth verse of
the same chapter, Who being past
feeling. gave themselves up to all
manner of SIM"
"a Will Think About IT,"
There are some minds which ma
ture very slowly. and If one really has
never considered what is involved in
becoming a Christian, it may be we'll
to give him little time for reflection.
AS a rule. however, this excuse is only
another way of saying, mot now" We
should show the person that already
he has all the information he needs
for an intelligent decision. and that If
he waited dozen years he would not
be any better prepared, but on the
contrary, he would be less disposed to
decide than now.
There are only two things that he
needs to know-that he is lost. and
that Christ is the only Savior These
two things he knows already. and all
that remains for him to do is to ac-
cept Christ as his Savior. Show him
that continual thinking on the sub
1ect will not make the decision any
easier, but continual rejection of
Christ will surely make 1t harder. It
ID great mistake for people TO think
that they can be saved when they
please. The only time when a man
can be saved is when God chooses to
save him. and Gods time is now; BE
mold, now is the accepted time; be-
hold, now is the day of salvation"
No one has right to say that he
VIII think II over and decide when he
is ready. God calls for immediate de-
cision; he commands us to lay down
the weapons of our rebellion, and sur.
render Internationally. When Mr.
Moody was holding meetings in Hart
ford, Conn, many years ago, he urged
man one night TO accept Christ az
once. Finally the man replied, "Well
Mr. Moody. will promise you this: |
win attend the meeting tomorrow
aight and | will accept Christ as my
Savior then" That man never reached
his home alive. The train on which
he travelled ran off bridge at Tariff.
vile and many lost their lives, and
among them was this man. THAT ex-
perience," said Mr.. Moody. taught me
a lesson. never to let any one of with
a promise, but to press them hard for
m immediate decision, and II that
allied. to show them the peril OF ever