Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-10-11
NUr1BER ID

ab soon dS lie uuu clOSeu tDe ueau DOy 3
! eyes, went 10 the rich fathers home.
When he first met the parent and said.
IL have come from your boy" the IA
theirs 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.' Bur
when the missionary said. You will
never see you boys face again while
he Is aliye--he is dead" the father
broke down and sobbed like child.
He then said that be did want bis boy
back. And when be heard the dying
message hisereniorse was greater than
he could bear. All the remainder Of
bis earthly life that father kept brood
ing aud regret.ing the severity Of his
treatment OF his child. But his sorrow
was useless. lie 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-
oNlAOVo INV va N0aN SUI WhO AeAA
broken his mothers heart went back
one dark night to the homestead. Aft.
er roaming around the place where he
had spent his childhood he went out
to the village graveyard. There. in the
darkness Of the night. be 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 10 receive
her forgiveness Oh. my friends, as
this Pauline word opportunity means
so much. will you not Leware how you
misuse 1t. how you Ill 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 bethink myself that, as a pas
tor. | 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 here who Is not member
OF the Christian church. as were the
friends to whom Paul wrote his Gala
tian letter. My brother or sister,
want you to come into the fellowship
Of the Lord Jesus Christ 80 that you
may have part In these gospel oppor-
tunities. I plead with you earnestly
that you will confess Jesus Christ to-
day and become one Of his disciples.
even though no 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 on
account OF your parents death you
drifted away from the church and
from the teachings you learned at
your mothers knee. You have not
been to church service for years. 1t
may be because you were coolly treat
ed In one, OF the large city churches
when you first came to town. But
last night when you were alone In
your room you took down the old fam
lily album. Perhaps that was the nrst
time you had looked at the book for
months. Then you became hOmesick
for the old scenes Of your childhood.
Then you opened some Of your dear
mothers letters. now yellow from age.
AS you read them the tears came to
your eyes. yet you are man now or
matured woman. but the tears came
nevertheless. And last night before
you went to bed you prayed just as
you used to do when child. That Is
the reason you are In church this
morning. That Is the reason your
heart is softencd. That is the reason
press home the gospel 10 your heart
that | may start you forth in Jesus
name to Christian service. The oppor-
tunlty for the salvation OF your soul
may never come so near to you again
as Just at this moment Brother, SIS
ter, let me improve this opportunity
by presenting you to the Lord Jesus.
For your dear loved ones sakes who
are now among the redeemed will you
take Jesus now and become bis true
and loving disciple? VIII you not here
and now make this simple. earnest
prayer. which a young man. sick Of
sin. made few years ago In large
religious meeting: Lord. take me as
am and make me what | ought to
ber Now is your opportunity for sal
vation. Nowi Nowl Now!
copyright. 1907 by Louis Klopsch.l