The Bossier banner., 1885-11-19

invited US by his providence and his Spiril
385 days of every year since we knew out
right hand from our left. II we declines
it every time, or treated the invitation
with indifference, and gave twenty OF
forty or fifty years of indignity on our
part toward the Banqueter, and at last He
spreads the banquet in more luxuriant
and kingly place, amid the heavenly gar
dens, have we right to expect Him to in.
vite US again, and have we a right to
blame Him if He does not invite us? II
twelve gates of salvation stood open
twenty years or fifty years, for our ad-
mission, and at the end of that time they
are closed, can we complain of it and say i:
"These gates ought to be open again. Give
US another chance" II the steamer is to
sail for Hamburg, and we want TO get to
Germany by that line, and we read In
every evening and every morning news
paper that it will sail on certain day, for
two weeks we have that advertisement
before our eyes, and then we go down to
the docks fifteen minutes after it
has showed off into the stream
and say: "Come back. Give me another
chance. 1t is not fair to treat me in this
way. Swing up to the dock again, and
throw out the planks, and let me- come on
board" Such behavior would invite ar.
rest as madman. And if, after the gos-
pei ship has lain at anchor before our
eyes for years and years, and years, aud
all the benign voices of earth and Heaven
have urged us to ge5 on board, as she
might sail away any moment, and after
ho h =
sense to expect her to coma back? You
might as we'll go out on the Highlands a.
Neversink and call to the Auran
after she has been three days out,
and expect her to return, as to call
back an opportunity for Heaven when il
once has sped away. All Heaven offered
us as gratuity and for lifetime we refuse
to take it, an then rush on the bos ses of
Jehovah's buckler demanding ano her
chance. There ought to be, there can be,
there will be, no such thing as post
humous opportunity. Thus our common
sense agrees with my text: "If the tree
falls toward the south or toward the
north, in, the place where the tree falleth
there it shall be-"
You see that this idea lifts this world up
from an unimportant way station to a
platform of stupendous issues, and makes
all eternity whirl around This hour.
But one trial for which all the preparation
must be made in this world, or
never never made at all. That
piles up all the emphasis and all the
climaxes and all the dest nies into life
here. No other chancei On, how that aug
ments the value and the importance of
this chance! Alexander, with his army,
used to surround city and then would
lift great light in token to the people
that, if they surrendered before that light
went out all would be well, but if once the
light went out then the battering rams
would swing against the wall, and demoli-
tion and disaster would follow. Well, all
we need to do for our present and ever.
lasting safety is to make surrender to
Christ, the King and Conqueror; surren-
der of our hearts, surrender of our lives,
surrender of everything. And he keeps a
great light burning-lighs of gospel
invitation, light kin lied with
the wood OF the cross and flaming up
against the dark night of our sin and sorrow.
Surrender while that great light continues
to burn, for after it goes out there will be
no other opportunity of making peace
with God through our Lord Jesus CHRIS.
Talk of another chance! Why, this s SUI
pernal chance. In the time of Edward
VI, at the battle of Musselburg, p ivate
soldier, seeing that the Earl of Huntley
had lost his helmet, took off his own he'll
met and put it upon the head OF the Earl,
ana the head of the private soldier un-
covered. he was soon slain, while his com.
mander rode safely out of the bat.
tie. But, in GU case, instead of a
private soldier offering his helmet to an
Earl, il is a King putting his crown
upon an unworthy subject, the King
dying that we might live. Tell it TO all
points of the compass. Tell it to night and
day. Tell it to a ca ta and Heaven. Tell
it to all centuries, all ages, all miIleniums,
that we have such a magnificent chance tn
this world that we neei no other chance
in the next.
A dream: l am in the FURNISHED iudg-
ment hau OF the last day. A great white
throne is lifted, bu1 The Judge has no. vet
taken it. While we are waiting for his
arrival, | hear immortal spirits in CONVEX
sation: "What are you wait ng here for"'
says soul that went up from Madagascar
to soal that ascended from America The
latter says: II came from Amer lea, where
forty years heard the Gospel preached,
and the Bible read, and from th5 prayer l
learned in infancy at my moaher's knees
until my last hour, l had gospel
advantage, but for some reason | did not
make the Christian choice, and am here
waiting for the Judge to give me nav
trial, another chance" Strange" saws
the other, 81 had but ona gospel call at
Madagascar, and accepted it, and do not
need another chance" "Why are you
herep says ons who on earth had tle
feeblest to one who mad great brain and
silvery tongue, aud scapters of lnfiusnc
The latter responds: "Oh, knew more than
my fellows. l mastered Libraries, ami
had learned titles from colleges and
my name was a synony m TO. eloqu nee
and power. And yet neglected my soul'
and am here waiting for new
trial." 'SIrangew says one of tbe
feeble earthly capacity, 81 knew but lit
tie of worldly knowledge, but 1 knew
Christ aad made him my partner and l
have no neei of anothe.- chance" Now the
ground trembles with the apptoachinl
Chariot The great folding doors of tue