Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-03-15
CHRISTIAN ENpEAvoR.
.opic For the Week Beginning March I2.
Comment by Isev. S. III. Doyle.

| .opic For the Week beginning March IL.
Comment by Isev. S. III. Doyle.
ToPIo.-Neglected opportunities. The loss
o others; to ourselves Est. iv, IA; Heb. ii, l-3.
Neglected opportunities. All who have
'eached any advanced stage of life
tnow from experience what neglected
opportunities are All along the path
way of the past are strewn the wrecks
If possibilities TO do good, to receive
sood and to impart possibilities
which were ours once, but which now
! lave gone forever. In our topical refer
lnces we have two phases of neglected
opportunities placed before us-the loss
resulting to others and the loss resulting
% ourselves from this neglect to utilize
ine possibilities for good that have been
before us.
l. The loss to others est iv, 14). 1t is
false to suppose that the result of our
actions, be they of omission or commits
zion, 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 so she must
risk her own life. The opportunity of
great good is before her, but if she neg
lsct the opportunity, what then? Disaster
10 herself, and not only to herself, but to
her loved ones, for Mordecai truthfully
said, If thou altogether holdest thy peace
ut 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
Gelf. 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. Wis ever the OPP
portunity may be, to neglect it means
disastrous effects not only to ourselves,
but to others. Influenced by this fact,
let us, like Esther, not neglect golden
but rise to every emcr-
gency and make the best of every posi-
bility we meet.
2. The loss to ourselves Heb. ii, 1.-3).
Neglected opportunities also bring less
10 ourselves. The writer of Hebrews here
warns his readers against neglect of ODE
Hence to Christ on the ground that if
hey neglected it they could not escape
he result. His argument is that the neg |
ect to obey angels has always been pun
shed, and that since Christ isgreater than
lngels, as shown in the preceding chap
er, chow shall we escape if we neglect so
yreat salvation?" He does not answer
lis question because there can be but
me answer. If we neglect, we cannot
scape. Those who neglected angels
words found no escape. Those who
neglect Christ's way of salvation
will find no escape. The foolish
-irgins found none. The door was shut
nd though they clamored for admit
ance it never opened again. 1t is sad
nd awful thought that by mere neg ,
ect the soul may be lost, yet it is true.
lay such thought lead us to the firm
esolve that as for us we will not neg
ect our salvation! {
Bible References-Lev. iv, 2; Prov.
xiv, 1924; XVI, IA; Math. xiii, SO;
luke xiii, "a. 20; John xii. 50; Rom. ii, /
3; Thess. v, 1-6; Gal. vi, 10; Heb X, :
8, 20; xii. 20; Jas. i, 22-s5; Rev. iii, 3. =