The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-25

And you find others ciphering out diff
cult problems with rare interest and
success, and you know they are to b.
mathematicians. And others making
you know they are going to be machin-
lists. And others are found experiment
ing with hoe and pow and sickle, and
you know they viii be farmers. And
others are always swapping jacknives
or balls or bats, and making something
by the bargain and they are going to
be merchants. When ADbe de Rance
had so advanced in studying Greek
that ne could translate Anacreon at IL
years Of age, there was no doubt left
that h. was Intended for a scholar.
But in almOS every lad there comes
a time when he does not know what ne
was made for. and his parents do not
know, and il is a crisis that God only
can decide. Then there are those
born for especial work. and their fit
! ness does not develop until quite late.
When Philip Doddridge. whose SER
| mons and books ave harvested I'M
counted souls for glory, began TO study
for the ministry, DR.. Calamy, one OF
the wisest and best men, advised him
TO turn his thoughts 10 some other
work. Isaac Barrow, the eminent
clergyman and Christian scientist-his
books standard now, though he has
been dead over 200 years-was the dis
heartment Of his father, who used to
say that If it pleased God TO take any
of his children away he hoped it might
be his son isaac. So some of those
who have been characterized for their
stupidity in bOyhOod or girlhood have
turned out the mightiest benefactors
or benefactOreSseS Of the human race.
These things being so am / not right
in saying that in many cases God only
knows what is the most appropriate
thing for you to do, and he is the one
to ask? And let all parents and all
schools and all universities and all col
leges recognize this. and a large num-
Der Of those who spent their best years
in stumbling about among businesses
and occupations, now trying this and
now trying that, and failing in all,
would be able to go ahead with a de-
finite, decided and tremendous pur-
pose, saying, T this end was I born"
PATHS OF USEFULNESS.
But by subject now mounts into he
momentous. Let me say that you are
made for usefulness and heaven. |
judge this from the way you are built.
You go into a shop where there is only
one wheel turning and that by a work.
mans foot on a treadle, and o say
to yourself, Here is something good
being done, yet on a small scale" but
- y w 81 IL q 1oClCAy Wv CI MS ldI
acres and you find thousands of bands
pulling on thousands of wheels and
shuttles flying and the whole scene be-
Wildering with activities, driven by
water or steam or electric power, you
conclude that the factory was put up
to do great work and on a vast scale.
Now, | look at you, and if I should find
that you had only one faculty of body,
only one muscle, only one nerve, if you
could see but not hear or could hear
and not see, if you had the use of only
one foot or one hand, and, as to your
higher nature, if you had only one
mental faculty and you had memory
but no judgment OF judgment but no
will, and if you had a soul with only
one capacity, | would say not much is
expected of you. But stand up, O man,
and let me look you squarelX in the
face. Eyes capable of seeing every
thing. Ears capable of grasping every
thing. Minds with more wheels than
any factory ever turned, more power
than any Corliss engine ever moved.
A soul that will Outlive all the uni
verse except heaven, and would Outlive
heaven if the life of the other immOr-
tails were a moment short of the eter-
nal. Now, what has the world a right
to demand of yOu? God is the greatest
of economists in the universe, and he
makes nothing uselessly, and for what
purpose did he build your body, mind
and Oul as they are built? There are
only two beings in the universe who
can answer The schools do not know.
Your kindred cannot certainly know.
God knows, and you ought to know.
A factory running at an expense of
$500, 900 a year and turning out goods
worth 20 cents a year would not be
such an incOngruity as you. O man,
with such semi-infinite equipment doing
I ~ i n n ~ ynyyt 70 - L. 49,
of usefulness! What shall do?"
you ask. My brethren. my sisters, do
not ask me. Ask God. There's som
path of Christian usefulness open 1t
may be a rough path or it may be a
smooth path. a long path or a short
path. 1t may be on a mount of con-
spicuity or in a valley unObserved. but
it is a path on which you can start
with such faith and such satisfaction
and such certainty that you can cry
in the face of earth and hell and heav-
en-, "TO this end was I BORN
GRASP OPPORTUNITY.
DO not wait for extraordinary qualifi-
cations. Philip, the gained
his greatest victories seated on a mule,
n II you wait for some caparisOned
Bucephalus to ride into the conflict YOU
Will never get in the worldwide fight
at all. Samson slew the Lords enc
mics with the jawbone of the stupidest
beast created. Shamgar slew 600 of the
Lord enemies with an OK goad. I'm
der God, spittle cured the blind mans
eyes in the New Testament story.
Take all the faculty you have and say:
20 Lord. Here is what [ have. Show
me the field and back me up by omnip-
otent power. Anywhere, anyhow, any
time for God" Two men riding on
horseback came to a trough to water
the horses. While the horses We're
drinking one of the men said to the
other a few words about the value of
the soul, then they rode away. and IN
opposite directions, but the words ut
tered were the salvation of the one to
whom they We're uttered, and he be-
came the Rev. Mr.. Champion. one of
the most distinguished missionaries in
heather lands, for years wondering
who did for him the Christian kind
ness. and not finding out until in Il
bundle of books sent him to Africa he
ound the biography of Brainerd Tay-
Tor and a picture of him, and the mis-
sionary recognized the face in that