The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-08-27
Suppose we let that opportunity sail away,

Suppose we let that opportunity sail away,
and then we look out and say: "Send back
that opportunity; I want to take 1t; it isn't
treating me fairly. Give me another chance"
Why, my brother, you might as we'll go out
and stand on the Highlands at the Navesink
three days after the Majestic has gone out,
and shout: "Captain, come back; want to
go to Liverpool on the Majestic. Come back
over the sea and through the Narrows and
| up to the docks. Give me another chance"
You might as we'll do that as, after the last
| opportunity of heaven has sped away. try to
get tit back again. Just think OF 1t! 1t came
on me yesterday in my study with over
whelming impressiveness. Just think of it.
All heaven offered US as gratuity for a
whole lifetime, aud yet we wanting to rush
| chance!" There ought to be, there will be,
| no such thing as posthumous opportunity.
You see common. sense agrees with my text
| in saying that "if the tree fall toward the
south, or toward the north, in the place
| where the tree falleth, there it shall be-"
| You see this idea lifts this world from an I'M
| important way-station to platform of stu
around this hour. Oh, my soul! my soul!
Only one trial, and all the preparation for
| that trial to be made in this world, or never
made at all. Oh. my soul! my soul! You see
this piles up all the emphasis and all the
ciimaxes and all the destines into this life.
No other chance. Oh, how that intensifies
the value and the importance of this chance.
around city and they would kindle great
| light, with the understanding that As long
as that light was burning the city might sur
render, and all would be well, but if they
let that light go ont, then the battering rams
would swing against the walls and there
would come disaster and demolition
Oh, my friends. all you and I need to
to surrender to the King and Con-
| queror, Christ. Surrender hearts, sur
| render life, surrender everything. The
great light keeps burning, light kindled
by the wood of the cross, light flaming up
against the dark night of our sin and sor-
| row. Oh, let us surrender before the light
goes out, and with it our last opportunity
| OF making our peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, my brother fall,
about another chance; this is the supernal
chance. In the time OF Edward H., at the
battle of MuSselDurgh, private soldier saw
the Earl of Huntley hal lost his helmet
The private soldier took off his helmet and
went up to the Earl of Huntey and put the
| helmet on his head. Now, the head of the
private soldier uncovered, he was soon
| slain, while his commander rode in
| safety through and out of the battle. But it
| is different in our case. Instead OF private
| Offering helmet to an earl. it is the K ng
| of heaven and earth Offering crown to an
unworthy subject, the King dying that we
might live! Ga, tell it to the points Of the
compass, tell it TO day and night, tell it to
earth and heaven, tel it to all the centuries
and all the millenniums that God has given
| us magnificent chance in this world and
that we need no other chance in another!
A dream. / am in the burnsher Judgment
| hall on the last day. The great white throne
| is lifted. but the Judge has not yet taken ii.
While we are waiting for His arrival hear
| the immortals in conversation. "What are
you waiting for?' says a soul that went up
| from Madagascar to a soul that went up
from America. The latter responds: 81 was
in America forty years ago. and heard the
gospel preached, and hat plenty of Bibles
! in my house, and from the time that | knat
at my mothers knee in prayer until my last
| hour, had great opportunities; but I did
not improve them, and am here to-day wait
| ing for another chance. "Strange, strange"
| says the soul just come up from Madagascar.
| "Strange; why. L never heard the gospel call
but once in all my life. and I accepted it.
and don't want another chance" ''What
are you waiting for?" says one VINO on earth
| had very feeble intellect to one who had
| great brain and whose voice was silvery and
who had scepters of power. The latter re-
piled: 81 had great power on earth. I
must admit, and I mastered languages
and l mastered libraries. aud colleges con-
ferred upon me learned titles. and my
name was Ia synonym for eloguence and
| power; but somehow l neglected the mat
tiers of my soul and l must con ess to
| you l am here to-day waiting for another
chance" Now, the ground trembles with
the advancing chariot. The great folding
| doors of the FURNISHED hall OF judgment are
| 4 Iroxr, ,ooIrS /
| land let the Judge of quick and dead
pass through" He takes the throne.
He looks off upon the throngs of ma
tions come to the last judgment, come
to the only Judgment, and one flash
| from the throne reveals each mans his
tory to himself. and reveals it to all the
others. And then the Judge says: sd =
viden and the FURNISHED walls echo it, "Di-
vide!' and the guides angelic answer. obi
vide!' and the immortals are rushing this
way and that, until there if an aisle bet ween
| them, a great aisle; and then a vacuum,
widening and widening, until the Judge
| looks to one side ofthat vacuum. and atl-
dresses the throne and says: Let him that
is righteous be righteous sill, and let him
that is holy be holy STILL" And then. turn
ing to the throng On the other side of
the vacuum, He says; 'Let him that
is unjust be unjust still, and let him
that is filthy be filthy still" And then
He stretches out both hands. one toward the
throng on each side the vacuum, and says:
1T the tree fall toward the SOUTH or oward
the north, in the place where the tree falleth,
there it shall be-" And then I hear some
thing jar with great sound. 1t is the clos
ing of the Book OF Judgment. The Judge
ascends the stairs behind the throne The
Hall of the last Assize is cleared and shut.
The High Court of Eternity adjourned for.
ever.