Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-03-07

clpS over elgnI leel lOuS' bhS N~SSF
of secret sin has many man and wo-
man in q fatal clutch. We are not Will
ing TO destroy that sin now. Therefore
we keep saying to the messenger OF the
gospel, 81 pray thee have me excused.
The next reason why they all Win
one consent began to make excuse
was because they expected at some fu-
ture time TO accept the gospel invita-
+ion This Is a most natural supposi-
tion to make in interpreting the text.
They might have stayed away and
made no excuse, but then the most
would have been offended and would
never have invited them again. They
wanted to keep his good will so that
he might invite them at some 1uture
time. If those invited guests never
expected to accept an invitation TO tne
good mans house, they would nave
said TO themselves: "What Is the good
Of nv sitting down every little while
and writing to that good man that
cannot accept his invitations! lie Is
Incoming nothing but a perfect BORE
What | will do hereafter Is just 10
throw his invitations into the waste
basket Then, after awhile, he Will
cease TO write and will stop his impor-
tunities" But, no. That Is not the
course these invited guests took. Ihey
practically said to themselves, Il VIII
keen ON sending my declination, year
in and year out, and then some day'
when I am old and sick and helpless
and about to die, will just be carried
down on my sickbed and that good
man will take care of me and forgive
all the Indifference and sin of my pas'
life" You expect to some day come tc
Christ but you keep saying to the gos
pel messenger: Not now. Not now
Not now"
Accent the Invitation NOW.
NV brother and sister invited to Je
sus Christ. am not going to force you
TO any decision. | am going to leave
rhe v..ole matter with yourself. In
stead of asking you to come to the gos
nel BANQUET now | am going to ask yo'
when you will come. Will you come t'
Christ ten years from today? ION, no,
Won answer: Il would not like to post
none the gospel invitation as long al
that | may never live ten years. Tel
years is Il very long time. AS 1901
back over my past life can see nov
many unexpected things have hap
pened during ten years. Many OF m!
hest and dearest friends have died dur
ing those ten years. They were JUS
"a Young and strong as | am now.
cannot afford to wait ten years" Inel
, will you come in five yearsF NO;
will not delay it five years. That
also too long. have had certain warn
ings that may not live five years
There was a strange pain in my hear'
z there vas that dizzy sensation IN ID
, head" Then will you come next yea
or next month to the gospel banquet
: mo" YOU answer; 81 dare not postpon
this gospel invitation for a year or eve
. for a month. know that the gosp'
invitation will not press itself upon ID
. in n month with the same power as
n is now doing Each day postpone TN
n matter it is harder for me to come
r Then, my brother and sister VIII 20
. accept this gospel invitation nowE
!. The ancients had n Lc'utifrl custol
q at every feast. Wien the guest woul
4 ask of the host gift, lie felt compeHe
q TO grant his request. If Il guest Toul
- asl, for the silver chali, . at his plat
. he could have II. or if he might ask II
?. pne of the reilly embroidered robes
II which were always provided for u
r. marriage banquets and were called II
% wedding garments-he would have TIL
d also. My sinful brother, at the we
% ding banquet of the Lamb. Will you ~
n make request of your Heavenly f
Ia ther, as you have a right to do! w
\. YOU not ask for a full pardon OF yo'
n sins? Will you not ask for robe
a righteousness which has been crii
Il soned from the blood of the Calva
* cross?
II fCopyright, 1903. by Louis Klopsch.l