The Bossier banner., 1894-08-02
NUMBER %.

is no future chance for those who have
wasted this.
Multitudes of men who are kept with
in bounds would say: go to, now!
Let me get all out of this life there is
in it. Come, gluttony, and inebriation,
and uncleanness, and revenge, and
sensualities, and wait upon me! My
life may be somewhat shortened in
this world by dissoluteness, but that
will only make Heavenly indulgence on
a larger scale the sooner possible. Twill
overtake the saints at last, and will en-
ter the Heavenly Temple only little
later than those who behaved them
selves here. l will on my way to
heaven take a little wider excursion
than those who were on earth pious,
and l shall go to heaven via Gehenna
and via Sheol." Another chance in the
next world means free license and wild
abandonment in this.
Suppose you were party in an inn
portant case at law. and you knew
from consultation with judges and at
torneys that it would be tried twice,
and the first trial would be of little i'm
portance, but that the second would
decide everything; for which trial
would you make the most preparation,
for which retain the ablest attor-
neys, for which be most anxious
about the attendance of wit
nesses? You would put all the
stress upon the second trial, all the
anxiety, all the expenditure, saying:
''The first is nothing, the last is every
thing" Give the race assurance of
second and more important trial in the
subsequent life, and all the prepara-
ton for eternity would be post NOR
tem," post funeral, post sepulehral,
and the world with one jerk be pitched
off into impiety and godlessness.
All Heaven offered us as a gratuity,
and for a lifetime we refused to take it,
and then rush on the bosses of Jeho-
vah's buskler demanding another
chance. There ought to be, there can
be, there will be no such thing as post
humous opportunity. Thus our COM
mon sense agrees with my text-''If 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 the world
up, from 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 ever made at all. That piles
up all the emphases and all the
climaxes and all the destinies into life
here. No other chance! Oh, how that
augments the value and the Importance
of this chance!
| am in the FURNISHED judgment hall
of the last day. A great white throne
is lifted, but the Judge has not yet
taken it. While we are waiting for
His arrival l hear immortal spirits in
conversation. what are you waiting
here for?" says soul that went up
from Madagascar to soul that
ascended from America. The lat
ter says: 81 came from Ameri-
ca, where forty years / heard
the Gospel preached the Bible
read, and from the prayer that learned
in infancy and at my mothers knee
until my last hour had Gospel advan-
tage, but, for some reason, did not
take the Christian choice, and l am
here waiting for the Judge to give me
new trial and another chance"
STRANGE" says the other; II had
but one Gospel call in Madagascar, and
/ accepted it and do not need another
chance
"What are you here for?" says one
who on earth had feeblest intellect, to
one who had great brain, and silvery
tongue, and scepters of influence. The
latter responds: ''Oh, knew more
than my fellows. / mastered libraries,
and had learned titles from colleges,
eloquence and power. And yet / neg
lected my soul, and / am here waiting
for new trial" Strange" says the
one of the feeble earthly capacity; Il
knew but little of worldly knowledge,
but knew Christ, and made Him my
partner, and have no need of another
| chance"
Now the ground trembles with the
approaching chariot. The great fold
ing doors of the hall swing open,
''Stand back!' cry the celestial ushers.
DLdnCl DdChs anu lcG IIlc JuNtSc VI IulCh
and dead pass through He takes the
| throne, and, looking over the throng
of nations, He says: Come to judg-
ment, the last judgment, the only judg-
mentm BY one flash from the throne
| all the history of each one flames forth
| to the vision of himself and all others.
''Divide!' says the Judge to the as
sembly ''Divider' echo the walls. 'Di-
vide!' cry the guards angelic.
And now the immortals separate,
rushing this way and that, and after
awhile there is great aisle between
them, and great vacuum widening
and widening, and the Judge, turning
to the throng on one side, says: 'He
that is righteous, let him be righteous
still, and he that is holy, let him be
holy still;" and then, turning toward
the throng on the opposite side, He
says: ''He that is unjust, let him be
unjust still, and he that be filthy, let
him be filthy STILL" and then, lifting
/ one hand toward each group, lie
declares: IF the tree fall toward he
south or toward the north, in the place
| xr-ho-a 4ba +raa foJlafh fbara IL ShaIl