Habit of. A bright boy heard and was deeply impressed by the text, “My son, give me thine heart.” Satan whispered, “Time enough yet,” and he put it off. Ten years later a brilliant young collegian heard the same text under circumstances which seemed to make that the time of his salvation.

Again the tempter whispered, “Time enough yet.” Twenty years later a statesman of no mean renown listened to the same text from an aged bishop, and felt it to be a message to himself.

This time the tempter said, “Visit foreign countries before you give God your heart.” A traveler in Paris was stricken with cholera. His greatest suffering was agony of soul because he was not prepared to die, and had not now time to get ready. His last words were, “Too late.”

The boy, the collegian, the statesman, and the traveler were one. Procrastination is Satan’s best game. PROCRASTINATION. It is a snowy day, and some boys have put a few bricks together, making a sort of square box of them; they have set up on edge on a piece of stick, and have scattered under it a few crumbs.

Here comes a robin, and he picks up a crumb or two, and while he is feeding, down comes the brick! “I did not wait long,’ says the robin, “but I am caught!

I did not wait long, but I cannot get out! I did not wait long, but I have lost my liberty!

I did not wait long, but it may be I shall lose my life!” Ah! little robin, thou shalt be a preacher to some here. They have gone a little into sin, and they are inclined to-night to wait a little while. Take care that this is not your dolorous note one of these days, “I did not wait long, but the devil caught me in his trap!

I did not wait long, but I waited too long! I did not wait long, but I lost my soul forever!”

God grant that this may not be your lot! PROCRASTINATION. In Nebuchadnezzar’s image, the lower the members, the coarser the metal: the farther off the time, the more unfit. To-day is the golden opportunity, to-morrow will be the silver season, next day but the brazen one, and so on, till at last I shall come to the toes of clay, and be turned to dust. —Thomas Fuller.

ProFanity, Beware of. A very estimable man of sixty was prostrated with brain fever, and in his delirium shocked his friends by his blasphemous profanity. After his recovery he was told of it, and confessed that in his youth he was terribly profane.

“It is forty years since I uttered a profane word. I supposed the habit was gone from me; but the leprosy is still in my blood.

The tiger is chained, but he is alive.” Daily grace is the only cure. Beware of profanity in youth. Proranity, Correcting.

A tradesman commencing business was very much distressed at the profanity of many of his customers. He made an effort to stop it, by hanging above his counter, “Friends, don’t swear.” If an oath was uttered, he kindly showed the party the fearful consequences of breaking the third comSERMON ILLUSTRATIONS 135 mandment. Swearing was not only abolished from the store, but also from many of the homes and manufactories of the place.

Proranity, Correction of. A man said to a dreadful swearer, who was cursing himself in a fearful manner, “Friend, do you not know what Amen means?” “To be sure I do,” said he: “it means, So be it.” “Then,” said he, “how angry you would be if any should say Amen to the curses you have pronounced against your poor eyes and precious limbs.

If God should happen to say Amen, what will become of you?” This rebuke led to his conversion. QuarRRELS. In most quarrels there is a fault on both sides.

A quarrel may be compared to a spark, which cannot be produced without a flint as well as a steel; either of them may hammer on wood for ever, no fire will follow. —South. Questions. Ten (10) Great Bible Questions. 1.

Where are thou? 2.2664). scesiieos to Adam OMe VI DGTCs ISO DIOlner I acca naee es as to Cain 3. - What hast thou, done?. co... sass sme S05 to Cain 4; Can these bones live? wc ..-.s<0.2 to Ezekiel 5. Wilt thou go with this man? .... to Rebekah 6. What think ye of Christ? ...... to disciples 7.

What shall I do then with Jesus? .......... iA (as oN Sante Mp Ni tN pe REY Pilate’s question SB ye netsshall it profit? csc aie aula Mark 8:36 9. How shall we escape? .............. Heb. 2:3 10.

Where is the Lord God of Elijah? .......... AOR hE Ee ee Te ee II Kings 2:14 —“Gems from Genesis.” (P. 102.) RAPTURE OF THE SAINTS.

Rapture means to be caught up, or away. 136 SERMON ILLUSTRATIONS Revelation means appearing, or shining forth, or manifestation (Rom. 8:19). The Rapture occurs when the Church is caught up to meet Christ in the air (I Thess.

4:15-17), before the Tribulation. The Revelation occurs when Christ comes, with His saints, to end the Tribulation, by the execution of righteous judgment upon the earth (II Thess.

1: 7-10; Jude 14, 15). At the Rapture, Christ comes for His saints (John 14:3). At the Revelation, He comes with them (I Thess. 3:13; Jude 14; Zech.

14:4). He certainly must come for them before He can come with them.

Again, at the Rapture Christ comes as the Bridegroom (Matt. 25:10), to take unto Himself His Bride (Eph. 5:23-32). At the Revelation He comes, with His Bride, to rule the nations (Rev.

2:26, 27; 5:10; 12:5; 19:15). At the Rapture He comes only to meet the saints in the air (I Thess. 4:17). At the Revelation He comes to the earth (Acts 1:11), and His feet shall stand upon the same Mount Olivet from which He ascended (Zech.

14:4, 5). At the Rapture the Church, like Enoch, is taken out of the world (Acts 15:14). At the Revelation, the millennial kingdom is begun (Acts 15:15-17). The Rapture may occur any moment (Matt.

24:42). The Revelation cannot occur until Antichrist be revealed, and all the times and seasons (which point to the day of the Lord), in Leviticus 26, Daniel and Revelation be fulfilled. —Dr. W. G.

Heslop. RemorsE, Beginning of. Sin and hedgehogs are born without spikes, but how they prick and wound after their birth we all know.

The most unhappy being is he who feels remorse before the (sinful) deed, and brings forth a sin already furnished with teeth in its birth, the bite of which is soon prolonged into an incurable wound of the conscience.—Richter. Remorse in Death. Behold all the gloomy apartments opening, in which the wicked have died; contemplate first the triumphs of iniquity, and here behold their close; witness the terrific faith, the too late repentance, the prayers suffocated by despair, and the mortal agonies! These once they would not believe; they refused to consider them; they could not allow that the career of crime and pleasure was to end.

But now truth, like a blazing star, darts over the mind, and but shows the way to that “darkness visible” which no light can cheer. “Dying wretch!” we say in imagination to each of these, “is religion true? Do you believe in a God, and another life, and a retribution?” “Oh, yes!” he answers, and expires. —John Foster.

Remorse, Described. Conscience is God’s officer and vicegerent in man; set by him to be, as it were, thy angel, keeper, monitor, remembrancer, king, prophet, examiner, judge— yea, thy lower heaven. If thou slightest it, it will be an adversary, informer, accuser, witness, judge, jailer, tormentor, a worm, rack, dungeon, unto thee—yea, thy upper hell! Dr.

Fuller. REPENTANCE at Death. There is one case of deathbed repentance recorded—the penitent thief—that no one should despair; and only one, that no one should presume.