Connecticut western news., 1895-02-07

would it be to the bottomless pit?" The Christian miner responded, 'I do not know how far it is down to that place, but if this rope should break you would be there in minute. 1t was the Christian miners opportunity Many years ago clergyman was on sloop on our Hudson river, and hearing a man utter a blasphemy the clergyman said, "You have spoken against my best ] friend, Jesus Christ" Seven years after this same clergyman was on his way to the general assembly of the Presbyterian church at Philadelphia, when young minister addressed him and asked him if he was not on sloop on the Hudson river seven years before: The reply was in the affirmative. Well" said the young minister, 'I was the man whom you corrected for uttering that oath. It led me to think and repent, and am i trying to atone somewhat for my early behavior l am preacher of the gospel and a delegate to the general assembly. 1 Seven years before on that Hudson river sloop was the clergyman opportunity. stand this minute in the presence of | many heads of families. 1 wonder If l they all realize that the opportunity for | influencing the household for Christ and | heaven is very brief and will soon be | gone? For awhile the house is full of | the voices and footsteps of children. You sometimes feel that you can hardly stand | the racket. You say: Do be quiet! It seems as if my head would split with all | this noise. And things get broken and ruined, and it is, Where's my hatP "Who took my books?" ''Who has been | busy with my playthings?" And it is a-rushing this way, and rushing that, until father and mother are well nigh beside themselves
 It is astonishing how much noise five | or six children can make and not half try. But the years glide swiftly away. | After awhile the voices are not so many, and those which stay are more sedate. | First this room gets quiet, and then | that room. Death takes some, and mar | riage takes others, until after awhile l ne house is awfully still That man | yonder would give all he is worth to | have that boy who is gone away forever | rush into the room once more with the shout that was once thought too bolster | ous.
 | That mother who was once tried be- cause her little girl, now gone forever, with careless scissors cut up something really valuable would like to have the 1 child come back, willing to put in her hands the most valuable wardrobe to cut as she pleases. Yes, yes. The house noisy now will soon be still enough, l war rant you, and as when you began house keeping there were just two of you, there will be just two again. Oh, the alarming brevity of infancy and child hoodl The opportunityis glorious, but | 1t soon passes. Parents may say at the close of life, "What a pity we did not do more for the religious welfare of our children while we had them with usP' But the lamentation will be of no avail The opportunity had wings, and it van ished. When your child gets out of the cradle, let it climb into the outstretched arms of the beautiful Christ Come thou and all thy house into the ark. " The Great Chance.
 But there is one opportunity so much brighter than any other, so much more | inviting, and so superior to all others that there are innumerable fingers point ing to it. and it is haloed with glory all its own. It is yoursl It is minel It | is the present hour. It is the now. We shall never have it again. While speak and you listen the opportunity is restless as if to be gone. You cannot chain it down You cannot imprison it. You cannot make it stay. All Its pulses are throbbing with haste that cannot be hindered or controlled. It is the oppor- tunity of invitation on my part and ac- ceptance on your part. The door of the palace of Gods mercy is wide open. Go in. Sit down and be kings and queens unto God forever Well" you say, T am not ready" You are ready. Are you sinner?" "Yes. Do you want to be saved now and forever?" "Yes. Do you believe that Christ is able and willing to do the work?" ''Yes. Then you are saved. You are inside the palace door of Gods mercy already. You look changed. You are changed. "Hallelu- iah, 'tis donel" Did you ever see any thing done so quickly? Invitation offer ed and accepted in less than minute by my watch or that clock Sir Edward Greasy wrote book called, 'The Eff teen Decisive Battles of the World, From Marathon to Waterloo. But the most decisive battle that you will ever fight, and the greatset victory you will ever gain, Is this moment when you conquer first yourself and then all the hindering myrmidons of perdition by saying, Lord Jesus, here am, undone and helpless, to be saved by thee and thee alone. That makes a panic in he'll. That makes celebration in heaven. Opportunity
 On the 11th of January, 1866. col Her brig ran into the rocks near Wal mer beach, England. Simon Pritchard, standing on the beach, threw of his coat and said, "Who will help me save that crew?'' Twenty men shouted, "I will, " though only seven were needed. Through the awful surf the boat dashed, and in 15 minutes from the time Pritch- ard threw off his coat all the shipwreck- ed crew were safe on the land. Quick or work today Half that time more than necessary to get all this assemblage into the lifeboat of the gospel and ashore, standing both feet on the Rock of Ages ] By the two strong oars of faith and prayer first pull for the wreck and then pull for the shore Opportunity
 Over the city went the cry,
 Jesus of Nazareth passeth byi
 What It Brings.
 Let the world go It has abused you enough, and cheated you enough, and slandered you enough. and damaged you enough. Even those from whom you expected better things turned out