Milford chronicle., 1902-10-10


come back. There is many Il man
here who would be willing to cut off
his right arm if lie could only bring |
back some of them. once read Of |
father who in anger drove his son out |
OF his home Tie boy, on account Of |
the fathers bitterness, plunged into a
lie OF sin. A few years later he was
uylng In one Of the London tenements.
Just before his last breath was drawn
he told the city missionary who be
was and why he was dying. Then he
sent to his irite parent these farewell
words: Tell father that l could have
dicd happy if he only had been willing
to forgive me. Ask him to forgive me
even II ! am deud." The missionary,
as soon as he had closed the dead boys
eyes, went to the rich fathers home.
When he first met the parent and said,
i have come from your boy" the ia
thers rage knew no bounds. He eX-
claimed In anger: Don't talk to me
about my son. never want to see his
face again while he is alive" But
when the missionary said, "You will
never see you boys face again while
he is alive-he is dead" the father
broke down and sobbed like a child.
He then said that he did want his boy
back. And when he heard the dying
message his remOrse was greater than
he could bear. All the remainder Of
his earthly life that father kept brood
ing and regretting the severity of his
treatment of his child. But his sorrow
was useless. He could not bring back
his dead boy. He could never undo
the past wrong. His opportunity was
gone and gone forever.
/ The Ever Present Opportunity.
] Mr.. Moody in one of his sermons de-
scribed how a hayward son who had
broken his mothers heart went back
one dark night to the homestead. Aft
er roaming around the place where he
bad spent his childhood he went out
to the village graveyard. There, In the
darkness of the night, he felt around
the family plot until he found new
made grave. There he lay fiat upon
the mound Of earth, moaning and call
ing to the dead mother that he wanted
her to forgive him. But her ears could
not hear nor her lips speak. The way
ward boy. who had killed her, had lost
his opportunity in this world to receive
her forgiveness. Oh. my friends, as
this Pauline word opportunity" means
so much, will you not beware how you
misuse il. how you III treat 1t, how you
spurn the chances for Christian useful
ness which God is ready TO give to all
his children and specially to them who
will love and obey him?
But bethnk myself that, as a pas
tor. l have today an infinite Opportu-
nifty which may never come to me
again. have an opportunity to pre-
sent Jesus Christ to some young man
or woman hero who is not member
of the Christian church. as were the
friends to whom Paul wrote his Gala
tan letter My brother or sister
want you tO-come into the fellowship
of the Lord Jesus Christ so that you
may have a part in these gospel OppOr
tunities. plead with you earnestly
that you will confess Jesus Christ to
day and become one of his disciples
even though 10 one may have Spoken
to you of religion for many years. You
were brought up in Christian home
but when that home was broken up OF
account Of your parents death yOI
drifted away from the church ap(
from the teachings you learned a
! your mothers knee You have no
been to a church service for years.
may be because you were coOlly treat
ed in one of the large city churche
when you first came to town. Blu
last night when you were alone il
your room you took down the old fam
g fly album. Perhaps that was the frs
time you had looked at the book ia
t months. Then you became homesic
3 for the old scenes Of your childhood
I Then YOU opened some of your dea
r mothers letters now yellow from RgI
y As you read them the tears came t
II your eyes, yet you are man now or
It mAtuTed woman. but the tears cam
y nevertheless. And last night befOl
n you went to bed you prayed just q
n you used to do when a child. That
5 the reason you are In church tn
e. morning. That is the reason you
n, heart is softened. That is the reaso
N | press home the gospel to your heal
D. that ! may start you forth in Jesu
n name to Christian service. The oppo
$. tHnity for the salvation of your sol
st may mover come so near to you aga
,e as Just at this moment Brother, 81
ID ter. let me improve this opportunlt
es by presenting you to the Lord Jesu
re For your dear loved ones sakes wi
ut are now among the redeemed will "
r. take Jesus now and become his trl
and loving disciple? viii you not he
Of and now make this simple, earne