Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-08-26
REV. DR.. TALMAGE,
The Eminent Divine's SUNDAY
Discourse.
Subject: "Shan We Have Another
Chance?n

or toward the north, in the place where the
tree failetb, there it shall be-" -Eccl H., s.
There is a lowering hope in the minds Of q
vast multitude Of people that there will be ar
opportunity In the next world Of CORRECTING
the mistakes Of this: that however complett
shtpwreck we may make of our earthly life
1t will DO on beach UP which we may wall
10 II palace; that rs Il defendant may lose hi
case in Circuit Court and appeal it and
have 1t go up to the Supreme Court or Cour,
OF Chancery and ali the costs thrown over OIL
the other party, so a mau may lose his case
In this world. but in the higher Jurisdiction
OF eternity have the decision of the earthly
case set aside, all the costs remitted and the
defendant be triumphant forever
The object OF my sermon Is to show you
that common sense declares with the text
that such an expectation is chimerical "Ii
the tree fall toward the south, or toward the
north. IN the place where the tree falleth.
there II shall be-" There are those who saw
that il the i'm mpenitent and unfortunate man
enters the next world and sees the disaster.
as result OF that disaster he will turn, the
dist ress the cause of his reformation; bat we
have ten thousand instances all around
about us OF people who have done wrong
and disaster suddenly came upon them
did the disaster heal them? No.
they went on. There is a man flung
of dissipations. The doctor says to him:
"Now, nv friend, II you don't stop drinking
and don't stop this fast lite you are living,
you will die" The patient thanks
the physician for his warning and gets bet
ter; he begins to sit up. begins TO walk around
the room, begins to go to business and takes
the same round of grog shops where he got
his morning dram and his evening dram and
the drains between, Down again. Same
doctor. Same physical anguish. Same med
fcal warning. But now the sickness
Is more protracted. the liver more
obstinate, the stomach mora irri-
table, the digestive organs more rebellious.
But still, under medical skill, he gets better
goes forth. commits the same sacrilege
against his physical health, Sometimes he
wakes up to see what he Is doing and he
realizes he Is destroying his family and that
his life ts perpetual perjury against his
marriage vows, and that that broken hearted
woman Is 80 different from the roseate wife
he married that her old schoo,mates do not
recognize her on the street. and that his sons
are going out in life under the taunt of
fathers drunkenness, and that his daughters
are going out in life under the scarifi.
cation of Il disreputable ancestry. His
nerves are all jangle. From crown Of
head to sole Of foot he is one aching, rasp-
ing. erucifying, damning torture. Where is
he? He is In hell on earth. Does it stop
him? All! no. After awhile delirium tre-
mems pours out upon his pillow a whole
jungle of Kissing reptiles. His screams hor-
riiy the neighbors AS he dashes out OF bed
crying, Take these things off OF me!' He
the education of his children, their pros
poets for this life and perhaps their
prospects for the life to come Pale
and convalescent he sits up. Physician
says to him, Now, my good fellow,
am going to have plain talk with
you. If you ever have an attack Of this
kind again you will die. / can't save you,
N papte
save you" The patient gets up, starts out,
goes the same round of dissipation and Is
down again; but this time medicines do not
touch his case. Consultations Of physicians
say there is no hope. Death ends the scene.
That process of inebriation and physical suf-
fering and medical warning and dissolution
Is taking place within a stones throw of
where you sit and in every neighborhood OF
Christendom. Pain does not reform. Suf-
fering does not cure. WHAT Is true In re-
gard to one sin is true in regard to
all sins, and vet men are expecting
in the next life there will be opportunity for
purgatorial regeneration.
Again, l wish you to further notice that
another chance in another world means the
ruin OF this. Now. suppose q wicked man
Is assured that after u lifetime Of wicked
ness he can fix 1t all right In the future?
That would be the Generalization OF soci-
ETY.. that wouli be the demolition of the hu-
on the limits of sin by their fear. The fear
that if we are bad and unforgiven here i.
Will not be well for US in the next existence,
Is the chief influence that keeps civilization
from rushing back into semi-barbarism ard
keeps sami-barbarism from rushing back
into midnight savagery. and keeps midnight
savagery from rushing back into extinction.
Another chance in another world means the
demolition of this world.
Furthermore, my friends-for am preach
ing to myself as well rs to you've ,are on
the same level. and though tho platform is
little higher than the pew. It Is only for
convenience, ami that we may the better
speak to the people; we are all on the same
platform, and am talking to my soul while
i talk to yours-my friends. why another
chance in another world when We have de-
clined 80 many chances in this2 Sup
pose you spread a banquet and you in
vite a vast number of friends, and among
others you send an invitation to a man who
disregards 1t. or treats 1t In an obnoxious
way. During twenty years you gave twenty
banquets. banquet year, and you invite
your friends and every time you invite this
man, who disregards your invitation or sends
back some indignity. After while you
move into a larger hoass and amid more
luxurious surroundings, and you invite
your friends, but you do not invite that
man to whom twenty times you sent
an invitation to the smaller house. Are
you to blame2 You would only make
yourself absurd before God and man to send
that man another invitation. For twenty
years he has been declining your offers and
sending insult for your kindness and cour-
tesy, and can he blame you? Can he come
up to your house on the night Of the ban
quet? Looking up and seeing ii is finer
house will he have any right to say: "Let me
In. have declined all those other offers,
but this il q larger house. a more luxuriant
abode. Let me in. Give me another
chance"
God has spread a banquet OF His grace be-
fore Us. For three hundred and sixty-fve
days of every year, since We knew the differ
ence between our right hand and our left.
He has invited US by His Providence and by
His Spirit. Suppose we decline all these Of
fers OF kindness. Now the banquet Is spread
In large place, in the heavenly palace. In
vitations are sent out, but no Invitation is
all those other banquets. Will God
be to blame? Will we have any
right to rap on the door of heaven and say;
81 ought not to be shut out Of this place:
give me another chance?" Twelve gates of
salvation standing wide for free admission
all our life and then when the twelve gates
close We rush on the bosses Of Jehovah's
buckler, saying: "Give me another chance"
A ship is to sati for Hamburg. You want to
go to Germany by that line. You see the
advertisement of the steamers sailing. You
see it for two weeks. You see 1t in the
morning papers and you see 1t in the evening
papers; you see IL placarded on the walls.
Circulars are thrown into your offlce
telling you all about that steamer. One
dav you come down on the wharf and
the steamer has swung out into the stream.
You say: "Oh, that isn't fair. Como back,
swing up again to the docks. Throw the
planks ashore that may como on board.
1t isn't fair. l want to go to Germany by
that steamer. Give me another chance"
Here is a magnificent offer for heaven. 1t
has been anchored within our sight year
after year, and all the benign voices OF earth
and heaven have urged US to go on board
since 1t may sail at any moment.
Suppose We let that opportunity sail away.
,rd then We look out and saw: ''Send back
that opportunity; want to take it, 1t isn't !.
treating me fairly. Give me another chance.
Why, my brother, Won might rs wen t 90 gu.
and stand on the Highlands at the Naves'nS
thres davs after the Majestic has gone out,