The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-28
Rev. Dr.. Kelsey Delivers Very In
teresting Sermon on Success
and Failure.
Success Dependent Upon q Mans
Readiness to Seize an OPP
portunity.
7ev. T. v. Moore ON the Responsibility
For the Use OF speech-words .
Cheap Commodity.

landscape. Why one man is successful
and another man is total failure may not
always be told. Many man seems to be
''born to luck.'' and many another man fol
lowed by relentless fate. A stranger to
either may see naught but chance and luck;
but in the vast majority Of eases the enigma
is easily solved by an intimate acquaintance
of few weeks: failure always follows be-
cause "some screw is loose somewhere"
Cause and efect-effect and cause are liken-
ed together in marriage ties from which
there is no divorce.
Readiness-is the element of success to
which attention is called to-night-"Be ye
therefore sready also; for the Son of Man
cometh at the hour when We think not.''
l. Success is always dependent upon a
mans readiness to seize an opportunity
See it illustrated in our real estate schemes.
If the money spent in this city the last five
years in wicked gambling chances had been
improved by careful investment in Helena
the poor would be Independently rich. But
instead of being ready to seize their oppor-
tunities, they have let them slip. Who is to
blame? Themselves alone. When great
and noble position is open, who gets it? 1t
is the man who is ready-not the man who
says he will get himself ready. The sue
working man who is ready man at law, be-
cause he is thoroughly posted. 1t is related
OF Webster that once in his early New
Hampshire practice he spent more than
double his fee in a certain case, SO that he
might post himself thoroughly upon the
principles. Years afterwards when on a
journey to take his seat in congress he was
urged at New York to take case and argue
it Immediately before the courts. On look
ing at it he found his New Hampshire case
of years before exactly fitted: he took the
case and won it, and received an enormous
fee;-success again-but success because it
was the survival of the tittest;" he won
because he was ready.
How often we hear it said, ooh, if I could
only have foreseen!' Yes, indeed; but the
difference between success and a failure
lies in this foresight, which is poor name
to "luck" which should be attributed to
wisdom. II didn't think!' is often said by
these folks who make failures. Yes, but
you ought to think; right thinking always
results in success; mistakes in Judgment
and morals result in sorrow, disaster and
II. Notwithstanding the Importance of
readiness, yet how unready and unprepared
the vast majority of men are! Men who
leave everything to the last moment; men
who always run for a train and often get to
the depot in time only to see the train leav-
ing just out of reach; men constitutionally
tired; men who but half do anything; men
who say of this or that imperfection, "Oh,
thatswiil do!n; men who do only Just suf-
icient to retain their positions, bat fail to
such men are unsuccessful. When success
comes nigh them they are incapable of fol-
lowing-they are not ready.
III. There is special unreadiness of men
| in religious matters. Thousands intend to
give religion its merited attention before
fhou die Init hox
death surprises them. Procrastination is
the thief of time and satan's most efficient
weapon in the destruction of souls. He
takes them off guard-unprepared.
1t men managed real estate, merchandise,
trade and general business as these same
gion, they would be bankrupt in short
season. That is a fitting expression-'pood
business sense,' which translated means
business man of thought and readiness.
Oh, that men would apply little of good
business sense to moral and religious con-
Germs of their own souls.
How few even of the best of us are ready
for the great and decisive moments of life
and death-the temptations, the opportun-
tiles, the decisions and the final trying mo-
ment at death! Mark how even cold grey
stone must be made ready before it can be
placed in a foundation of a building or
given place of honor as cap stone.
Successful men are surprised men; their
great triumphs come like the sudden com
ing OF the "son of man." Long weeks,
sometimes months and years pass along
ere the humble plants reach the success of
their careers in the beautiful flowers or
fruits: SO come our successes; it may seem
as though we are often passed by and for
gotten, but let no man lose heart, for faith
full work will make us ready when our day
of opportunity does come, as come it will
These men who fail to be christians and
1,hrI0f.JIkn IN Lid
worshipers of God are not ready for the
coming of the son of man and are sure to
miss the spiritual prizes which many others
will seize. Spiritual wealth comes to those
who are worthy and ready, not to the indo-
lent, lazy, neglectful or the sinful; he ye
cometh at an hour when ye think not"
The great need of youth is an education
and then they are ready for any struggle
that life may develop. So the great need
of men is the education that comes from
christian faith and dicipleshlp; then are
tney ready for any event, for any provi-
dental call or crisis of Judgment.
There is one refrain of song that ought
10 ring constantly in our ears and hearts:
''0h, can we say We are ready, brother?
Ready for the souls bright home?
Say, will He find you and mo still Watching
Waiting, waiting when the Lord shall GOMEZ
Sunday Sermon by Rev. T. b. Moore.
Responsibility for the Use of Speech
BY thy words thou shall be justified, and
by thy words thou shall be condemned
Matt. 1897.
Words are ordinarily very cheap COM
modify. They are poured out of myriards
pf mouths every hour in the most lavish
Extravaganza. Ifwords were drops of water
there would soon be second food. If they
were leaves falling on the ground they
would soon another all thinos Vet words