The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1899-10-19
SHARPEN YOUR AK WELL.

his young brethren in the minis.
try, and frequently gave them in
his private and public utterances
very wholesome advice. Many
preachers now living will testify
of having been greatly benefited
by the wise bits of counsel which
fell from his lips. He believed
thoroughly in ample preparation
for ones life work. Especially
did he believe that one called of
God to preach the holy gospel
should take time to equip himself
for the work. A call to preach,
from his point of view, meant,
first of all, Il call to get ready to
preach. This, he said, was nee
essary if one made of himself ga
workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth. " Instead of say
ing: young man, if the Lord
has called you to preach, get
right at it, for souls will be per.
ishing while you are in school or
college preparing for the work, F"
he advised the contrary course.
In his own peculiar way of put
ting it he would say: "Young
man, take time to sharpen your
AK well! You can do better work
and save more men in the course
of lifetime if you will first pre-
pare yourself for the best work. "
Thus he saved many a young
man from what would otherwise
have been a life full of future re-
grets and partial failure.
Using the Bishops words as
text, we would say to the boys
everywhere: Don't be in too
great a hurry to get out into the
strong currents of every day
business life. 1t is right to de-
sire for yourselves lives of indie
pendence and usefulness, but you
should not allow any ambition of
this sort to interfere with the
thoroughpreparatory work which
is necessary to fit you to take hon
orable positions among your fell
lows.
We have known boys but poor
ly prepared for the commoner
duties and positions of life, and
we might say almost totally un-
prepared for the higher, to tire
of books and the school room and
have longing to try their hands
in the business ventures of life.
They have gone forth as they
wished, but with what results.
In most instances they have had
to take menial places because
their fitness could command no
higher employment. They have
been forced to see their former
schoolmates who were content to
remain in the schoolroom and
prepare for the race in life pass
by them and take the places of
preferment and honor.
They saw their mistake, but not
until it was too late to repair the
damage done themselves. The
day of preparation once passed,
was gone forever. They had fail
ed in the beginning to sharpen
the AK well, and were compelled
ever afterwards to work with
dull tool, and that, too against
great odds.
But while the failure alluded
to places one at a disadvan-
tage as mere breadwinner, he
is damaged in a more import
ant sense still. Rushing into
real, earnest life without the prop
er training, if he is ever able to
achieve success in business, how
tremendous will be the cost to
that which is the highest and
best in his nature! 1t takes but
little reflection to see that money
is dearly obtained if gotten at the
expense of a cultured mind and
heart.
So we would say to the boys,
use the time of youth by a dill
gent use of all advantages offered
you in preparing yourselves for
doing the best work and most of
it when your day and opportunity
shall oonoa Shannon tho nv vUa11i