The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-12-13

text that he shrank from preaching |
from it. Rev Edwin II. Bookmyer Of
Philadelphia offered prayer.
Following the announcement of the |
text DR.. Chapman said, in part: ..This !
is a sentence of God against the false /
prophet, but it is at the same time
prophecy of some one who may hear
the text as | speak it or read it as it
appears upon the printed page. | draw
the bow at venture and the arrow
will fly swiftly to its mark l do not
know where it will strike. God alone
knows that, but it will strike some
where.
''The average of human life was once
so years; then it dropped to 40; today
some have declared that it is almost, if
not quite, 80 or under. When YOU re-
member that third of life is spent
in childhood and one-third of it is
spent in preparation for life in the way
of school training or discipline, then
we are shocked as we realize that we
have 10 years or less to get ready for
eternity. This thing itself should set
us thinking.
81 speak of three deaths. They are
all mentioned in the Scriptures. One is
| Revelations 81: 4 know thy works,
| that thou hast name, that thou Invest,
| and art dead.
81 could today call the names of
Christians, church Officers and posi-
| blv ministers who once had spiritual
| power, but from whom this power has
/ departed, and spiritually they are al
most if not quite dead. The same is
true concerning the church. Some
churches have eloquent ministers; they
may have full pews; their singing is of
the highest order, but they have no
| powe:.
Il once heard DIR. A. J. Gordon, of
Boston, say that they never permitted
an action in his church without wait
ing until they were sure that the Holy
Ghost would set his seal of approval
upon what they were doing.
q have no harsh criticism of the
church. | should be deserving of cen
sure if | stood here TO criticize the
church. But many of them have lost
their concern for the unsaved A church
is not a success Just because the min
lister is great and the pews are filled,
and | feel that instead of censuring
them we ought to pray for them and
instead of criticizing we ought to help.
1.-THE second death of which / speak
that is mentioned in the Scriptures is
suggested by the text, Romans 6:23:
| The wages of sin is death This is the
closing of the door of hope. Here we
have the picture of the climax of the
PROJECTION of God God has done all that
He can do. He has spoken in the Old
Testament. He has sent His son to die
according to the New Testament. He
has given the Holy Spirit to plead
since the day of Pentecost He has
been saying over and over again, Turn
We, turn We, for why will We die9' and
you have been doing nothing but re-
sisting His pleas and rejecting the of
: fer of His love. He has thrown open
every door of mercy and you have shut
it; He has shown every way of es.
cape, but you have turned your bach
upon Him.
? q believe the man who rejects Jesus
$ Christ is without hope and that nothing
: IS ahead of him but despair, and if he
is finally lost it will be over God :
] word, over God s son and over every
t influence for good; it viii be because
T he will not turn, but with his own hanC
shuts the door.
+ 7sThe third death to which / refer il
: that spoken of in Luke 1929: The ricl
i man also died. This is physical death
e and of that I have little to say. An,
e one in this audience may be taken be
:. fore tomorrow, but we live as though
e we had absolute assurance that W
would be here 20 years Delay is dan
9 gerous. There has been a strange sens
q of the presence of God here today. D,
f not put off accepting Him until it i
l too late. This is the day of opportuni
e ty. Now God is calling. Today if y
: will hear His voice harden not YOU
0 heart. Tomorrow may never come 70
r when this day closes tomorrow may b
e eternity.
e ''What I want you to say is this
n Lord Jesus, with all my sins / com
to Thee Don't let the night clos
h without taking Christ as your Saviour.
e ---------