The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1894-06-29


His spirit three hundred and sixty
i've days of every year since we knew
our right hand from our left If we
declined IL every time, or treated the
invitation with Indifference, and gave
twenty or forty or fifty years Of indig-
nifty on our part toward the banqueter.
and at last He spreads the banquet in q
more luxurious and kingly place, amid
the heavenly gardens, have we right
to expect Him to invite us again, and
have we "a rigat to blame Him if he
does not invite us?
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 us, is it common sense to ex.
pect her to come back? You might as
well 60 out an the Highlands at Never
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 has
once sped away.
All Heaven offered us as a gratuity,
and for lifetime we refused to take it,
and then rush on the bosses of Jeho-
vah's buslxler demanding another
chance. There ought to be, there can
be, there win 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 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 chancel Oh, how that
augments the value and the Importance
of this chance!
Alexander with his army used to sur.
round a city, and then would lift a
great light in token to the people that,
if they surrendered before that light
went out, all would be well; but if once
the light want out, then the battering
rams would swing against the wall,
and demolition and disaster would fol-
low. Well, all we need to do for our
present and everlasting safety is
to make surrender to Christ, the
King and Conqueror- surrender of
our hearts, surrender of our
lives, surrender of everything. And
He keeps great light burning, light
of Gospel invitation, light kindled
with the wood of the cross and flaming
up against the dark night of our sin
and sorrow. Surrender while that
great light continues to burn, for after
it goes out there viii be no other OPP
portunity of making peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Talk
of another chancei Why, this is a
supernal chance!
In the time of Edward VI, at the
battle of Musselburgh, a private sol
der, seeing that the earl of Huntley
had lost his helmet, took off his own
helmet and put it upon the head of the
earl; and the head of the private SOL
der uncovered, he was soon slain,
while his commander rode safely out
of the battle. But in our case, instead
of a private soldier offering helmet
TO an earl, it is a King putting His
crown upon an unworthy subject,
the King dying that we might live.
Tell it to all points of the compass.
Tell it to night and day. Tell it to all
earth and Heaven. Tell it to all cen
turtles, all ages, all milleniums, that
we have such magnificent cha nee in
this world that we need no other
chance in the next.
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 a soul that went up
from Madagascar to a soul that
assembled from America. The lat
ter says: 81 came from Ameri-
ca, where forty years 1 heard
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 I am
here waiting for the Judge to give me
a new trial and another chance"
stranger says the other; 81 had
but one Gospel call in Madagascar, and
/ accepted it and do not need another
chance"
'sWhat are you here for?" says one
who on earth had feeb1est intellect, to
one who had great brain, and silvery
tongue, and scepters of influence. The
latter responds: ''Oh, I knew more
than my fellows / mastered libraries,
and had learned titles from colleges,
and my name was a synonym for
eloquence and power And yet 1 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-
s'Stand back, and let the Judge of quick
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-
mentr' BY one flash from the throne
all the history of each one flames forth
to the vision Of himself and all others.
''DivideI" says the Judge to the as
sembly. ''Divide.' echo the walls. 'sDi
vide!" cry the guards angelic
And now the immortals separate
rushing this way and that, and after