Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-10-12
in THE CHURCHES.
A Column Devoted To The Inter
est OF The Churches.
CHRISTIAN ENDEA V0R TOPIC
The Rev. ". A. Shaw win OCCupB The
Congregational Pulpit Next SUNDAY.

The topic for Endeayor meeting on
Sunday is Lost Opportunities, and
the leader is Miss Sadie Moses.
This topic Of vital interest is
worthy Of careful, systematic thought
that we may thoroughly understand
that opportunities neglected in the
moral realm are exactly as disas-
trous as opportunities neglected in the
physical and intellectual realm. The
child that never exercises when OPP
porLunities are presented, will be-
come dwarfed in limb and dminiutiye
in stature; the boy or girl who re-
fuses the opportunities ofan education
cannot avoid paying the penalty,
ignorance and imbecility Of mind.
This may be said to represent ex-
tremes yet by such lessons do we see
the value Of right use Of time.
There are many degrees between the
two extremes, and the standing Of
each individual is determined by the
application to the work aud the willing
ness with which opportunity is seized
and made TO aid in whatever develop
ment we are aiming at. What OPP
portunities are neglected for soul
growth and how they after lament the
decadence of spiritual power. The
exercise Of the faculties Of the soul is
needed to become q normal man in
Christ. For these opportunities come
to as that we may exercise the power
III choice Of that which will help us
attain to the dignity and power Of u
Christian manhood.
"Thc means that heaven yields must be
embraced
And not neglected; else, If heaven would,
And we will not. heavens offer we refuse,
The protfcred means of succor and redress, f"
When we consider a few of the in
Vulnerable opportunities that come to
rs for soul growth we feel that we
ought TO pass out OF the child.life into
that Of giant. We should be Jove
forging thunderbolts hat shall rend
asunder the mountain Of Difficulty,
not Mazcppa bound by the law of
Fate to the high spirited horse of
Recklessness, dashing down the
mountain side to inevitable ruin
The mags,crial will-power when
exercised for right will embrace every
opportunity that comes for moral and
spiritual improvement Probably
this theme has wider application
than Ia the members Of the EudcayOr
Society for there are those caiming
to know and love God, to whom OPP
purtunilics come with 81 stcmatic
regularity but are unimproved. and
leave them as impotent as Wheh
found This is entirely due TO the
unwlllingucss TO utilize them for soul
growth In the matter of church
attendance while the EudcavoI is
bound by the pledge to attend all the
services of his own church including
the mid-wcek prayer meeting, it is
nevertheless an unwrittcn obligation
20 those who entered into relations
with the church prior to the organ
ration Of the Y. +. S. G. T.
The Sunday school offers a favor
able opportunity to those who wish
To add strength to the spiritual life
and open up possibilities in the life OF
HE pupil II the average young
person was as anxious to teach class
~ the Sunday school as 20 teach in q
day schocl there would be no dcarth
II teacher as there is in many places
to-day
As an opportunity is hereby offered