Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-08-08

rs To tne
Furthermore, my friends ~ for l am
preaching Ia myself rs well as to you; we
are on the stH.e level, and though the plat
form he n little higher than the pew, II is
only fer convenience, and that we may the
better speak to the people; we are all on
the same platform, and am talking to my
soul while / talk to yours-my friends,
why another chance in another world when
we have declined so many chances in this
Suppose you spread banquet and you ill.,
vite vast number OF friends, and among
others you send an invitation 10 man
who disregartis IL or treats it In an obnox-
ious way. During 20 years you give 90
banqucts, a banquet "A year, and you invite
your friends, and every time you invite
this man, Who disrcgar,ls your invitation
or sends back some indignity After awhile
you move into a larger house and amid
more luxuriant surroundings, and you in
Vitc your friends, but you do not invite
that man to whom 20 times you sent an
invitation to the smaller house. Are you
to blamcf You would only make yourself
absurd before God and man To send that
man another invitation. For 20 years he
has been declining your offers and sending
insult for your kindness and courtesy. and
can he blame you: Can he come up TO your
house on the night Of the banquet Look
ing up and seeing 1t is a finer house, will
be have any right to shy: Let me In. /
declined all those other offers but this Is n
larger house, n brighter house, moro
luxuriant abode. Let me In. Give me an
other chance" God has spread banquet
Of his grace before us. For 365 days Of
every year since we knew the difference be-
tween our right hand and our left he has
invited us by his providence and by his
spirit. Suppose we decline all these offers
and all this kindness Now the banquet
Is spread In a larger place, in the heavenly
palace Invitations are sent out, hut no in.
vitation Is sent to MS. Why? Because we
declined all those other banquctS Will
God he to blamc2 Will we have any right
to rap on the door of heaven and say: Il
ought not To be- shut out of this place; give
me another chancc:'' Twelve gates Of sal
walton standing wide for free admission all
our life and then when the IL gates close
we rush on the bosses Of .Jchoyah's buckler,
saying, GIVE me another chanccr'
a ship is to sail for Hamburg You want
10 20 To Germany by that line. You see
the advertisement of the steamers sailing.
You see IL for two weeks. You see IL In
the morning papers and you see 1t in the
evening papers You see il placardcd on
the walls Circulars are thrown into your
Office telling you all about that steamer.
One day 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
plank ashore that | may come ON board. II
isn't fair. | want to 20 to Germany by
that steamer. Give me another chance"
Here is magnificent offer for heaven 1t
has been anchored within our sight year
after year, and year after year, and year
after year, and all the benign voices of
earth and heaven have urged us to get on
board, since IL may sail az any moment
Suppose we let that opportuni sail away,
and then we look out and say: "Send back
that opportunity. | want to take it, 1t
isn't treating me fairly. Give me another
chance" Why, my brother, you might rs
well go ont and stand on the Highlands at
the Navcsink three days after the Majestic
has gone ont and shout: Captain, come
back want Ia go to Liverpool ON tho
Majestic Come back over the sea and
through the \arrrwS and up Ia the docks.
Give me another chance" You might ms
well do tina. rs after the last opportunity
Of heaven has SPED away, try 10 get IL back
ngsiin. Just think of it! IL came on me
yesterday in my study with overwhelming
imprcssivcucss. Just think of it, All
heaven offered us ms gratuity for whole
lifetime, and yet we wanting t. rush
against God, saying, Give me another
chance. " There ought to he, there will he,
no such thing rs rosthumous opportunity.
a Grand Chance.
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 fallcth there 1t shall bc. "
You see this idea lifts this world from an
unimportant way station 10 platform Of
stupcndous issues and makes all eternity
whirl around this hour. oh, my soul, my
souli Only one trial, and all the prcpara-
tions for that trial Ia be- made In this
world or never made at all oh, my soul,
my snul' You sco this piles up all the en-
phass and NIL the climaxcs and all the
dcstinies into this life. No other chance.
oh, how that intcnsiflcs the value and tho
Importance of this chance Alexander and
his army used "a come around u city, and
they would kiudlc a great light, with tho un-
Outstanding that rs long as TINT light was
'"r'iny the CITY mich, surr.Rder and ali