The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1890-04-03


ity or lack OF appreciation OF the crisis, or
through procrastination, we let the chance
go by. How much time we have wasted in
thinking Of what we might have said or
might have done! We spend hours and days
and years in walking around that
dead lion We cannot resuscitate &C. It
will never open its eyes again. There will
never be another spring in its paw. Dead as
any feline terror of South Africa, through
whose heart thirty years ago Gordon Cum
ming sent the slug. Don'tset us give any
more time to the deploring OF the dead past.
There are other great opportunities remain
ing They may not I've as great. but they are
worthy our attention. Small opportunities
all around, opportunities for the saying of
kind words and doing of kind deeds. Helm
lessness 20 b. hclped. Disheartened ones TO
he encouraged Lost ones 10 be found.
Though tAe present may be insignificant as
compared with the past, Better Is II living
dog than n dead lion.
The most useless and painful feeling is the
one of regret Repent OF lost opportunities
we must, and get pardon we may. but re-
grets weaken, dshearten and cripple for fu-
| turs work. II sea Captain who once had
| charge OF n White Star steamer across the
| Atlantic Ocean, one foggy night runs on "a
/ rock Off Newfoundland and passengers and
ship perish. shall he refuse 10 take command
/ OF IA small boat up tho North River, AMI say:
| III never will 90 ON tue water again unless
| can run ono OF the White star liner Shall
! the engineer of n lightning express, who at
| tho station msreah the telegram OF the train
dispatcher nnd went into collision, and for
that has been put down to the work OF
! engineering on freight train, say: II
never will again mount an engine I'M
less | can run n vestihue express" Take
what Won have Of opportunity left. DO your
bpS. with what remains. Your shortest win-
tor dny il worth more to YOU than can be the
longest day of IA previous summer. Your
opportunity Row, as compared with previous
opportunities, may he small rs rat terrier
compared with the lion which at Matabosa
fatally wounded hy the gun Of David Liv-
ingstonc. in its death agony lcapcd upon the
missionary explorer and with its jaws crushed
the bone ot his arm tp splinters. and then
rollci over and expired, but, Better is n
living cog than dead lion
| NV text also means that the condition of
the most wretched man alive is better than
that Of the most favored sinners departed.
The chance OF these last Is gone. Where they
are they cannot make any earthly assets
available. After Char,cungno was dead he
was set in an ornnmcntcd sepulchor on "A
goldcl throne, ami crown was put ON his
cold brow, and q sceptcr in his stir hand,
but that gave him no doilEior in tho next
world. One of the most intensely interest
ing things | saw last winter in Egypt was
Pharaoh of oldcn times the very Pharaoh
VINO oppressed the lSracl.cs. The inscrip-
tions on his slrcophngls aud the writing on
his mummy bandagcs prove beyond contro.
NcrSy that he was the Pharaoh OF Bible times
All the Egyptologists and the explorations
: agroe that IL il the old scoundrc himself.
] Visible arc the very teeth with which he
gnashri ngnius. the GSracitish brick makers.
There arc the sockets Of the merciless eyes
with which he looked upon the overhurdCued
people Of God. There is the hair that iioated
in tho hrcesc or the Rcd Soa. There are the
very lips with which he commanded them to
make bricks without straw. Thousands OF
! af Xylnn ha "a nf
: mum.ny were unrolled old Pharoah lifted up
his arm as il in imploration, but his skinny
; bones cannot again clutch his shattered
! srcptre. He is a dead lion. And is not any
: man now living IN the fact that he has OPP
pOrtunity of repentance and salvation, better
or than any of those departed ones who, by
authority or possessions Of influence, were
positively leonine, and yet wicked2
What thing to congratulate you on Is
} your lifc Why, IL Is worth more than all
; the gems of the universe knied into ono
, precious stone. am alive! What does that
mcaly Why it means that | still have all
| opportunity of being saved myself and help
inS others 10 be saved. To b. alive! Why,
: IL means that have yet another chance to
correct my past mistakes and make sure
work for heaven. Alive, are we? Come, let
us celebrate it by new resolutions, new self
, examination, new conservation aud n new
career. The smallest aud most Insignificant
to-layis worth to us more than five hundred
yesterdays. Taking advantage of the pres
, ent let MS get pardon for all the past and
| security for all the future. Where are our
forgiven sins? | don't know God don't
know either He says; "Your sins and in
iquitcs will | remember no more"
What encouragement in the text for all
l Christian workers. Despair OF no ones sal
vat,on. While there is life there is hope.
When in England young lady asked for a
? class in Sunday-school, the superintendent
2 said, Better go ont on the street and get
> your own class" She brought in n ragged
and filthy boy. The superintendent gave
, him good apparel. In few Sundays he
$ absented himself. Inquiry discovered that
in street fight h had his decent apparel
torn or. lie was brought in and n second
time respectfully clad. After a few Sundays
he again disappeared, and it was found that
, he was again ragged and wretChed. Then, "
} said the teacher, "wo can do nothing with
him" But tho superintendent fitted him up
again and started him again.
After awhile the gospel took hold Of him
: and his heart changed. He started for the
ministry and became foreign missionary,
and on heather grounds lived and Translated
tho Scriptures and preached, until among
the most illustrioIs names OF the chnrch on
earth and in heaven is the name of glorious
; Robert Morrison. Gro forth and save the lost,
and remember however depraved, however
, ragged, and however filthy and undOno u
, child is, or u man is or a woman is they are
worth an effort. | would rather have their
opportunity than any that will ever bo given
to those who lived in magnificent sin and
splendid unrightoousness and then wrap their
gorgeous tapestry around them and without a
prayer expired. Better is a living dog than
"A dead lion.
In the great day it viii be found that the
last shall be iigst. There ar3 in the grog
shops and in the haunts Of iniquity to-day
those who will yet be models of holiness and
preach Christ u the people. In yonder group
Of young men who came here with no useful
purpose, there is one who viii yet live Tor
Clrist and perhaps dio for him. In "a pulpit
stood a stranger preaching, and he said:
'The last time was in this church was flf-
teen years ago, and the circumstances were
peculiar Three young men had come ex-
pecting 10 disturb the service and they had
stones in their pockets wlnch they expected
10 hurl at the preacher. One OF the Young
men referred to refused 10 take part In the
assault, ani the others, in disgust at his cow.
Crdice, left the building. One of the three
was hanged for forgery. Another is in prison,
condemned to death Tor murder. | was the
ta.rd, hut the grace of God saved me-"
My hearers, give no one up. The case may
seem desperate, but the grace of God likes 10
undertake dead life. proclaim 1t this cay
to all the people--Free GIace Living aid