The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-11-30
THE GADABOUT EVIL.
DR.. Talmage Deplores the Prevail
ing Spirit of Unrest.
Dhristinn stability the Source of USE
fuIness and Happiness-vaIue of
Fixed Spiritual Con-
dition.
copyright, 1900, by Louis Klopsch.1
Washington Nov. 25

tn this discourse rebukes the spirit of
unrest which characterizes so many |
people, and shows them the happiness
and usefulness to be found in stability; |
text, Jeremiah 2: Sc: "Why gaddest thou
about so much to change thy way|
Homely is the illustration by which
ahis prophet of tears depores the vacil-
lation of the nation to whom he wrote.
Now they wanted alliance with Egypt,
and now with Assyria, and now with
Babylon, and now they did not know
what they wanted. and the behavior of
the nation reminded the prophet Ola
man or woman who, not satisfied with
home life. goes from place to place, CAD
ding about. as we say, never settled
anywhere or in anything, and he cries
out TO them: "Why gaddest thou
about so much to change thy way2"
Well, the world has now as many CAD
abouts as it had in Bible times, and |
think that that race of people is more
numerous now than it ever was. Cad
abouts among occupations, among re-
ligious theories, among churches,
among neigh borhoods, and one of the
greatest wants of the church and the
world is more steadfastness and more
fixedness of purpose.
1t was no small question that
Pharaoh put to Jacob and his sons
when he asked: what is your occu-
pation?" Getting into the right occu-
patton not only decides your temporal
welfare, but may decide your eternal
destiny. The reason so many men and
women are dead failures is because in
stead of asking God what they ought to
be or do they, through some vain ambi-
ton or whimsicality, decide what they
ought to be. Let me say to all young
men and young women in homes or in
school or college do not go gadding
about among occupations and profess
sions to find what you are fitted for,
but make humble and direct appeal to
God for direction.
While seeking Divine guidance in
your selection of lifetime sphere ex-
anime your own temperament. The
phrenologist will tell you your mental
proclivities. The Psychologist will tell
you your physical temperament. Your
enemies will tell you your weaknesses.
If you are. as we say, nervous. do not
become a surgeon. If you are coward
Iy, do not become an engineer II you
are hoping for large and permanent
income, do not seek a governmental
position. If you are naturally quick
tempered, do not become minister OF
che Gospel, for while anyone is disad-
vantaged by ungovernable disposition
there is hardly anyone who enacts such
an incongruous part as mad minister
Can you make a fine sketch of ship
or rock or house or face? Be an artist
DO you find yourself humming ca
Eiences, and do the treble clef and the
musical bars drop from your pen cas-
Ally, and can you make tune that
nharms those who hear it? Be must
clan. Are you born with a fondnes'
Cor argument? Be an attorney. Are
you naturally a good nurse and es
pecially interested in the relief OF
pain? BE a physician. Are you inter
ested in all questions of traffic and il
bargain making? Are you apt to bt
successful on small or large scale
BE a merchant. Do you prefer country
life, and do you like the pillow, and dc
you hear music in the rustic Of a har
vest field? BE farmer. Are you fonC
y
TO you fascination, and can you follow
with absorbing interest a new kind o
thrashing machine hour after hour
BE mechanic. If you enjoy ana,yzins
the natural elements and a laborator,
could entertain you all day and al
night, be a chemist. If you are in
aquisitive about other worlds and in
terested in all instruments that woul,
bring them nearer for inspection, b
an astronomer
If you have no one faculty dom
1nant and nothing in your makeup
seems to point to this or that occupa
ton, shut yourself up in your owl
room, get down on your knees and rev
erently ask God what lie made vo,
Tor, and tell Him that you are willing
to do anything He wishes you to dc
Before you leave that room you will
find out. But for the sake of you
usefulness and happiness and you
temporal and eternal welfare do no
join that crowd of people who g
Radding about among business an
occupations, now trying this and nov
trying that and never accomplishing
anything.
Last summer a man of great geniu
died. He had the talents of 20 men /
surgical directions, but he did not Xix
surgery, and he wanted to be
preacher He could not preach
told him so. He tried it on both side
of the sea, but he failed, because h
turned his back on that magnificer
profession of surgery, which has
our time made such wonderful achiev,
,nent that it now heals a broken nee
and by the X ray explores the ten
pie of the human body as If it wen
lighted room. For 40 years he wa
gadding about among the profession
Do not initiate him. Ask God whi
you ought to be, and He will tell 20
1t may not be as elegant a style