The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1893-03-07

Topic For the Week beginning March 2.
Comment by Rev. S. II. Doyle.
TopIc-Neglectod opportunities. The loss
70 others; to ourselves. Est. w Il; Heb. Il, 10.
Neglected opportunities. All who have
reached any advanced stage of life
know from experience what neglected
opportunities are. All along the path
way of the past are.strewn the wrecks
of possibilities to do good, to receive
good and to impart good--possibilities
which were ours once, but which now
have gone forever. In our topical refer
ences we have two phases of neglected
opportunities placed before us--the loss
resulting to others and the loss resulting
to ourselves from this neglect to utilize
the possibilities for good that have been
before us.
/. The loss to others est iy, l4). 1t is
false to suppose that the result of our
actions, be they of omission or commits
sion, end with ourselves. The enemies
of the Jesus have perfected a plot by
which they are to be destroyed. Esther
as queen is possibly the only one who
can save them. But to do 50 she must
risk her OWL life The opportunity of
great good is before her, but if she neg
lect the opportunity, what then? Disaster
to herself, AID not only to herself, but 70
her loved ones, for Mordecai truthfully
said, IF thou altogether holdest thy peace
at this time, thou and thy fathers house
shall be destroyed" BY her neglect
ruin would also come to the loved ones
of her home. This is the universal rule of
action or neglect. No one lives to him
self. Consciously or unconsciously our
every action affects some one else. So
it is with our neglects. The neglect Of
the parent to accept Christ may cause
the child to neglect him. The neglect of
the Christian to live consistently may
cause those who make no profession to
ignore Christianity. Whatever the OPP
portunity mGy be, to neglect it means
disastrous elects not only TO ourselves,
but to other. Influenced by this fact,
let us, like Esther, not neglect golden
opportunities but rise to every emer-
gency and make the best of every posi-
bility we meet.
2. The loss to ourselves Heb. H. 1-3).
Neglected opportunities also bring less
to ourselves. The writer of Hebrews here
warns his readers against neglect of ODE
dience to Chist on the ground that if
they neglected it they could not escape
the result. E.y argument is that the neg
lect to obey angels has always been pun
ished, and that since Christ isgreater than
angels, as s.. own in the preceding chap
ter, "how shall we escape if we neglect so
great salvation!" He does not answer
his question because there can be but
one answer. If we neglect, we cannot
escape. Those who neglected angels
words found no escape. Those who
neglect Christ's way of salvation
will find no escape. The foolish
virgins found none. The door was shut.
and though they clamored for admit
lance it never opened again. 1t is SGD
and awful thought that by mere neg
lect the soul may be lost, yet it is true.
May such a thought lead us to the firm
resolve that as for us we will not neg
lect our salvation!
Bible References-Lev. iv, 2; Prov.
xiv, 30-34; XVI, Ia; Math. xiii, SO;
Luke xiii, "a, %; John xii, 35; Rom. ii,
10; Thess. y, 1-6; Gal. VII TO-, Hob. x,
%, 80; xii, %; Jas. i, 22-25; Rev. iii, 8.