The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1895-02-09

"a ~ - 49, 80
possibility, When the Holy Spirit is
moving on n community is the best
time to tell a man he ought to be saved.
BY n word; by a smile; by a look; by n
prayer; the work must be SO thorough
ly lone that all eternity cannot undo
it. Be on the watch. 1t may be a
gladness; it may be 4 horror; but it
will be an opportunity.
stand this minute in the presence
of many heads OF families. ! wonder
IL they all realize that the opportunity
Of influencing the household for Christ
and Heaven i very brief. and will soon
be gone? For a while the house is full
of the voices and footsteps of children.
You sometimes feel that you can hard
ly stand the racket. You say: "Do De
quiet! 1t seems as II my head would
split with all the noise" And things
get broken eni ruined, and 1t Is:
Where's my hate" Who took my
books2' who has been busy with
my playthings?" And it is a-rushing
this way, and a-rushins that. until
father and mother are well nigh beside
themselves. 1t is astonishing how
much noise five or six chill
drcn can make and not half
try. Bnt the years glide swiftly
away. After awhile the voices arc
not so many. and those who stay are
more sciate. First this room gets
quiet, md tho1 that room. Death.
takes some, and marriage takes others,
until after awhile the house is awfully
still. Tnat man yoa Ter would give all
he i5 worth TO nIvs tiIt BOY who Is
zone away forever rush into the room
onoe more with the shout hat wa
once thought toe boisterous. That
mother who was once tried because
her little girl, now gone forever, with
careless scissors cut up something
really valuable, would like TO rave the
child come back, willing to put in her
hands the most valuable wardrobe to
cut as she pleases. Yes! Yesl The house
noisy now will soon be still enough, I
warrant you; and as when you began
housekeeping, there were just two Of
you. there will be Just two again. Oh,
the alarming brcvity of infancy and
ohildhoodl The opportunity is glorious,
but it soon passes. Parents may say at
the close of life: what n pity we did
not do more for the religious welfare
Of our children while we hal them with
us!" But the lamentation will be OF
no avail. Tho opportunity had wings
and it vanished. When your child gets
out Of the cradle let It climb into the
oustretched arms of the beautiful
Christ Come thou and all thy house
into the ark"
But thore Is one opportunity, SO
much brighter than any other; SO much
more inviting. and SO superior to all
others that there are innumerahle
fingers pointing to it. and it Is haloed
with a glory all its wi It Is yours!
It Is minel 1t Is the present hour. It
il the now. We shall never have il
again. While I speak and you listen
the opportunity Is restless as II to be
gone. You cannot chain it down. You
cannot imprison it. You annot make
1t stay. All its pulses are throbbin2
with o haste that cannot be hin.
dered or controlled. It Is the op-
portunity of invitation on my part
and acceptance on your part. The door
Of the palace of Gods mercy is wide
open. Go in. Sit down, AMI be kiays
and queens INTO God forever. WELL
you say. II am not ready" You are
ready. "Are you a sinner" Eyes"
"Do you want to be saved now and for
ever?" Yes" do You believe that
Christ Is willing and able TO do the
work?" Eyes" Then you IRE saved.
You r inside the palace door of Gods
mercy already. You look changed.
You arc changed. .Hallelujah, tits
done!' Did you ever see anything done
* quickly? Invitation offered and nc.
cepted in less than o minute by my
watch CT that clock.
On the 1lth of January, 1864, a collier
brig ran into the rocks near Walmer
Beach, England, Simon Pritchard,
standing ON the beach, threw off his
coat and said: "Who will help me save
that crew." Twenty men shouted: Il
WILL" though only seven were needed.
Through the awful surf the boat
dashed, and in fifteen minutes from
the time Pritcaard threw OF his
coat all the shipwrecked crew were safe
on the land. Qaicker work to-day,
Half that time more than necessary to
get oil this assemble % into the life,
boat Of the Gospel, and ashore, stand
ing both feet on the Rock Of ages. by
the Two strong oars of faith and prayer
first pull for the wreck aud then pull
for b shore. Opportunity
Over the city went the cry. 2
Jesus OF Eazareth passeth byi
enough. and chealed you enou III. and
slandered you enough, and dana ed
you enough. Even those from whom
you expected better things turned out
your ASSISTANTS
A scotch shepherd was dying and
had the pastor called in, The dying
shepherd said to his wife, Mary
please go into the next room, for !
want to see the minister alone" Waen
the two were alone tho dyiay shep Ier1
said: II have known the Dible AL my
life, but l am going, and l am 'afcerd
TO dec.'" Then the pastor quo ed the
Psalm, Tho Lord is my Shepherd; |
shall not want" Yes, mon," said the
shepherd, II was familiar with that
before you were born, out lam a.goin',
the pastor, You know that the Psalm
says, Though | walk throu h the val.
Icy OF tho shadow of death, I will fear
no evil" Yes, said the dying shep.
herd, ~ knew that before you were
born, but it does not help me" "fhen."
said tho pastor don't you know
that sometimes when you were driviu,
the sheep down through tho valleys
and ravines thore would be shadows
all about you, while there was plenty
of sunshine on the hills above? You
are in the shadows now, but it Is sun.
shine higher up" Then said the dying
shepherd: "Ah! that Is good Inever
saw 1t that way before. All is well.
Though ] pass through the valley of
the shadow Of death. Thou art with
me- Shadows here. but sunshine
above" So the dying shepherd got
peace. Living and dying may we have
the same peace! Opportunity. Under
the arch of that splendid word let tnis
multitude of my hearers pass into the
pardon. and hope, and triumph Of the
Gospel. Go BY companies of a
hundred each. Go by re yiments of u
thousand each. The aged leaning ON
the staff; the midile-aged throwing of
their burdens as they pass; and the
young to have their present joys aug
mented by more glorious satisfaction.
Forward into the Kingdom! As soon
as you pass the dividing line there will
be shouting all up ana down the hcav-
ems. The crowned immortals will look
down and cheer. Jesus Of the many
scars will rejoice at the result OF his