Connecticut western news., 1898-11-17

De merchants. When Abbe de Rance had so advanced in studying Greek that he could translate Anacreon at 12 years of age, there was no doubt left that he was intended for scholar. But in al most every lad there comes a time when he does not know what he was made for, and his parents do not know, and it is crisis that God only can de- eide. Then there are those born for some especial work, and their fitness does not develop until quite late. When Philip Doddridge, whose sermons and books have harvested unoounted souls for glory, began to study for the min istry, Dr. Calamy, one of the wisest and best men, advised him to turn his thoughts to some other work. Isaac Barrow, the eminent clergyman and Christian scientist-his books standard now, though he has been dead over 900 years-was the disheartenment of his father, who used to say that if it pleas ed God to take any of his children away he hoped it might be his son Isaac. So some of those who have been character ized for their stupidity in boyhood or girlhood have turned out the mightiest benefactors or benefactresses of the hu- man race These things being so am l not right in saying that in many cases God only knows what is the most ap- propriate thing for you to do, and he is the one to ask? And let all parents and all schools and all universities and all colleges recognize this, and a large number of those who spent their best years in stumbling about among busi- nesses and occupations, now trying this and now trying that, and failing in all, would be able to go ahead with a definite, decided and tremendous pur- pose, saying, ITO this end was born. 7
 Paths of Usefulness.
 But my subject now mounts into the momentous. Let me say that you are made for usefulness and heaven. judge this from the way you are built
 You go into shop where there is only one wheel turning and that by work mans foot on treadle, and you say to yourself. Here is something good be- ing done, yet on a small scale, but if you go into a factory covering many 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 vast scale. Now, I look at you, and if 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 or judgment but no will, and if you had soul with only one capacity, would say not much is expected of you. But stand up, o man, and let me look you squarely in the facel Eyes capable of seeing everything
 Hands capable of grasping everything. Minds with more wheels than any fac tory ever turned, more power than any Corliss engine ever moved. A soul that will outlive all the universe except heaven, and would outlive all heaven if the life of the other immortals were a moment short of the eternal Now, what has the world right to expect of you? What has God right to demand of you? God is the greatest of eoono- mists in the universe, and he makes nothing uselessly, and for what purpose did he build your body, mind and soul as they are built? There are only two beings in the universe who can answer that question. The angels do not know
 The schools do not know Your kindred cannot certainly know God knows, and you ought to know A factory rIn- ming at an expense of $500, 900 year and turning out goods worth 70 cents 8 year would not be such an incongruity as you. o man, with such semi-infinite equipment doing nothing. or next to nothing, in the way of usefulnessl What shall do?'' you ask. My breth- ren, my sisters, do not ask me. Ask God There's some path of Christian usefulness open. It may be rough path or it may be smooth path, long path or short path. It may be on a mount of conspicuity or in a valley un- observed, but it is path on which you can start with such faith and such satis- faction and such certainty that you can cry out in the face of earth and hell and heaven, ITO this end was born. |"
 Grasp Opportunity.
 Do not wait for extraordinary qualifi- cations Philip, the conqueror, gained his greatest victories seated on a mule, and if you wait for some caparisoned Bucephalus to ride into the conflict you will never get into the worldwide fight at all. Samson slew the Lords enemies with the jawbone of the stupidest beast created. Shamgar slew 600 of the Lords enemies with an OK goad Under God, spittle cured the blind mans eyes in the New Testament story. Take all the faculty you have and say: 70 Lord Here is what have. Show me the field and back me up by omnipotent power. Anywhere, anyhow, any time for God. '' Two men riding on horseback came to trough to water the horses While the horses were drinking one of the men said to the other few words about the value of the soul, then they rode away, and in opposite directions, but the words uttered were the salvation of the one tc whom they were uttered, and he became the Rev. MT. Champion, one of the most distinguished missionaries in heather lands, for years wondering who did for him the Christian kindness, and not finding out until in bundle o1 books sent him to Africa he found the biography of Brainerd Taylor and pic ture of him, and the missionary reoog nized the face in that book as the mar who, at the watering trough for horses, had said the thing that saved his soul What opportunities you have had in the past What opportunities you have now
 What opportunities you will have in the days to comel Put on your hat, oh, wo man, this afternoon and go and comfort that young mother who lost her babe last summer. Put on your hat, oh, man, and go over and see that merchant who was compelled yesterday to make an as signment and tell him of the everlast