The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1891-10-16


to be draughtsmen or artists of some
kind And you find others ciphering
out difficult problems with rare interest
and success. and you know they are to
be mathematicians- And others making
wheels and strange contrivances, and
you know they are going to be machin-
lists. And others are found experiment.
ing with hoe and plow and sickle, and
you know they win be farmers And
others are always swapping jack-knives
or balls or bats and making something
by the bargain, and they are going to
be merchants. When Able de Race
had SO advanced in studying Greek that
he could translate Anacreon at tweve
years of age, there was no doubt left
that he was intended for a scholar.
But in almost every lad there comes
time when he does not know what he
was made for. and his parents do not
know, and it is crisis that God only
can decide. Then there are those born
for some especial work, and their fit
ness does not develop until quite late.
When Philip Doddridge, whose SER
mons and books have harvested I'M
counted souls for glory, began to study
the ministry, DIR. Calamy, one of the
wisest and best men, advised him to
turn his thoughts to some other work.
Isaac Barrow. the eminent clergyman
and Christian scientist-his books
standard now, though he has been dead
over two hundred years-was the
disheartenment of his father.
who used to say that if it
pleased God to take any of his children
away he hoped that it might be his son
Isaac. So some of those who have
been characterized for their stupidity in
boyhood or girlhood, have turned out
the mightiest benefactors or benefac-
tresses of the human race. These
things being SO. am / not right in say
ing that in many cases God only knows
what is the most appropriate thing for
you to do, and He is the one to ask.
And let all parents, and all schools,
and all universities, and all colleges
recognize this. and a large number of
those who spent their best years in
stumbling about among businesses and
occupations. now trying this and now
trying that, and failing in all. would be
able to go ahead with definite, de-
ITO this end was l born"
But my subject now mounts into the
momentous. Let me say that you are
made for usefulness and Heaven. l
Judge this from the way you are built.
You go into a shop where there is only
one wheel turning, and that by work
mans foot on treadle, and you say to
yourself: Here is something good being
done, yet on small SCALE" but if you
go into factory covering many acres,
and you find thousands of bands pulling
on thousands of wheels, and shuttles
flying, and the whole scene bewildering
with activities, driven by water, or
steam, or electric power, you conclude
that the factory was put up to do
great work on a vast scale. Now
/ look at you, and if / should find that
you had only one faculty of body, only
one muscle, only one nerve, If you could
see but could not hear, or could hear
and not see, if you had the use of only
one foot or one hand, and, as to your
higher nature, if you had only one
mental faculty, and you had memory
but no Judgment, or judgment but no
will, and if you had soul with only
one capacity, would say not much is
expected of you But stand up, oh
man, and let me look you squarely in
the face. Eyes capable of seeing every
thing. Ears capable of hearing every
thing. Hands capable of grasping every
thing. Mind with more wheels than any
factory ever turned, more power than
Corliss engine ever moved. A soul that
oil he
Heaven, and would outlive all Heaven
if the life of other immortals were
moment short of the eternal Now.
what has the world right to expect of
you? What has God right to demand
of you? God is the greatest of econo-
mists in the universe, and He makes
nothing uselessly, and for what pur-
pose did He build your body, mind and
soul as they are built? There are only
two beings in the universe who can
answer that question. The angels do
not know. The schools do not know.
Your kindred can not certainly know.
A factory running at am expense of
five hundred thousand dollars year,
and turning out goods worth seventy
cents year would not be such an in
congruity as you, oh man, with such
semi-infnite equipment doing nothing,
or next to nothing, in the way of use
fulness. What shall do?" you ask
My brethren, my sisters, do not ask me
Ask God. There's some path of Chris
tian usefulness open. 1t may be rough
path. or it may be a smooth path, a
long path or a short path. 1t may be
on a mount of conspicuity, or in val
ley unobserved, but it is a path on which
satisfaction and such certainty that you
can cry out in the face of earth and hell
and Heaven: ITO this end was born"
Do not wait for extraordinary quail
fications- Philip the Conqueror gained
his greatest victories seated on a mule,
and If you wait for some comparisoned
Bucephalus to.ride into the conflict you
will never get into the worldwide fight
at all Samson slew the Lords enc
mics with the jawbone of the stupidest
beast created. Shamgar slew six hun
dred of the Lords enemies with an OK
goad. Under God, spittle cured the
blind mans eyes in the New Testament
story. Take all the faculty you have
and say: 20 Lordl Here is what have,
show me the field and back me up by
Omnipotent power. Anywhere, any
how, anytime for God" Two men rid
ing on horse back came to a trough to
water the horses While the horses
were drinking, one of the men said to
the other few words about the value
of the soul. and then they rode away.