Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-02-15

Senatorial chair were MS WIFI " liosiV w
Presidential chair II the meanness VI Alnoi "a
can politics had not swindlea MN ous ~ AZ, Az
The dav when his father told him to fight his
own way was William II. Stewards oppor-
tunitv. John Henry Newman, becalmed
whole week in an orange boat in the Strait OF
Bonifacio. wrote his immortal hymn. Lead,
Kindly Light" That was John Henry New
mans opportunity. You know Kirk whites
immortal hymn. "When Marshaled on the
Nightly Plain" He wrote it in boat by
lantern on stormy night as he was sailing
along rocky coast That was Kirk whites
opportunity.
The importance Of making the most OF OPP
portunities as they present themselves is ac-
knowledged in all other directions. Why
not in the matter Of usefuless2 The differ
ence of usefulness of good men and women
| is not so much the difference in brain or So
cial position or wealth; but in equipment OF
Christian common sense-to know Just the
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, 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 off
last years free pass or get through at half
rate child fully grown a housekeeper try
ing to get the table ready in time for guests
although the oven has neglected to fulfill the
order given him-thoso are not opportuni.
ties for religious address Do not rush up to
a man in the busiest part Of the day and when
half dozen people are waiting for him and
ask, "How is your SOIl?'
But there are plenty of fit occasions 1t is
interesting to sec the sportsman, gun in
hand and pouch at side and accompanied by
the hounds yelping down the road, of on
hunting expedition, but the best hunters In
this world are those who hunt for oppor
tunities to do good, and the game i5 some:
thing to gladden. earth and heaven. | 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 man has lost his property IS
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 IN
health is an impossibility. When the Holy
Spirit is moving on community is the best
time to tell man he ought to be saved By
q word, by smile, by a look, by a prayer,
the work may be thoroughly done that all
eternity cannot undo it. AS the harp was
invented from hearing the twang of O bow
string, as the law of gravtation was sug-
gested by the fall of an apple, as the order
in India for the use of n 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 a gladness, it may be
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 liveY
| Having obtained the address and written to
the father, the city missionary got a reply,
on the outside of the letter the word "imme-
date" underscored. 1t was the heartiest
possible invitation for the wanderer to come
| home. That was the city missionarys OPP
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 Immediate"
A military officer very profane in his hab-
lis was going down into mine at Cornwall,
England, with a Christian miner, for many
of those miners are Christians. The officer
used profane language while in the cage 60
ing down. AS they were coming up out OF
the mine the profane officer said, "If it be so
far down to your work. how much farther
would it be to the bottomless pitt" The
Christian miner responded, II do not know
how far it is down to that place, but If this
rope should break you would be there in
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 of the Presbyterian Church at Phila-
delphia, when q young minister addressed
him and asked him If he was not on sloOp
on the Hudson River seven years before?
| The reply was in the affirmative. SWELL,
said the young minister, II was the man
whom you corrected for utteriDg that oath.
1t led me to think and repent, and | am try
| ing to atone somewhat for my early behavior.
1 am a 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. l 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.
| Aud things get broken and ruined, and it is,
"Where's my hiatt" 'Who took my books2"
"Who has been busy with my plaVhings?"
And it is brushing this way, and a-rushing
| that, until father and mother are well nigh
| beside themselves.
1t is astonishing how much noise five or six
children can make and not half try. But the
years glide swiftly away. After awhile the
voices are not 50 many, and those which stay
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 yonder
! 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
| less scissors cut up something really valuable
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 DO
| gan housekeeping there were just two you,
there will be Just two again. Oh, the alarm
ing brevity of infancy and childhood The
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 With
us!' But the lamentation will be OF no avail.
The opportunity had wings, and 1t vanished.
When your child gets out of the cradle, let ii
climb into the outstretched arms of tho beau.
tiful Christ "Come thou and all thy house
into the ark"
But there is one opportunity so much
brighter than any other, so much more invit-
ing, and so superior to all others that there
are innumerable fingers pointing to it, and il
ic bol x.y;f oO IL ifc II ic VOursl