The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1895-02-08
BE ON THE LOOKOUT.
SERMON ON OPPORTUNITY BY REV.
Or. TALMAGE IN NEW YORK.

Things That DO Not Last-The Lesson In
the Farm Wagon Opportunities That
Made hen Famous-The Great Chance Of
Aii--Its Fruits.
NEW YORK, Feb. Brew. 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 I'D
mission. The Academy was crowded
shortly after o'clock, and the prelim-
mary service of song was participated
in by the throngs that filled the corri-
doris 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
ceating of the people, stood in tho 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 op-
portunity" Immediately that word be
gan to enlarge, and while a hymn was
being sung at every stisnza 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 ATTITUDES and
longitudes of significance until it be-
came hemisphere, and it still grew in
altitude and circumference until it en-
oircled other words and swept out and
on and around until it was as big as
eternity. Never since have | read OF
heard that word without being thrilled
with its magnitude and momentum
opportunity! Although in the text tc
some it may seem mild and quiet
note. In the great gospel harmony it is
"a staccato passage. 1t is one of the love.
Hest and awfulest words in our Ian.
guage Of more than 100, words OF
English vocabulary. GAS we have op.
portunity, let us do good
Opportunity Defined.
! What is an opportunity? The lexi
cographer would coolly tell you it is q
conjunction of favorable circumstances
for accomplishing purpose, but words
cannot tell what it is. Take l, 900 years
to manufacture definition, and you
could not successfully describe it. Op
portunity! 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 lei
down the fathoming line hand under
hand and lower down and lower down
and for a quintillion of years let it sink,
and the lead will not strike bottom.
Opportunity! But while l 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 it's motions.
Sometimes within one minute it starts
from the throne of God, sweeps around
the earth and reascends the throne from
which it started. Within less than &C
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 theil
mission and expire in an hour, bu
many opportunities die SO soon after
they are born that their brevity of life
is incalculable. What most amazes me is
that opportunities do such overshadow.
ing, far reaching and tremendous work
in such short earthly allowance Yor
are business man of large experience.
The past 10 months have been hard OF
business men. A young merchant at his
wits end came into your office or YOU
house, and you said: Times are hare
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 evel
saw are yet to come" The young mar
to whom you said that was ready fol
suicide or something worse-namely
fraudulent turn to get out of his de
spairful position. Your hopefulness in
spired him for all time, and 80 years
after you are dead he will be reapine
the advantage of your optimism. You
opportunity to do that one thing fol
that young man was not half as Ion,
as the time ! have taken to rehearse it.
Little Things That Decide Destiny.
In yonder third gallery you sit, MAJ
of the world, but you wish everybody
well. While the clerks are standin;
round in your store, or the men in you,
factory are taking their noon spell, som,
one says, Have you heard that one O.
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 REVEALS
Those things do not last People &c
excited and Join the church and are NJ
better than they were before | wisl
pur men would keep away from thos,
meetings. 7" Do you know, o p,an
what you did in that minute OF depre
citation? There we're two young men i,
that-group who that night would hav,
gone to these meetings and been saved
for this world and the next, but YOU
decided them pot to go. They are so2ia
natures. They already drink more thai
is good for them and are disposed to ~
wild. From the time they heard 80,
say that they accelerated their steps q
the downward road In ten years the,
will BIO through with their dissipation
and pass into the great beyond. Tba
little talk Of yours decided their dcsti
ny for this world and the next Yol
had an opportunity that you misim
proved, and how will you feel whei
You confront those two immortals in tn
last Judgment and they tell you Of tina
unfortunate talk of yours that fun!
them over tic prccipioet Q man o
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