The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-10-19
WORTHY EXPLOITS.
Or. Talmage on the Possibilities of
Doing Good.
The GraBdest OF Heroes Not Always the
Most NoSable OneS-How the Fallen
May be Led 20 Reform-RewarIs
For Workers.

In a recent sermon at Brooklyn DR.. Tall
mage chose for his subject: 1.-THE Three
Greatest Things to Do" His text was
Daniel xi %: THE people that do know
their God snail be strong, and do exploits"
Following is the sermon:
Antiochus Epiphanes, the old sinner,
came down three times vita his army to
desolate the Jews, advancing one time
with hundred and two trained elephants
swinging their trunks this way and that,
and sixty-two thousand infantry and six
thousand cavalry troops, and they were
driven back. Then the second time be adj
vanced with seventy thousand armed men
and had been again defeated. But the
third time he laid successful siege until
the navy Of Rome came il with the fash
of their long banks of oars and demanded
that the siege be lifted. And Antiochus
Epiph anes said he wanted time to consult
with his friends about it, and Popilius. one
of the Roman ambassadors, took a staff
and made a circle on the ground around
Antiochus Epiphanes and compelled him
TO decide before he came out Of that circle;
whereupon he lifted the siege.
Some of the Jews had submitted TO the
ously, as did Eieazer when he had swine's
flesh forced into his mouth, spit it out.
although he knew he must die for it, and
did die for it. and others, as my text SAYS
were enabled to 30 exploits. An exploit
would define TO be a heroic act, brave
feat, a great achievement. WELL" you
say, 81 admire such things, but there is no
chance for me: mine is a sort OF a hum
hal Az Wi
planes TO fight also could do exploits"
You are right so far as great wars are
concerned. There will probably be no
opportunity to distinguish yourself in bat
tie. The most of the Rrigadier- Generals of
this country would never have been heard
Of had it not been for the war. General
Grant would have remained in the useful
work of tanning hides at Galena and
Stoncwall jackson would have continued
the quiet professor in Virginia. And
will probably lie dormant for
ever. Neither will you probably
become great inventor.
am going to show you to-day that
there are three opportunities open that are
grand, thrilling. far-reaching, stupsndous
and overwhelming. They are before you
IA
you may do exploits. The three greatest
things on earth to do are to save a man, or
save woman, or save a child. During
the course of his life almost every man
gets into an exigency, caught between two
fires, is ground between two millstones,
sits on the edge of some precipice,
or in some other way comes near
demolition. 1t may be a financial,
a. - a
social or political exigency. You
sometimes see it in the court rooms. A
young man has got into bad company and
he has offended the law, and he is ar
raigned. All blushing and confused he is
in the presence of Judge and jury and law
yers. de can be sent right on in the
wrong direction. He is feeling disgraced,
and he is almost desperate. Let the dis
trict attorney overhaul him as though he
were an old offender: let the ablest a-tor-
neys at the bar refuse 20 say word for
him because he cen not afford a consider
able fee; let the judges give no opportu-
nifty for presenting the mitigating circum-
stances, hurry Up the case and hustle him
up TO Auburn or Sing Sing-if he lives
seventy years, for seventy years he will
be a criminal and each decade of his life
viii be blacker than its predecessor. In
the interregnums OF prison life he can get
no work, and be is glad to break a window
glass, or blow up safe. or play the high
waynan, so as 30 ges back again within
the walls where he can get something to
eat and hide himself from the cruel gaze
of the world.
EWhy doesn't his father come and help
him: His father is dead. Why doesn't
Ms mother come and help him: She is
dead. Where are all the smeliorating and
salutary influences of society: They do
rot touch hIm. Why did not some one
long ago in the case understand that there
was an opportunity for the exploit which
would be famous in Heaven a Quadrilliou
Of wears after the earth has become scat
tered ashes in the last vhiriwind: Why
did not the district attorney take that
young man int his private Office and say:
Ny son, l see that you are the victim of
circumstances. This is your first crime.
You are sorry. | will bring the person
you wronged into your presence and you
viii apologize and make all the reparation
you can, and l will give you another
chance" Or that young man is presented
in the court room and he has no friends
present, and the judge says: who is
COUNSEL" And he answers: Il have
none" And the judge says: "Who will
take this young mans case:" And there is
a dead halt and no one offers, and after
while the Judge turns TO one attorney who
never had good case in all his life aud
never viii. and whose advocacy would be
enough TO secure the condemnation of in
nocence itself. And the professional
incompetent crawls up beside the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to rescue despaN-
when there ought 10 be d struggle among
all the best men OF the profession ss to
who should have the honor of trying to
help that unfortunate. How much would
such an attorney have received FOR such
al advocacy: Nothing in dollars, but
much every way in happy consciousness
that would make his own lif. brighter and
his own dying pillow sweessr and his own
heaven happier-the consciousness that he
had saved C man.
So there are commercial ex Sencies. A
very late spring CELEBRATES the demand
for spring overcoats and spring hats and
snring apparel OF all sorts. Hundreds OF
thousands Of people say: at seems we
are going TO have no spring and we shall
60 stra ight out Of winter into warm wealth
sr, and we can get along without the usual
spring attire" Or there is no autumn
weather, the heat piuusing into the cold. |
and the usual clothing. which is q COM
promise between summer and winter, is
not required. Il makes difference in the
sale OF millions and millions OF dollars of |
goods and some over sanguiae young /
merchant is caught with q vast amount of |
unsaleable goods that n, ser viii be salea- |
bic again except 81 prices ruinously re- 1
cuced- That young merchant with q /
somewhat limited capital is in q predica-
ment. What shall the old merchants do /
as they see that Young man in this awful 1
crisis; Rub their hands and laugh and 1
say: GOOD for him he might have 1