The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-08-04

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but send no invitation 10 the man who
declined or neglected the other invita-
tions. Are you to blame? Has he a
right to expect to be invited after all
the indignities he has done you? God
in this world has invited us all to the
banquet of his grace. He invited US by
his providence and his spirit 365 days
of every year since we knew our right
hand from our left If we declined it
every time or treated the invitation
with indifference and gave 20 or 40 or . D
years of indignity on our part toward
the banqueter, and at last he spreads
the banquet in a more luxurious and
kingly place, amid the heavenly gar
dens, have we right to expect him to
invite us again, and have we a right to
blame him if he does not invite us?
Only One offcr.
If l2 gates of salvation stood open 20
years or 90 years for our admission, and
at the end of that time they are closed
can we complain of it and say: "These
gates ought to be open again. Give us
another chance?" If 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 advertise
ment before our eyes, and then we go
down to the docks 10 minutes after it
has showed off into the stream and say:
Come back! Give me another chancel
1t is not fair to treat me in this way |
Swing up to the dock again and throw
out planks and let me come on boardv
Such behavior would invite arrest as
madman.
And if, after the gospel ship has lain
at anchor before our eyes for years and
years, and all the benign voices Of earth
and heaven have urged us to get on
board, as she might sail away at any
moment and after awhile she sails
without u.s. is it common sense to ex-
pect her to come back? You might as
well go out on the highlands at Nave
sink and call to the Majestic after she
has been three days out and expect her
to return as to call back an opportunity
for heaven when it once has sped away.
All heaven offered us as gratuity, and
for lifetime we refuse to take it, and
then rush on the bosses of Jehovah s
buclsler demanding another chance.
There ought to be, there can be, there
will be- no such thing as posthumous
opportunity. Thus our common sense
agrees with my text, 'f the tree fall
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 froih 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 made at all. That piles up all
the emphases and all the climaxes and
all the destinios into life here. No 9th.
er chance! Oh, how that augments the
value and the Importance of this chance
Alexander with his army used to sur
round city and then would lift +;
great light in token to the people thai
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
demolition and disaster would follow.
Well, all we need do for our present
and everlasting safety is to make sur
sender to Christ, the king and con
quuroI--S surrender of our hearts, sulren.
der of Cur lives, surrender of everything.
And he keeps great light burning, light
of gospel invitation, light kindled with
the wood Of the cross and flaming NJ
against the dark night Of our sin anC
sorrow. Surrender while that great ligh
continues to burn, for after it goes ou
there will be no other opportunity o
making peace with God through oul
Lord Jesus Christ. Talk of mothe
chance! Why, this is y supornal chance
No Chance In the Next World.
In the time of Edward VI, at tn,
battle of Musselbmg, private sol
dier, seeing that the Earl of Huntley
had lost his helmet, took off his Owl
helmet and put it upon the head Of tn,
earl, and the head of the private soldier
uncovered he was soon slain, while hii
commander rode safely out of the bat
tie. But in our case, instead of a pri
vate soldier offering helmet to an earl
it is king putting his crown upon al
unworthy subject, the king dying thai
we might live. Tell it to all points ot
the compass. Tell it to night and day
Tell it to all earth and heaven. Tell il
to all centuries, all ages, all millen
niums, that we have such magnificent
chance in this world that we need nC
other chance i'll the next.
am in the FURNISHED Judgment hal
of the last day. A great white throne
is lifted, but the judge has not yet tax
en- it. While we are waiting for his ar
rival | hear immortal spirits in conver
| sation. what are you waiting herr
| for?" says soul that went up from
Madagascar TO soul that ascende,
from America. The latter says, 90
came from America, where 40 years
heard the gospel preached and Bibl,
read, and from the prayer that ! learnet
in infancy at my mothers knee unit
my last hour had gospel advantage
but for some reason ] did not make tn
Christian choice, and | am here waitin
for the Judge to give me new tri,
and another chance " ''Stranger' say
the other. Il had but one gospel ca
in Madagascar, and | accepted it, and
do not need another chance.
The Judgment.
"Why are You hereY' says one wh
ON earth had feeblest intellect to on
who had great brain and silvery tongu
and scepters Of influence. The latter II
spends: "Oh, | knew more than my fe
lows ! mastered libraries and ha
learned titles from colleges, and III
name was a synonym for eloquence an
power And yet / neglected my sou
and am here waiting for new trial.
Strange says the one of the feeb
earthly capacity. IL knew but little
worldly knowledge, but l knew Chri
and made him my partner, and hay
no need of another chance.
Now tho ground trcmbles with Il
approaching chariot, The great foldir