The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-03-17
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvOR.

Topic For the Week beginning March f2.
Comment by Rev. $. II. Doyle.
ToPIc.-N Neglected opportunities. The loss
TO others; to ourselves. Est iv, IA; Heb. Ii. Ia
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 10 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. iv, 14). 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 so she must
risk her own life. The opportunity of
great good IS before her, but If she neg
lect the opportunity, what then? Disaster
to herself, and not only to herself, but to
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 homo. 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 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
opportunities, but rise to every emer-
gency and make the best of every posi-
bi1ity we meet.
9. The loss to ourselves (Heb. ii, 1-8).
Neglected opportunities also bring loss
to ourselves. The writer Of Hebrews here
warns his readers against neglect of obe-
dience to Christ on the ground that If
they neglected it they could not escape
the result. His argument is that the neg
lect to obey angels has always been pun
ished, and that since Christ sgreater than
angels as shown in the preceding chap
ter, "how shall we escape If we neglect 30
great salvationy- 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 Christs way Of salvation
will find no escape. The foolish
virgins found none. The door was shut,
and though they clamored for admit
tance it never opened again. 1t is o sod
and awful thought that by mere neg
lect the soul may be lost, yet it is true.
May such 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, 8O-34; xvi, VI; Math. xiii, 83;
Luke xiii, "a, 25; John xii, 85; Rom. ii,
18; Thess. v, 1-6; Gal. vi, 10; Heb. K,
%, 20; Xii, 25; Jas. i, 22-25; Rev. Iii, 8.