be almost persuaded to be Christians, and yet come short of the glory of God through procrastination. Procrastination has populated hell. All the doomed and damned from Christian lands are victims of this pernicious and destructive wile of the devil. It is foolish to procrastinate. Though the Bible teems with rich and glorious promises of a hundred-fold blessings in this life, and eternal glory in the world to come, to those who break off their sins by rightcousness, and their transgressions by turning unto the Lord, yet all these promises are limited to the present tense. There is not a single blessing promised the future penitent. He procrastinates at the risk of losing all. Behold, now is the accepted time, and now is the day of salvation. To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. "And the Spirit and the Bride say, come; let him that heareth say, come; and let him that is athirst, come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." ye Choose ye this day whom will serve. There is no warrant for deferring till to-morrow the momentous and eternal interests of the immortal soul. The shortness and uncertainty of life furnish a strong reason that we should not procrastinate. In the Bible, life is compared to everything that is swift, transient, and fleeting in its nature. It is compared to the swoop of the eagle hastening to the prey; to the swift post, to the bubble on the river. Life is compared in its duration to a year, a day, and to nothing, yea, less than nothing, and vanity. All these comparisons indicate that it is very brief and evanescent. We have no lease of life; we hold it by a very slight tenure; and this is especially true of us in our present condition. Confined in prison, some of us led to death every day without a moment's warning, every evening I address some who, before the next evening, are in eternity. Myself in chains, my life declared forfeited, ought we not all to be deeply impressed with the necessity of immediate preparation to meet our God? I feel that I am preaching as a dying man to dying men, and I beseech you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and ye shall be saved. Trust in Him for salvation, for He is faithful who has promised. God has never said to any, seek ye my face in vain. By the love and mercy of God, by the terrors of the judgment, by the sympathy and compassion of Jesus, I entreat you, my fellowprisoners, to seek an interest, a present interest, in the great salvation! I close for the present. We shall never all engage in divine service together again on earth. We separate some to go to a distant prison, and some to death. May God grant that when we are done with earthly scenes, we may all meet in the realms of bliss, where there is in God's presence fulness of joy, and at his right hand pleasures forevermore! And may the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us, and all the Israel of God, now, henceforth, and forever, Amen! The following hymn was then sung: In the sun, and moon, and stars, Signs and wonders there shall be; Soon shall ocean's hoary deep, Tossed with stronger tempests, rise; Dread alarms shall shake the proud, Pale amazement, restless fear; And, amid the thunder-cloud, Shall the Judge of men appear. But though from his awful face, Your redemption draweth nigh. I preached longer than I had intended, having become so fully engrossed with the subject as to forget my chains and my frustrated plans. My fellowprisoners were listening apparently with interest; great solemnity prevailed, and penitential tears were flowing. It was evident that the Spirit of the living God was in our midst; and though danger and death were before our eyes, the consolations of the glorious gospel of the blessed God caused our peace to flow like a river. The precious seed was sown in tears. May we not entertain a good hope that he who cast the seed into this soil, prepared by affliction, shall come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. DIES IRE. Day of wrath! that awful day What a trembling there will be Trumpet sending awful sound, Through the tombs beneath the ground Death and nature stand in dread When arise the millions dead In the record shall be sought When the Judge sits shall be seen What shall wretched I then say, King of Majesty severe, Who Thine own dost freely clear, Save me, Fount of Pity, spare! Think, Lord! 'twas for me astray Sitting tired Thou still hast sought, Judge of vengeance, just the fount, I accept the sinner's place, With the sheep a place I pray, At Thine own right hand to stay. When the cursed, their shame confessing, Eager flames are sore distressing, Come to me then with a blessing. Pray I suppliant and prone, Leave me not at last alone. On that day of sad surprise, THOMAS CELANO. |