The Alaska citizen., 1915-11-01
Sermon to the People
 G. C.
BY ThE REV. G. G. BRUCE.

1 Bible unread because it Is voice when read and We do not want tC hear that voice. The Bible is more its own witness than we like of tentimes to admit.
 God speaks; and speaks to us to each of us and all of us; and speaks. chiefly in three ways-in conscience. in providence, in reyela tion. And now. what is His call
 And the Lord called to Adam where art thou? This is a call to attention. It Is an attempt to get a man to listen to what is about to be said. Attention is the first step in religion. Many man would nave been power in the world instead of wreck on the beach of time if he had only stopped to listen. It is the great thought of the enemy to keep our thoughts off religion. No man Is going to think much of religion with his system full of old rye" Few men will have thoughts of religion while they are hugging another mans wife at a masquerade ball. Few women will have thoughts of religion when they have lost a cut glass dish at a whist party. l tell you these things are the great art of the enemy to keep the thoughts off religion. and such things and places are not noted for the godly men and women they have produced The devil thought occupy our whole time with thoughts and places which Gas he persuaues us) have nothing to do with God. That is his business, and the devil nyN to iyN1 .1 tD J., h,,- is this art that God, in His mercy in His long suffering, in His desire that we should not perish, has to counteract by His divine skill He takes a man aside, now and then, and makes Lim listen He interpos- es with some sickness, some adver sity, some bereavement, some chas tisement in order to compel man to listen to what He most graciously has to say. There are moments when God says to man "I am. and thou art mine" l have created thee for q good purpose, now give an account of thy stewardship" It IS a blessed and terrible moment ln the life of any man when, in his wickedness, he stops to listen to the voice of Almighty God He
 nay have thought of God before he may have prayed in his sudden danger. he may have attended unto his commands as concerns Hi; church. but when a man comes face to face with his sins, he can speak only as the patriarch of old. "l have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth
 flee, wherefore l abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes"
 This call is most forcible in thal it demands of those who hear it that they account for the position they are in or the place they are occupying. If the sinner could heaI the words, Where art thou?' when he was in some questionable place, or in some place that without ques tion was wrong, how startling thes sound, There are places where men would not permit the eye of any man to come if they felt the seeing of them there was to make known their acts while there. Yet thou God seest me-" and what man can get away from the omnipres ence of his Maker, from the omni presence of his God, Ask myself, What is thy present standing" 9" Art thou safe?" "Knowest thou that an accounting will be made of all thy acts, thy words, thy thoughts?" Let no man say, l know not these things, for he would then be false to himself.
 Every man must answer this ques- tion, and 1t Is a very serious thing to make answer. Each one must answer for himself just as solemnly IS though he were the only person in all the wide world, Where art thou?"
 One will answer, "I am wander ing. l took my portion of the goods and went into the far coun try. l remember how He warned me before going as He gave me health and prosperity and joy and happiness and many things for my own use; giving me all these He lpbraided me not; permitted me to go; cared for me while away; visit ed me in dire calamity; invited me home, but l would have my own way. Sometimes l arose to return but l was ashamed and went not, was afraid I would not be re ceived; I feared l might relapse dreaded rep1oach; I dreaded above all the sight of His face; l stayed away and l am still away. Another says, l am hiding from Him. I have eaten of the tree that He forbade me to touch, and now I fear. I wanted to know more after the first temptation, and l have gone the limit. l am no longer pure in heart, though l wish 1 was, and 1 tremble when am told of the fact. which l verify believe, that l shall give a reckoning. Another answers, Earth
 5 very pleasant to me, and l am resting. I have gathered enough or my old age, now let me alone while l enjoy it. Soon sickness will come and l want to enjoy health while may. No matter now how I obtained my prosperity let me alone. If that is thy desire it certainly will be fulfilled But there is am end for thee too. What of that end? Another says, and hon. estly. am trifling. The world is so gay, so amusing. hast He not made it so for our enjoyment? l shall be serious some day. Some more convenient time I will lis ten. No. not now. Another says I am coming. This Is the world of unrest, of uncertainties have tried 1t and know it's failures. Yes, I am coming. but give me time Soon my business will be such that I can lay it aside and there are few other obstacles in the way. Don't hurry me. l come to church