The Last Opportunity

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 11, 1858

The Last Opportunity.

THEATER managers and showmen have the art of awakening the public attention by captivating and stirring appeals in their advertisements. “A few days more,” “the last opportunity,” and “positively the last opportunity,” are conspicuously capitalized to stir up the flagging curiosity. As our eye has often been arrested by such announcements, we have thought of the serious and solemn application they would bear. To every sinner there is a “last” and “positively” a last, opportunity for securing a neglected salvation.

They have “line upon line, line upon line; precept upon precept, precept upon precept; here a little and there a little;” and then the appeals to their conscience, to their hopes and fears, become less frequent, until the awful juncture arrives when the last invitation is offered, the last warning is uttered, the last opportunity is afforded, and the decree goes forth “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy let him be filthy still.” It has often occurred that an individual, eager for sensual pleasure, and hastening with light and buoyant step to some resort of sinful amusement, or some haunt of polluting vice, has in this very act lost his last, positively his last opportunity for securing the blessings of eternal life. The last opportunity of averting a fate which no earthly language can sufficiently depict, may be much nearer than the soul may imagine. That special call from the pulpit which now strikes on the ear; that earnest expostulation from a friend; that startling providence which, for a time, has absorbed the attention; that still small voice within, dissuading from sin and urging repentance and conversion, may be the last opportunities, as they have in thousands of instances proved to be to others. It is first, “Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die?” and then before the soul is aware, comes the stunning decree, “He is joined to his idols, let him alone.” Ministers of the gospel, let that sinner alone, and hold out to him no further invitations! Let no friend prevail with him to consider his ways, and let no providence arouse him. Let him alone! Spirit of God, often insulted and disregarded in thy most tender expostulations to win him from the path of ruin, let him alone, without a friendly monitor, and without a hope! Sad, indeed, is the condition of that one who, being often reproved, has hardened his neck, and who having many opportunities, has lost his very last one. Other evils and calamities admit of reparation, but this is an irretrievable one. There is neither physician nor balm in Gilead for its cure. Reader! have you repented? Have you given your heart to God? Are you a Christian? If you cannot answer these questions in the affirmative, there is now an opportunity of remedying the folly, the madness, the sin of your previous neglect of the great salvation; and perhaps it may be the last, positively the last, you shall enjoy.—Presbyterian.