Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1898 — THE PASTORS' COLUMN. [ARTICLE]

THE PASTORS' COLUMN.

iaer churches wUI be uabfasbed each week from copy furnished on.] Synopsis of sernaoa by Elder N. H. Sheppard, Sunday myrning. Dec. 11. at the Christian church: 1 Paul says in Romans 14:7: “For none <rf us liveth to himself, and none dicth to himself." Life and death to the th irking nrnd at mortality are unsolved mysteries. We can observe their phenomena, but we cannot fathom the mysteriouss uncecf theiroriirin. neither, with unaided vision, can we discover the final climax at their destiny. The more complex the life, the more complex win be its death, and also its eternity. It is a Kiester; thing for a man to live than for a horse, and I also it will be a greater event for him to die ‘ and then, after that transition period, to live again forever. Paul said to the Osttsbans at Rome that whether they lived or died they did it unto the Lord. Were he to speak to those who never would obey their Master. he would undoubtedly say concerning them “Whether ye live or die, ye do it unto Satan." 2. We ate living to God or Satan every day“ln as much as ye did it unto the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto Me." “In as much ' as ye did it not, ye did it not to Me." As we live our influence for good or evil, effects our home, our community, our nation, our hu- . inanity, our God. 3. We are dying to God or Satan every day. “To live in heart, we leave behind is potto die." Our influence afterdeath is augmented. When we are buried, they cannot bury our influence. A drinking woman in Germany left behind her in posterity after seventy years seven murderers, fifty thieves, one hundred paupers, one hundred and seven illegitimate children, seve’y-five insane and an expense to Germany for all this crime, insanity and pauperism of one million two hundred thousand dollars. Verily, toe old witch was nut quite dead when she quit breathing. A good man or woman, when he or she dies, leaves behind I children to bless in goodness, their memory.« and our influence for right everywhere. which lasts forever. Which shall it he. dam- j nation while alive, for you and those whom j you touch, and damnation after death for all ’•oti’re influenced in life, or a good noble life, a death of sublime grandeur, and an eternal reward for you and all these you influenced for the right? sgrmom preached at Trinity church Sunday night Dec. 11. by Pastor H. M. Middleton. Ttxt: “And that, knowing toe time, that now it is high time to awake out of our sleep: for now is neater titan when we first believed. —Romans 13:11. We note the significance of sleep as illustrated in incidents recorded in God's word. Daniel was overcome with asleep, by one of the great visions shown him. This sleep was the smiting out of toe common life, fur an intenser view of the Heavenly. Peter. James and John were overcome by sleep on toe Mount of Transfiguration and again in Gethsemane. This showed toe proneness or human natuie to fall asleep in great crisis of duty and responsibility. Sleep is a state of unconciousaess and irv-en-sibilty. Christians and sinners are asieep when engrossed with the care and pleasure of the world. They are insensible to the great moral and spiritual duties of life. This steep is manifest iu various ways: 1 The sleep of formalism. They go through the outwar d forms of religi, u, but are destitute of it's life and power. 2. The sleep of indifference. The pay no heed to the demands c< God's word, or of their souls. 3. The sleep of resistlessness. They do not contend against sin and wrong, but submit themselves to the mere current of environment, or drift of circumstances. 4. The sleep of unbelief. A solid and unconcerned state. The outcome of every other form of sleep. But Paul says it is “Time, and high time to aw ake." Time means the season of opportunity. The period cd the soul's probation. The ime for improvement and not for waste and abuse. The seed time for cter- J nity. It is high time because enough time has already been wasted. “For the time past hath sufficed to have wrought the will of Gentiles." I because “Now isthe day of Salvation." be- ‘ cause God in the agencies of Grace is near to save.