The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-02
g Thou Art Not Far From
the Kingdom
sernon Delivered by Rev Billy Sunday at City Auditorium
Night of March f)

Mark. twelfth chapter. thirty fourth
verse: Thou art not far from the
kingdom Of God
A person may be very near the
Kingdom OF God and lose. OF all
cases of spiritual ruin, none are so
distressing AZ that of man or woman
who under similar circumstances have
been brought az near you nov are
and yet refuse the last step
a cad sight Ia that OF the ship that
goes down when the. passengers are
Within sight Of their native shores.
and the towers and spires OF the sea-
port town make bright silhouette
against the blue sky line for a back
ground.
Whatsoever became OF this young law
yer to whom Jesus uttered these
Words do not know. presume
ne never did pront by them or the
Bible would not have left US TO guess
for the last 1900 yeara I presume he
never did enter the kingdom OF heaven,
although hs Was even as near A. you
are now.
not In force as long as there 10 . ltv-
ing breath In your lungs But the
minute you pass from the realms OF
the living. that will 10 In force. Some
people are nearer the kingdom Of God
than others. Until you accept Jesus
Christ and arc born again by faith
In him. you are out Of the kingdom.
The moment you accept him and are
born again you are in the Kingdom.
The difference Is not ono OF degree,
bat Of kind. There are no degrees Of
aviation
You find yourself in the middle of
circumstances that have contributed
to bringing you nearer to where you
find yourself now. The elements OF
character may develop into circuin-
stances. These circumstances are APP
pealing to the best elements of your
character and by making that appeal
they have brought you nearer to realx-
ing that you ought to be a Christian.
Your condition of mind may be due
to elements Of character. You are
compelled to admit that you are in a
condition OF mind toward good and re-.
ligion that you were not In scnae weeks
ago. This city u In . condition OF
mind about God that she was not in
weeks ago. She WAS looking cross
eyed At tho cross then. Her mind and
her heart 10 open now.
That condition Of mind 70 brought
about by circumstances: series OF mect-
ings. tho prayers and everything that
has been said or done. and the element
of character Ia the condition OF your
mind and the circumstances have
self
mot far from the Kingdom of COD
In the cathedral at StrAsburg there
Is clock 20 wonderful that some Of
the ignorant suppose Il 10 have been
fashioned by the dngers Of angels. II
IL said that tho man that made that
clock We not paid for his work, and
was angry, and crsrt into the place at
night and went into the tower ana
touched a secret spring In the clock
The clock ceased to run. The cock
forgot to GROW. the milkmaid failed to
trip along her way. the anviis did not
clang and the apostles did not march
in solemn procession.
Then they paid the man and he went
and put HIS finger on the secret spring
and the clock began to move. Then
the cock crowed. the miIkmaid trip
ped on her way. the anvils changed
and tho apostles marched to solemn
procession.
The clock would not run. or would
run At the touch of the makers an
gers on. the secret spring. The d1och