Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-08-27

DR.. t. De Witt TaImage Tells of Things
Which Men and Women May Do-sav
a Human soul for Heaven and the
Lord.
OCEAN GROVE, N. j. Aug. 23.-This is
camp meeting Sunday at Ocean Grove. Its
celebration is always regarded as the great
event of the year at this famous religious
watering place. This year the attractions
of its observance AVE been enhanced by
the presence OF DIR. Talmage, who preached
this afternoon in the Auditorium. Every
seat was filled and every inch Of standing
room in the aisles was occupied, and the
greatest enthusiasm prevailed. 1t is esti-
mated that fully fifteen thousand persons
were able TO hear the doctor, aud many
others were deprived of that privilege.
His text was Daniel xi, 80, ''The people
that do know their God shall be strongand
do exploits"
Antiochus Epiphanes, the old sinner,
came down three times with his army to
desolate the Israelites, advancing one time
with a hundred aud two trained elephants,
swinging their trunks this way N that,
and sixty-two thousand infantry and six
thousand cavalry troops. and they were
driven back. Then, the second time, he
advanced with seventy thousand armed
men. and had been again defeated. But the
third time he Laid successful siege until the
navy of Rome came in with the flash of
their long banks of oars and demanded
that the siege be lifted. Aud Antiochus
Epiphanes said be 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
10 decide before he came out Of that circle;
w~hereupon he lifted the siege. Some of
the Hebrews had submitted TO the invader.
but some Of them resisted v~alorously. as
did Eleazer 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
IL, and others, as my text says, did exploits
ALL lave OPPORTUNITIES.
An exploit ] would define to be an heroic
act, a brave feat, a great achievement
WELL" you say. 81 admire such things,
but there is no chance for me; mine is 4
sort of humdrum life. II ! had an Antio
chus Epiphanes 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
ia battle. The most Of the brigadier gen
erals OF this country would never have
been heard Of had it not been for the war.
Neither will you probably become a great
inventor Nineteen hundred and ninety
nine out Of every two thousand inventions
found In the patent office ut Washington
never yiA,ded their authors enough money
to pay for the expenses OF securing the
patent. So you will probably never be a
Morse or an Edison or a Humphrey Davy
or an Eli Whitney. There is not much
probability that you will be the one out Of
the hundred who achieves extraordinary
success in commercial or legal or medical
or literary spheres. What thenf Can you
nave no opportunity TO do exploitsi | am
going to show that there are three oppor-
tunities open that are grand, thrilling, far
reaching. stupendous and overwhelming.
They are before you now. In one, il not
all three of them, you may do exploits.
The three greatest things on earth to do
are TO save a man, or save a woman, or
save a child.
During the course of his life almost
every mar gets into an exigency, is caught
between two fires, is ground between two
millstones, sits on the edge OF some preo-
pice, or in some other way comes near dem
clifton. 1t may be a financial or a moral
or a domestic or a social or a political ext
gency You sometimes see It in court
rooms. A young man mas got into bad
company and he has offended the law, and
he is arraigned. All blushing and con.
fused he is in the presence Of judge and
jury and lawyers. He can be sent right on
in the wrong direction. He is feeling dis
graced and he is almost desperate.
Let the district attorney overhaul him
as though he were an old offender; let the
ablest attorneys at the bar refuse TO say a
word for him, because he cannot afford a
considerable fee; let the judge give no OPP
.portunity for presenting the mitigating
circumstances, hurry up the case and hus-
tie him up to Auburn or Sing Sing. II he
seventy years, for seventy years he will
be a criminal, aud zach decade Of his life
will be blacker than its predecessor. In
the i-uterregnums Of prison life he can get
no work, and he is glad TO break a window
glass or blow up a safe or play the high
SO AS to get back within the walls
where he can get something to eat aud
hide himself from the gaze OF the world.
HE lGH RAVE BEEN SAVED.
Why don't his father come and help him?
father is dead. Why don't his mother
come and help him' She is dead. Where
are all the ameliorating and salutary in
fuences of society They do not touch
Why did not some one long ago in
The case understand that there was an OPP
p%ortunity for the exploit which would be
in heaven a quadrillion of years
after the earth has become scattered ashes
In the last whirlwind' Why did not the
district attorney tax hat young man into
his private Office and say: MY son, | see
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 will apologize aud
all the reparation o can, and Twill
give you another chance" Or that young
man is presented in the courtroom, and
he has no friends present, and the judge
says, who is your counsels'' And he al.
swers, II have none.'' And the Judge
says, who will take this young mans
,asef"
And there is a dead halt, and no one
pliers, and after awhile the judge turns to
attorney, who never had a good case
all his life and never will, and whose adj
rocacy would be enough to secure the con-