The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-02-04


mediate" UNDERSIGNED. 1t was the hear
test possible invitation for the wanderer to
come home. That was the city mission
ary's opportunity. And there are opportu-
mites all about you and on them written
by the hand of God who will bless you. and
press those whom YOU help in capitals of
light, the word Immediate"
military officer very profane in his hab-
Its was going down into mine at Corn
wall, England. with Christian miner. for
many OF those miners are Christians. The
oIfcer used profane language while In the
cage going down. AS they were coming up
out OF the mine the profane officer said
III II be so far down to your work how
much Farther would it be to the bottomless
PIT: The Christian miner responded II
10 not know how far IL is down 10 that
pace nut II this rope should break you
would be there in minute" II was the
Christian miners opportunity. Many years
ago a clergyman was on a sloop on our
hudson river, and hearing a man utter a
biasphemy, 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
Fi,ladelphia. when a young minister ad-
dressed him and asked him if he was not
on n sloop on the Hudson river seven years
before The reply was in the affirmative.
the man whom you corrected for uttering
that oath II led me to think and repent
and ! am trying to atone somewhat for
my early behavior. | am u preacher OF
the gospel and a delegate to the general
assembly" Seven years before on that
Hudson river sloop was the clergyman's
opportunity.
1 stand this minute I'm the presence of
many heads of families. | wonder If they
all realize that the opportunity of innuenc-
rs the household for Christ and heaven is
very brief and viii sooa be gone? For a
while tho house is fun 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 Il my head
would split with all this noise" And things
get broken ana ruined, and ii is where's
my hat? 'Who took my bools?' who
has been busy with my playthiDgs?" And
Il IS a-ruShinG this way, and a-ruShing that.
until father and mother are well night be-
side themselves. 1t is astonishing how
much noise five or six children can make
and not half try. But the years glide swift
Is away After awhile the voices are not
50 many. ana those which stay are more
sedate. First this room gets quiet and
then that room. Death takes some ana
marriage takes others, until after awhile
the house is awfully still. That man yOn-
der would give all he is worth to have that
by who is gone away forever rush into
the room once more with the shout that
was once thought TOO bostcrous. That
mother who was once tried because her
little Eirl. now gone forever, with careless
scissors cut something really valuable,
would like 10 have the child come back,
Wiling to put in her bands tho most Valu-
able wardrobe to cut as she pleascs. Yes!
Yes the house noisy now. will soon be still
en- ugh, / warrant you; and when YOU
began housekeeping, there were just two
OF YOU, there VIII be just two again. On,
the alarming brcvity of infancy ana child
hood, The opportunity Is glorious but II
soon PASSES. Parents may say at ,he close
OF life: what pity We did not do more
Tor the religious welfare of our children
while we had them with us!' But the la
mcutation viii be OF no avail The oppor-
tuuity haa wings and is vanished. When
your child gets out or the cradle let it
climb into the outstretched arms of the
beautiful Christ Come thou and all tn
house into The ark "
lsut there is one opportunity SO much
brighter than any other. so much more in
v.tiug and 80 superior 10 ali others thar
there are iunumerahle fingers pointing TO It.
ana 81 is halood with glory all its own.
n is yours. II is mnei Il is the present
mour. 10 t. tine now. We shall never have
il again. While / speak and you listen the
opportunity is restless as III 70 bc gone. You
cannot chain iJ down. You cannot imprison
Ill You cannot make IL stay. All its pulses
are turoD1ing with q haste that cannot be
hiuacr,l Dv controlled. IT is the opporlun.-
III a. Invitation on my part, and acceptance
on your part. The door OF the place of
Gods mercy is wide open. 60 in. Sit down
and toe kings and queens unto God forever.
Well" YOU say, Il am not ready" You
are ready. Are you a sinner Yes"
ssDo YOU want TO be saved now and for
ever eyes" do you belive that Christ
is able and willing 10 DO the worI?"
Eyes" Then you are saved. You arc in
size tho palace door Of Gods mercy al
ready. You look changed. You are changed.
"lIallelujan It's done,' Did you ever see
anything done so quickly? Invitation Of
fertd and accepted in less than a minute
by my watch or that clock. Sir Edward
Greasy wrote a. book called THE Fifteen
Decisive Battles of the World from
Marathon 10 Waterloo" But the most de
cisivc battle you win ever fight and the
great est victory you win ever gain Is
this moment when you conquer first your
SELF and then all the hindering myrmi-
dous Of pcrdition by saying. Lord Jesus.
here 1 am undone and helpless, 90 be
saved by thee and thee alone" That makes
a panic IN hell. That makes celebration ia
heaven. Opportunity
ON the 1l-h OF January, 1866. a collier
brig ran into the rocks near Walmcr
Beach, England. Simon Pritchard stand
ing on the beach. threw of his coat and
said. WHO viii 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 Pritchard threw
OF his coat all the shipwrecked crew
were safe on the land. Quicker work to-
day. Half that time more than necessary
10 get all this assemblage into the life
0cat Of the gospel and ashore, standing
both feet on the rock of ages. BY the
Two strong ores Of faith and prayer first
pun for the wreck and then pun for the
shore Opportunity
over the city went the cry.
Jesus Of Nazareth passed by!
Let the world go. 1t has abused you
enough and threatened you enough ana
slandcred you enough and damaged you
enough. Even those from whom you ex-
pecteI better things turned out your as
sai1ants: as when Napoleon in his last will
and testament left five thousand francs
10 the man who shot at Wellington IN
the streets OF Paris. Oh, it is mean
world Take the glorious Lord for your
companionship. l like what the good man
sad to one who had everything but re-
Iigion. The aflluent man boosted of what
ne owned and of his splendors of surround
ings putting into insignifcance, as he