The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-01-03

the weak things OF this world 10 con-
found the mighty. II you feel that you
are q personkof small ability and In
huence, remember that Il has been such
whom God has always chosen TO ac-
'conplihh his greatest works. Your busl-
ness Is to go forward redeeLs.sS .!ke'
lime and God Will use you. When he
needed n man TO lead his people out OF
Egypt he called the shepherd Moses,
from his flocls: when he desired n wise
and good ruler for Israel. he selected
the modest. retiring lad. David: when
a herald was required for the coming
Redeemer It was onuntutorcd man from
the wilderness who appeared; and then
when Christ selected his apostles. II
wss not philosophers, nor the Rabbls,
nor the rulers whom he chose. but hum
bic Galllean fishermen. Somewhere In
Gods great plan Is n special work laid
out for each OF us. It may be that It Is
the silent, effective preaching OF a holy
life and a good example; perhaps It Ia
Just come simple word that Is 10 set In
motion a train OF influences that will
accomplish In the end more than the
most eloquent sermon. What that work
Is We do not always know; but obey this
Injunction: I'm the morning SOW thy
seed, and IN the evening withhold not
thine hand. for thou knowcst not
whether shall prosper, either this or
that, or whether they both shall be
alike good" More failures are caused
IN every line Of activity by not re
deeming the time" than for the lack OF
talents and opportunities.
Therefore, since time Is so swift In Its
flight. let US redeem It; let us buy Il up
out Of the hands OF sin and Satan. Let
US take time to get acquainted with
Christ. trust that many OF you will
make his acquaintance during the year
1898. "Acquaint thyself with Him and
be at peace" The hour Is swiftly COM
Ing for us all. when one touch OF his
hand In the darkness will mean more
than all that. Is written In the, day book
or ledger, or In the records OF our little
social world. We read that It was nn
ancient custom to put an hour-glass In
to the collins OF the dead as an emblem
OF time run out. Says q writer OF the
last century. II stopped In Cierkenwell
church-yard to see grave digger at
work. He had dug pretty deep and was
come to coffin which was quite rotten.
in clearing away the rotten pieces OF
wood, the grave-dinger found an hour
glass close to the left side OF the skull
with sand In 1t, the wood of which was
SO rotten that It broke when lie took
hold of TIA strange custom this, 20 no.
t!fy to the dead that their time was at
an end! Oh, what profit could such a
warning be-, coming thus too late? It Is
TO the living that we should present the
hour-glass. It is the living that we
should warn OF the swift rush of time.
Moments and years, with what speed
do they hurry away! O., time, time.
time. how soon 1t will be done! Men
and brethren, look at the hour-glass
emptying itself, grain by grain, with
such unstaying easerness! Living men
you viii soon be with the dead, and
where will you be and what is your
hope?
Oh, the solemn trust that lies for US.
In single day; a single dnS-that
messenger whose hands are laden for
US with the gifts and possibilities OF in
finite results. And II once We lose this
trust. there is no getting It again. II we
let the golden grains Of time slip
through our fingers. they drop away
forever into the great ocean Of the ir-
revocable past. "Redeeming the time
Is literally buying up the opportunity"
says Wayland IIoyt. 1t is buying the
opportunity Of good for ourselves, Of
self discipline, of self culture, OF good
for others, OF deepening spirituality, OF
a nearer vision OF God. Redeem the
time Ilr-a.s stla.