Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-02-08
BE ON THE LOOKOUT.
SERMON ON OPPORTUNITY BY REV.
DR.. TALMAGE IN NEW YORK.

Things That Do Not Last-The Lesson In
the Farm Wagon-Opportunit That
Made Men Famous-The Great Chance Of
AIl-Its Fruits.
NEW YORK, Feb. 3.-Rev. DR.. Tai
mage again found himself facing vast
audience at the Academy Of Music this
afternoon, while thousands surged
around the entrances unable to gain ad-
mission. The Academy was crowded
shortly after 8 O'Clock, and the prelim-
mary service Of song was participated
in by the throngs that filled the corri-
dors and by many of those at the doors
on both Irving place and Fourteenth
street as WELL The distinguished divine
took for his subject Opportunity, "
the text selected being Galatians vi, 10,
"As we have therefore opportunity, let
us do good. "
At Denver years ago an audience had
assembled for divine worship. The pas
tor Of the church for whom was to
preach that night, interested In the
reating Of the people, stood in the pull
pit looking from side to side, and when
no more people could be crowded within
the walls he turned to me and said,
with startling emphasis, "What an OPP
portunityp' Immediately that word be-
gan to enlarge, and while hymn was
being sung at every stanza the word
opportunity" swiftly and nightly
unfolded, and while the opening prayer
was being made the word piled up into
Alps and Himalayas Of meaning and
spread out into other latitudes and
longitudes Of significance until 1t be-
came hemispherio, and it still grew in
altitude and circumference until it en-
circled other words and swept out and
on and around until it was as big as
eternity. Never since have read or
heard that word without being thrilled
with its magnitude and momentum.
Opportunity Although in the text to
some it may seem a mild and quiet
note, in the great gospel harmony it is
q staocato passage. 1t is one of the love-
liest and awfulest words in our Ian
guage Of more than 100, 900 words Of
English vocabulary. "As we have op-
portunity, let US do good. "
Opportunity Defined.
What is an opportunity? The lexi-
oographer would coolly tell you it is a
conjunction of favorable circumstances
for accomplishing a purpose, but words
cannot tell what it is. Take 1000 years
to manufacture a definition, and you
could not successfully describe it. Op-
portunityl The measuring rod with
which the angel of the Apocalypse mea-
sured heaven could not measure this
pivotal word Of my text. Stand on the
edge of the precipice Of all time and let
down the fathoming line hand under
hand and lower down and lower down
and for a quintillion of years let 1t sink,
and the lead will not strike bottom.
Opportunity But while do not at
tempt to measure or define the word !
will, God helping me, take the respon-
sibility Of telling you something about
opportunity.
First, it is very swift in its motions
Sometimes within one minute 1t starts
from the throne Of God, sweeps around
the earth and reascends the throne from
which it started. Within less than go
seconds it fulfilled its mission.
In the second place, opportunity
never comes back Perhaps an oppor-
tunity very much like it may arrive,
but that one never. Naturalists tell US
of insects which are born, fulfill their
mission and expire in an hour, but
many opportunities die so soon after
they are born that their brevity Of life
is incaloulable. What most amazes me is
that opportunities do such overshadow'
ing. far reaching and tremendous work
in such short earthly allowance You
are a business man Of large experience.
The past IS months have been hard on
business men. A young merchant at his
wits end came into your Office or your
house, and you said: Times are hard
now, but better days will come have
seen things as bad or worse, but we got
out, and we will get out Of this The
brightest days that this country ever
saw are yet to come" The young man
to whom you said that was ready for
suicide or something worse-namely,
a fraudulent turn to get out Of his de-
spairful position. Your hopefulness in
spired him for all time, and 30 years
after you are dead he will be reaping
the advantage of your optimism. Your
opportunity to do that one thing for
that young man was not half as long
as the time have taken to rehearse It
Little Things That Decide Destiny.
In yonder third gallery You sit, man
of the world, but you wish everybody
we'll. While the clerks are standing
round in your store or the men in your
factory are taking their noon spell, some
one says, "Have you heard that one OF
our men has been converted at the re-
vival meeting in the Methodist church,
While it is being talked over you say;
"Well, | do not believe in revivals
Those things do not last People get
excited and join the church and are no
better than they were before wish
our men would keep away from those
meetings. " Do you know, 0 man,
what you did in that minute Of depre-
ciation2 There were two young men in
that group who that night would have
gone to those meetings and been saved
for this world and the next, but you
decided them not to go. They are social
natures. They already drink more than
Is good for them and are disposed to be
wild. From the time they heard you
say that they accelerated their steps on
the downward road. In ten years they
will be through with their dissipations
and pass into the great beyond. That
little talk of yours decided their desti'
ny for this world and the next You
had an opportunity that you misim-
proved, and how will you feel when
you confront those two immortals In the
last judgment and they tell you of that
unfortunate talk of yours that hunG
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