Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-02-15

I own way MAS William II. Stewards oppOr-
tunitv. John Henry Newman. becalmed a
7 whole week in an orange boat in the strait Of
B1nifacio, wrote his immortality lead,
Kindly Light" That was John Henry New
. mans opportunity. You know Kirk Whites
immortal HYMN, when Alarshaled GA the
Nightly Plain" He wrote il in a boat by a
lantern on a stormy night as he was sailing
along a rocky coast. That was Kirk Whites
opportunity.
The importance OF making the most OF op-
portunities as they present themselves is ac-
| knowleiged in all other directions. Why
not in the matter Of usefulessg The differ
ence Of usefulness Of good men and women
/ i not so much the difference in brain or So
cial position or wealth, but in equipment OF
Christian common sense-tO know Just the
I time when to say the right word or do the
right thing. There are good people who can
always be depended on TO say the right
thing at the wrong time, A merchant selling
goods over the couner to a willy customer
who would like TO get them at less than cost,
! the railroad conductor while taking up the
/ tickets from passengers who want TO work OF
last years free pass or get through at half
/ rate child fully grown, s hOusekeeper try
/ ing TO get the tahl ready in time for guests,
although the oven has neglected to fulfill the
order given him-those are not oDUortuni-
/ ties for religious address. Do not rtsh up to
/ a man in the busiest part of the day and when
1 a half dozen people are waiting for him and
/ ask. "HOw is your soul?"
But there are plenty Of fit occasions. II is
/ interesting TO see the sportsman, gun in
! hand and pouch at side and accompanied by
| the hounds yelping down the road, Off on
| hunting expedition, but the best hunters IN
| this world are those who hunt for oppor-
| tunities to do good, and the game is some
| thing to gladden. earth and heaven. l will
| point out some of the opportunities. When
| a soul is in bereavement is the best time to
talk of gospel consolation and heavenly re-
union. When a man has lost his property il
| the best time to talk TO him of heavenly in
| heritance that can never be levied on. When
one is sick is the best time to talk to him
| about the supernatural latitude in which un-
health is an impossibility. When the Holy
Spirit is moving Oh community is the best
time to tell man he ought to be saved. BY
a word, by a smile, by look, by prayer
the work may be thoroughly done that all
eternity cannot undo 1t. As the harp was
invented from hearing the twang of a bow
string, as the law of gravitation was sug-
gested by the fall of an apple, as the order
! in India for the use OF creased cartridge
started the mutiny of 1857, which appalled,
the Nations, so something Insignificant may
| open the door for great results. Be on the
watch. 1t may be gladness, it may be a
horror, but it will be an opportunity.
A city missionary in the lower parts OF the
city found young woman in wretchedness
and sin. He said. "Why do you not go
home?" She said. "They would not receive
me at home" He said. "What is your
fathers name and where does he live?"
| Having obtained the address and written to
the father, the city missionary got reply,
on the outside of the letter the word "imme-
date" underscored. II was the heartiest
possible invitation for the wanderer TO come
IkaN ~. -, -.
| portunity. And there are opportunities all
about you, and on them, written by the hand
OF the God who will bless you and bless
those whom you help, in capitals Of light the
word "Immedate.n
A military officer very profane in his hab-
its was going down into a mine at Cornwall,
| England, with q Christian miner, for many
| of those miners are Christians The officer
| used profane language while in the cage GO
ing down. As they were coming up out Of
the mine the profane officer said, at it be so
far down to your work, how much farther
would ii be to the bOttomless pitt" The
Christian miner responded, ~ do not know
how far 1t is down to that place, but II this
rope should break you would be there in R
minute" 1t was the Christian miners OPP
pOrtunity. Many years ago a clergyman was
ON a sloop on our Hudson River, and hearing
a man utter blasphemy the clergyman said,
You have spoken against my best friend,
Jesus Christ" Seven years after this same
clergyman was on his way to the general as
sembly vi the Presbyterian Church at Phila-
delphia, when young minister addressed
him and asked him ii he was not on slooP
on the Hudson River seven years before?
The reply was in the affirmative. swell, -
said the young minister, ~ was the man
whom you corrected for uttering that oath.
1t led me to think and repent, and | am try
ing to atone somewhat for my early behavior
l am preacher OF the gospel and delegate
to the general assembly," Seven years be-
fore on that Hudson River sloop was the
clergyman's opportunity.
| stand this minute In the presence Of many
heads of families. wonder If they all real
ize that the opportunity for influencing the
household for Christ and heaven is very brief
and will soon be gone? For awhile the house
is full Of the voices and footsteps of children.
You sometimes feel that you can hardly stand
| the racket You say "Do be quiet 1t seems
as if my head would split with all this noise "
And things get broken and ruined, and it is
"Where's my hat !" "'Who took my books?
''Who has been busy with my play -..ings?n
And it is a-rushing this way, and a-rushinG
that until father and mother are we'll nigh
beside themselves.
II is astonishing how much noise five or six
children can make and not half try. But the
years glide swiftly away. After awhile the
are more sedate. First this room gets quiet
and then that room. Death takes some
and marriage take Others until after awhile
the house is awfully still. That man yondel
would give all he is worth to have that boy
who is gone away forever rush into the room
once more with the shout that was once
} | thought too boisterOus.
| That mother who was once tried because
her little girl, now gone forever. with care
| really
would like to have the child come back
willing to put in her hands the most valu
able wardrobe to cut as she pleases. Yes, yes
The house noisy now will soon be still
enough, | warrant you, and as when you be
gan housekeeping there were just two ofyou
there will be just two again. Oh, the alarm
J ing brevity OF infancy and childhood TIT
} opportunity is glorious, but it soon passes
Parents may say at the close Of life, "What
} pity we did not do more for the religious
welfare of our children while we had them Will
us!' But the lamentation will be of no avail
The opportunity had wings, and it vanished
, When your child gets out of the cradle, let i
climb into the outstretched arms of the beau
tiful Christ. "Come thou and all thy hous,
} into the ark"
But there is one opportunity so mucl
brighter than any other, so much more invit
ing, and so superior to all others that Their,
! are innumerable fingers pointing to it, and i
7 is haloed with glory all its own. 1t is yours
1t is mine! 1t is the present hour. 1t is thu
now. We shall never have it again. Will,
} Itspeak and you listen the opportunity is rest
t less as if to be gone. You cannot chain i
down. You cannot imprison it. You canno
make 1t stay. All its pulses are throbbint
4 with haste that cannot be Kindred or con
= trolled. 1t is the opportunity of invitation
on my part and acceptance on your part. TIL
i door of the palace Of Gods mercy is wild
. open. Go in. Sit down and be kings an
t queens unto God forever. "Well," you say
s ~ am not ready" You are ready. Gar
a you sinner" eyes" "Do you want t
Q be saved now and forever" "Yes
e "Do you believe that Christ is able and will
Q ing to do the work?" "Yes." Then you ar
aavad Won nra media +ha polooa door n