The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-12-04
THE GADAB0UT EVIL.
DR.. TALMAGE DePL0RES THE PRE-.
VAILING SPIRIT OF UNREST
Christian stability the Source or Use
fulness and Happiness VacilIation
the Cause of Observation-Disclosures of a.
Fixed Spiritual Condition.

people and shows them the happiness
and usefulness to be found in stability;
text, Jeremiah ID, SO, Why gaddest
thou about so much 10 change thy
way?'
Home IS the illustration by which
this prophet of tears deplores the vac
illatiOn of the nation to whom he wrote
Now they wanted alliance with Assyrla
and now with Babylon and now they did
not know what they wanted. and the
behavior of the nation reminded the
prophet of a man or woman who,nOt
satisfied with home life, goes from
place to place gadding about, as We
say never settled anywhere or in
anything, and he cries out to them.
why gaddest tho about so mucn
change thy way?"
Well, the world has now as many
gad-abouts as it had in Bible times,
n 1 hin thai that race of people
is more numerous now than it ever
was. Gadabout among occupation,
among religious theories, among
churches, among neighborhoods, 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 Phar-
oah put to Jacob and his ons when
he asked, What is Jour occupation?"
Getting into the right occupation not
only decides yOur temporal welfare, but
may decide your eternaI destiny. The
reason so many men and women are
dead failures is because instead of ask
ing God what they ought to be or do
they, through some vain ambition or
-whimsicality, decide what they ought to
be. Let me say to all young men and
young women in m or in schools or
college do not go gadding about among
occupations and professions to find
what you are fitted for, but make
humble and direct appeal to God for
direction.
EXAMINE YOUR TEMPERAMENT.
While seeking divine guidance in
your selection of a 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 :
If you are, as We say, nervous, do not
become a rye If you are ward
", do not become an engineer. If you
are hoping for a large and permanent
income, do not seek a governmental po-
sitiOn. If you are naturally QUICK tenn
pered, do not become d minister VI the
gospel, for while any one is d~isadvan-
tagged by un~governable disposition
there is hardly anyone who enacts such
an incOngruOuS part as a mad min
lister. Can you make a fine sketch of
a ship or rock or house or face? Be
an artist. Do you find yourself hum
ming cadences, and do the treble clef
and the musical bars drop from your
pen easily, and a you make a tune
thai charms those who hear it? Be a
musician. Are you born with a fond
ness for argument? Be an attorney.
Are you naturally a good nurse and
especially interested in the relief OF
pain? Be a physician. Are o in
terested in all questions of traffic and
in bargain making? Are you apt to
be successful on a small or large
scale? Be a merchant. Do you pre-
fer the country life, and do you like the
pillow, and do you hear music in the
rustic of a harvest field? Be a farmer
Are you fond of machinery, and are
turning wheels to you a fascination,
and can you follow with absorbing in
terest a new kind Of ~thrashing machine
hour after hour? Be a mechanic. II
YOU enjoy Analysing the natural ele-
ments and a laboratory could entertain
you all day and Ill night, be a chemist
If you are inquisitive about Other
worlds and interested in all inStru-
IIClIIS IlCIl "OOAo rs
for inspection, be an astronomer Ii
the grass under your feet and the
foliage over your head and the flowers
which shake their incense on the sum
mer air are to you the bellies lettres OF
the field. be a botanist.
If you have no one faculty dominanN
and nothing in u make up seems &c
point to this or that snu,
yourself UP in your own ,gei
down on your knees and r~everently ash
God what he made you for and tell him
that YOU are willing to do anything ne
wishes YOU to do. Before you leave
that room you find out. For the saks
OF your usefulness and happiness anC
your temporal and eternal welfare dc
NOT ioin that crowd of people who &C
sadding about among businesses ano
occupations. now trying this and now
trying that and accomplishing
anything.
FOLLOWING GODS CALL.
Last summer a man Of great genius
died. He had the talents of 20 men II
surgical direction but he did not ltk
surgery and he wanted to be a preach
err. told hin so. He tried 1t OF
both sides of the sea, but he 1alled
because he turned his back on thai
magnificent profession of surgery
which as in our time made such Won
derful achievement that it now heals Z
broken neck and by the X ray explore:
the temple of the human body as II l
were a lighted room. For 40 years n
was gaddfng about among the proteS
sfons. Do not initiate him.. Ask Coz
what you ought to be.and he will tel
YOU. 1t may not be as elegant a styl'
of work as you would prefer. 1t ma!
callous and begrime your hand ant
put YOU in ~suffocating atmosphere. ant
stand YOU shoulder to shoulder Will
the unrefned and may leave your over
aIls the opposite of aromatic. but re
member that God calls o to do on
thing you will never be happy in doin'
something else
All the great successes have bee
gained through opposition n strug
gle. Charles Goodyear, the inventor
whose name is now a synonym all TN
world over for fortune added to for
tune. waded many years chin dee
through the worlds scorn and wa
thrust in debtors prison and cam
with his family to h verge or starV
alton, but continued his experiment
with v~ulcanized rubber until he adde
more than can he m TO Tn