The Russellville Democrat., 1890-04-10

AAtNfAR ~rtttsE Hf+Atft WILL
 A poor Scotch lad came to America as twelve years Of age, and went to Pitts burgh. He looked around for work, and became an engineer in .cellar, then rose to become telegraph messenger boy, then rose to a position in a railroad office, then rose to n place in atelegraph office, then rose to be superintendent of a railroad, then rose till hs became m iron and steel manufacturer, then rose until he opened free libraries in his na- tive land, and last month ffree library in Allegheny City. and now offers two million dollars for free library in Pittsburgh. This example will be catching until the earth is revo- lutionized. How majestic such mon in comparison with some wot of. who amass wealth and clutch 1t with both hands until death begins to feel for their heartstrings, and they 1ic- tate to an attorney last will and testament, ia which they spite some daughter because she married against her fathers wish, and fling few crusts to God and suffering humanity, as much as to say: T have kept this surplus property, through all these severe win ters, and through all thess long years, from a needy and suffering world, and would keep it longer if could, but as I must give it up, take it. and much good may it do youl' Now VIC begin to un- derstand the text: Better is living dog than a dead lion"
 9 Az 4a.<. J.s nary of the dead lions of commerce, the dead lions of law, the dead lions of medicine, the dead lions of social infiu- ence? Vast capacity had they, and mighty range, and other men in their presence were as powerless as the ante lope or heifer or giraffe when from tho jungle Numidian lion springs upon It's prey. But they get through with life. They have made their last sharp bar gain. They have spoken their last hard word They have committed their last mean act When tawny inhabi- tant of the desert rolls over.helpless, the lioness and whelps fill the air with shrieks and howls, and lash themselves into lamentation, and 1t is a genuine grief for the poor things. But when this dead lion of monstrous usefulness expires, there is nothing but drama tized woe, for Better is living dog than dead lion.
 My text also means that an op- portunity of the living present is better than a great opportunity passed. We spend much of our time in saying: If only had" We can all look back and sec some occasion where we might have done great deed, or might have ef- fected an important rescue, or we might have dealt stroke that would have ac- complished vast result. Through stu pidity or lack of appreciation of the crisis, or through procrastination, we let the chance go by. How much timh we have wasted in thinking of what we might have said or might have done, We spend hours and days and years in walking around that dead lion. We can not resuscitate it. It will never open it's eyes again. There will never be another spring in it's paw. Dead as any feline terror of South Africa. through whose heart thirty years ago Gordon Cumming sent the slug. Don't let us give any moro time to the deploring of the dead past. There are other opportunities remaining. They may not be as great, but they are worth our attention. Small opportunities all around, opportunities for the saying of kind words and doing of kind deeds Helplessness to be helped. Disheartened ones to be encouraged. Lost ones to be found. Though the present may be in significant as compared with the past Better is living dog than dead lion. "
 The most useless and painful feeling is the one of regret Repent of lostop- portunities we must, and get pardon we may, but regrets weaken, dishearten and cripple for future work. If sea captain, who once had charge of White Star steamer across the Atlantic ocean, one foggy night runs on a rock of New foundland and passengers and ship per ish, shall he refuse to take command of small boat up the North river and say: T never will go on the water again unless I can run one of the White Star line?" Shall the engineer of a lightning express, who at sta tion misread the telegram of a train-dispatcher and went into col lision and for that has been put down to the work of engineering freight train, say: 'I never will again mount an en- zine unless I can run a yestibule ex- press?" Take what you have of oppor- tunity left. Do your best with what re- mains. Your shortest winter day is worth more to you than can be the longest day of previous summer. Your opportunity now, as compared with previous opportunities, may be small as a rat-terrier compared with the lion which at Matabosa, fatally wound ed by the gun of David Livingstone, in its death agony leaped upon the mis- sionary explorer, and with its jaws crushed the bone of his arm to splinters. and then rolled over and expired, but, Better is living dog than dead lion"
 In the great city it win be found that the last shall be first. There are in the and in the haunts of iniquity to-day those who will yet be models of holiness and preach Christ to the people. In wonder group of young men who came here with no useful purpose, there is one who will yet live for Christ and perhaps die ufor Him. In a pulpit stood a stranger preaching, and he said; The last time l was in this church Aas fif- teen years ago, and the circumstances were peculiar. Three young men had come expecting to disturb the service. and they had stones in their pockets which they expected to hurl at the preacher. One of the young men re- ferred to refused to take part in the assault, and the others in disgust at his left the building One of the three was hanged for forgery. Another is in prison, condemned to death for murder. was the third, but the grace of God saved Eme." My hearers, give no one up. The case may seem desperate, but the grace of God likes to undertake a dead lift. proclaim it this day to all the people Free Gracel Living and dying, be that my theme--free gracel Sound it across the continent, sound 1t ..~o~a @i.r a.cu f,oa frrooa1 Gxall <., .