"Think of it. The governor stood in my cell and would have pardoned me [from a death sentence] if I hadn't turned him out."

I heard a little something, a while ago, I'd like to repeat. It come from, I believe, it was Billy Sunday that made the remark. There was a boy that had done a crime. I don't know whether you ever heard of it, or not. He done a crime. They throwed him in jail, was going to... He was in. And so he had a trial. And--and the judge said...  

 And the jury come out. They said, "We find the boy guilty of the crime. And we, the jury," said, "we ask for his life."  

 And the judge said, "I--I sentence you to die, hanging from a rope, until your mortal life is gone. And God have mercy on your soul."

 And the boy was taken to the prison, and put in the inner prison, that he'd have to stay there until the time he was to die.

 And friends come to the judge, and said, "Judge, we helped elect you in the city. Please, please, don't let that young fellow die like that."

 I just come from Texas, for another, something like that. A young man and a young woman, and God spared their lives. They was to die, about three or four days after that. I guess you all seen the paper, you was with me over there, that they spared their lives.

 So they pleaded, and pleaded, and pleaded, the people, that he wouldn't do it. So after while, at the governor of the state...

 The mother, on the outside of the door, one day, fell down on the door, like that, and cried to get in.

 And finally the man come in, said, "The mother of that boy, governor, is--is outside there. She wants to see you."
And the governor said, "Bring her in."

 And the woman, in humility, crawled on her hands and feet, up to the governor, and took a hold of his shoes, and said, "Sir, that's my child. Don't kill him. Don't kill him. He's the only one I got. Don't kill him." Said, "He didn't mean to do that. Just give him life in prison. But don't take his life, governor."
The governor said, "Well, I'll go down and see him."
Said, "All right."

 So the governor went down to the ward where he was at, and they went in. The boy wanted to be arrogant. Said, "Got someone to see you."

 And the governor went in, said, "Young man, I'd like to talk to you." He got real arrogant, just set down, buttoned up, wouldn't say a thing. He said, "Young man, I want you to speak to me. I want to talk to you." And the boy just acted like he didn't even hear him. And he said, "Young man, I can help you if you'll let me."

 Said, "Get out of here. I don't want to hear nothing you got to say."
He said, "Well, son..."

 He said, "Shut up. Don't you see I'm nervous? I don't want to hear one word you're going to say."
He said, "Well, I come..."
He said, "Get out of this cell."
So he walked out. They closed the doors.

 So when he walked back, the guy, the--the police at the ward, at the door, said, "You're the most foolish person."
He said, "Who was that crank, anyhow?"
He said, "That was the governor of the state."

 Said, "No, not the governor. The only man that can pardon me, and I run him out of my cell. The only man that can sign my pardon, and I run him out of the cell."
As the governor went out, said, "He made his choice."

 So, the last thing the boy said, when they put the black mask over his face, to hang him; when they pulled the rope up tight, put the mask over him. Said, "Think of it. The governor stood in my cell and would have pardoned me if I hadn't turned him out."

 How do we know, this morning, that the Governor is not standing by our cell this morning? Don't turn Him away, if you haven't never received pardon from Him. Not only the Governor, but the King, the only One Who can pardon you, He may be standing by that little cell that you been living in for a long time. Why don't you just let Him in, if you haven't, haven't done it, if you haven't made a complete surrender to Him?

 Someday, you'll find out that this little humble way, that you might think is just a bunch of silliness, a bunch of people that don't know what they're talking about, you'll find out, the Governor is here this morning. If you have need, if you're in a little cell of sickness, you can't get out of, the Governor is here. The Governor of the world, He is just, and He will turn you out. He come. He signed your pardon. He just wants to give it to you, this morning. Don't turn it down.

Let's bow our heads a minute.

 If you want a real victory now, with your head bowed, why not surrender and let the Governor of state, let the Governor sign your pardon this morning. He's ready to take you out; take you out from sin, take you out from unbelief, take you out from sickness, take you out from ever what you want. You do it while we pray.
Now you pray in your own way. You talk to Him. See?

 The warden could have talked to the governor. That wouldn't done any good. See? The boy had to talk to the governor. See?  

 You have to talk to the Governor. If you're sick, talk to Him. If you've sinned and done wrong, talk to Him. He has a pardon for you.

 63-0421, Victory Day, House Meeting, Sierra Vista, AZ, 112 min