The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-05-07

Is at hand" The celebrated Englishman,
William I. Stead, says: Everywhere the
old order Is changing aud giving place to
the new. The human race is now at one
OF the critical points In its history when the
fountains of the great deep are broken up"
DR.. Strong says: 1--WE may have social revo-
luton; we must have social evolution. 4 n
The social changes which are sure to come
will doubtless be great, but they will be
natural-the effects OF causes long antece-
dent; hence the Importance of comprehend
ing, so far as possible, existing conditions
and tendencies" Professor Buchanan, of
Boston, says: ''Our convulsionary period is
approaching. y n The twentieth century
will be ushered In with increasing agitation
and discomfort, not because the reasons
therefor are increasing, but because men
are becoming infamed by brooding over the
social condition. the contrast of prlncely
wealth and abject poverty. Poverty is
never wise to prevent evils, but 1t can vote
and 1t can fight, and 1t will do both" DIR.
Post says: awful shadows are falling
across the dial plate of time. The crisis of
the ages Is surely drawing on" If we are
living in an age Of ages, as these sentiments
would seem to prophesy, then who can ade-
quately portray the opportunities Of the
twentieth century young man?
OPPORTUNITIES OF MANHOOD.
Whilst l plead my inability to discharge
the task, l want to suggest that one of the
great opportunities of the twentieth century
young man Is the opportunity OF improved
manhood. 1t is ours, as the ages go by, to
boast Of better products from our factories.
We boast of finer fabrics, of more servicea-
BILE tools, we boast also of juster laws, of
gentler religion. Our watchword is PRO
gress." Why should we not expect progress
along the line of manhood? The problem
of life is not that of getting a living, but 1t
is ennobling a life. 1t Is of building a char
acter, making a a A man in the truest
and highest sense of that term is the richest
fruit which this old earth holds up to heav-
en-. The ideal of manhood remains the
same through the ages. The character of
Christ is Interchangeable. He is the model
for all men of all ages, but our success In
copying the pattern, the degree Of achieve
ment In fashiOning our lives after the d.
vine model may be different from age to
age. The stars are just as high above the
earth as eyer, but men get nearer the stars
than in early years. The mountains are
just as high as in ages gone by, but men
mount their SUBMITS with a degree of ease
of which former generations never dreamed.
The seas are just as broad and as deep as
when Columbus crossed the Atlantic, but
today men travel the high seas with a speed
and comfort of which our forefathers never
dreamed. So the ideal of manhood re-
mains the same but with the increased ia
cilities of life, with the larger impulse of
example, and the magnificent equipment
for manhood, which Is ours today, ought we
not to surpass our forefathers? Ought we
not to outrun the men Of all former genera
tons in the great race of life? Ought not
the men of tomorrow to surpass the men of
today not only in their greatness but also in
their goodness, not only in their achieve
ments but also In their manhood? SIS l be-
lieve that the twentieth century will witness
a higher average of manhood and a loftier
type of manhood than the world has ever
witnessed before.
sERVICEABLENESS.
The twentieth century offers op%portuni-
ties of usefulness in the sphere of morals
and religion which no previous generation
of young men have ever enjoyed. Spiritual
things are largely influenced and controlled
by material things. Material things become
the instruments of spiritual things. X The
measure of success Of material things indi-
Gates the possible measure of success Of
spiritual things. The man who would
make a success in life today has to attain to
a very high ideal. If, according to the
worlds estimate of success, we succeed in
commerce, your success must compare with
that of the Vanderbilts and Rockefeller's.
If In poetry you are to win a prize, your
verse must stand the test of Tennyson and
and Browning. If you are to succeed as a
you must attain the stature of a
Gladstone, and a Sumner, and a Washing
ton. If you are to achieve success in an in
vention you must measure your invention
by that of an Edison. These are the stand
ards of the world, by which you must
yourself according to the worlds
thought today. 1t is a herculean task.
Then to succeed In the world today, ah, yes!
if we are to be useful. to succeed as a man
who is a servant, we must measure our
selves by the usefulness of a Spurgeon, nay,
you must measure it by the ministry of
Christ. Thei Implements of modern civlli-
zation give the young men Of today the OPP
portunity of serving more people than the
young men of the past generations could
enjoy. This is the true measure |
Of greatness according to the divine stand !
ard. "He that would be chiefest among
you should be servant of ALL" said Christ. |
md pouv tbot tho World hoo hoan oatbarad