Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-11-18

Ask Gods Guidance.
And there are children whom yOu
find all by themselves drawing on their
slates or on paper, ships, or houses, or
birds, and You know they are TO be
craftsmen or architects Of some kind
And you find others ciphering out diff
cult problems with rare interest and
success, and you know they are to be
mathematicians And others making
wheels and strange contriyances and
you know they are going to be machin-
lists. And others are found experiment.
ing with hoe and plow and sickle, aud
you know they will be farmers And
others are always swapping Jackknives
or balls or bats, and making something
by the bargain. and they are going 70
be merchants. When Able de Rance
had so advanced in studying Greek that
be could translate AnacreOn at ? years
of age there was no doubt left that he
was intended for a scholar But in al
most every lad there comes a time
when he doss not know what he was
made for. and his parents do not know,
and it is a 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 uncounted souls
for glory. began to study for the min
istry, DIR 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 200
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
lied for their stupidity IN boyhood or
eirlhood have turned ont the mightiest
benefactors or benefactresses OF the hu-
man race These things being so am !
not right in saying that in many cases
God only knows what is the most ap-
propriate thing for you TO do, and be is
the one to ask: And let all parents and
al schools and all universities and all
colleges recognize this, and a large
number Of those who spent their best
years III stumbling about among bust
nesses and occupations. now trying this
and now trying that, and failing in
all. would be able to 60 ahead with
definite decided aud tremendous pur'
pose. saying. To this end was ! born.
Paths of Usefulness.
But my subject now mounts into the
momentous Let me say that you are
made for usefulness and heaven. l
Judge this from the way you are built
You 90 into shop where there is only
one wheel turning and that by work
mans fost on treadle, and you say TO
Yourself. Here is something good be
ing done, yet on small scale. " but if
you 90 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. look at you. and if should find
that you had only one faculty Of body.
only one muscle, only one nerve, If you
could zee but not hear OF could hear
and not gee. 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 nc
will, and if you had soul with only
one capacity. would say not much Is
expected of you But stand ap' y man.
and let me look you squarely IN the
facel Eyes capable Of seeing everything
Ears capable Of hearing 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 outliye all the universe except
nGnKEn, anu MUuAAA NtAAAhA go A~'%'N--
if the life Of the other lmmorials were
q moment short ot the eternal Now
what has the world a right TO expect OF
you, What has God a right to demand
of you. God Is the greatest of econo
mists IN the universe aLd he makes
nothing uselessly. and for what purpos'
did he build your body mind and SOU
as they are built There are cnly tw'
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 krow \ factory run
ming at an expense Of 100000 yeai
and turning out goods worth ~ cents
wear would not be such an lnc0ngl ulty
as Won q man. with such seml-InhnitS
,ouipuent doing nothing. or next te
nothiup. IN the way of usefulness
What shall 1 dor' you ask My breth
rem. my sisters. do not ask me. AsF
God There some path of Christian
usefulness open 1t may be a rough
nath or it may be a smooth path, lons
path or short path Ii may be on
mount of comspicuity or IN a valley IN
observed, but it is path on which yoT
can start with such faith and such salts
factiop and such certainty that you cal
ery out IN the face Of earth aud hel
and heaven. ITO this end was ! born. '
Grasp Opportunity.
Do not wait for extraordinary qualit
cations Philip. the conqueror, gained
his greatest victories seated on mule
and il YOU wait for some caparlsoneI
Bucephalus TO ride into the conflict yo'
will never get into the worldwid hgn
at all Samson slew the Lords enemie'
with the jawbone of the stupidest oeas
created. Shamgar slew 600 of the Lord
enemies with an OK goad Under God
spittle cured the blind mans eyes II
the New Testament story. Take all IN
faculty you have and say: 20 Lord
Here is what have Show me the fiel'
and back me up by omnipotent power
Anywhere, anyhow, any time Tor Iod.
Two men riding on horseback came Z
a trough to water the horses. While tn
horses were drinking one OF the me
e. 10 oil