Sharp County record., 1891-10-22

/ AAAN'SA '"ANS AH-'NAA r" "AN 80
you can in earncstncss smitc your
hand on your plow handle, or your
carpenters bench, or your "lIlacll-
stones Commentaries, or yorr med
ical dictionary or your "nr Dicks Di-
dactic Theology" saying: For this end
was | born" There are children who
early develop natural aflinities for cer-
tain styles of work. When the father
of the astronomer Forbes was going to
London he asked his children what
present he should bring each one OF
them. The boy who was to be an as
tronomer cried out: Bring me tcle-
telescopel" And there are children
whom you find all by themselves draw
ing on their states, or on paper, ships or
houses or birds, and you know they are
to be draughtsmen or artists of some
kind. And you find others ciphcring
out difficult problems with rare interest
and success and you know they arc to
be mathcmaticians. And others making
wheels and strange cOntrivanccs, and
you know they are going to be machin-
lists. And Others arc found experiment.
ing with hoe and plow and sickle, and
you know they will be farmers And
others are always swapping jacI-knivcs
or balls or bats and making something
by the bargain, and they are going to
be merchants. When Abbc dc Race
had So adv ,nccd in studying Greek that
he could translate Anacreon at twcve
years of age, there was no doubt left
that he was intended for II scholar.
But in almost every lad there comes a
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 Eorn
for some especial work, and their tit
ness does not develop until quite late.
When Philip Doddridge, whose SER
mons and books have harvested un-
counted souls for glory, began to study
the ministry, DR., Calamy, one OF the
wisest and best men, advised him to
turn his thoughts to some other work.
Isaac Barrow, the eminent clergy man
and Christian scicntist-his books
standard now, though lie has been dead
over two hundred years-was the
dishcartenment Of his father,
who used to say that if it
pleased God to take any of his children
away he hoped thai it might be his son
Isaac. So some Of those who have
been characterized for their stupidity in
boyhood or girlhDod, have turned out
the mighticst bcnefactorS or bencfac-
trcsscs 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 90 ahead with definite, de.
cidcd and tremendous purpose saying;
"ro this end was | born"
But my subject now mounts into the
momcntous. Let me say that you are
made for usefulness and Heaven
iadge this from the way you are built,
You go into shop where there is only
one wheel turning, and that by a work
mans foot on treadle, and you say to
yourself: Here is something good being
done, yet on small scale" but if you
90 into a factory covering many acres,
and you find thousands of bands pulling
on thousands of wheels, and ShuttlcS
flying, and the whole scene bcwildcrng
with activities, driven by water, or
steam, or electric power you conclude
that the factory was put mp to do
great work on 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 SEQ, If you had the use of only
'iN i'ob Va 'iN ilullN', tliNl' w NDWl
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 u soul with only
one capacity, would say not much is
expected Of you. But stand up, oh
man, and let me look you squarcly in
the face, Eyes capable of seeing every
thing, Ears capable Of hearing every.
thing. Hands capable of grasping gcvery.
thing. Mind with more wheels than any
factory ever turned, moro power than
CorlisS engine ever moved, A soul that
will outlivc all the universe except
Heaven, aud would outlivc all Heaven
If the life Of other immort0ls were
moment short Of the eternal. Now,
what has the world n right to expect of
you? What has God u right to demand
Of you? God is the greatest of ccono-
mists in the universe and lie makes
nothing uselcssly, and for what pur.
pose did He build your body, mind and
soul as they are built? There nrc 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 ut an expense of
five hundred thousand dollars year,
and turning out goods worth seventy
cents year would not be such nm in.
nnn Ia u ola ,,lti