The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-07-02
A. SERMON
FOR YOUNG
PATRIOTS.
Success, and How to Reach 1t,p;thse
Topic Of q Sermon by the Rev. y
D. a. Cunningham.
S! ] 1 5. COMES 3WlTHTHRIF;T.
The Story of Joseph Taken as an Elk.
ample for the Youth Of the
Present Day.

Az atattot tle
Presbyterian church. the pastor, Rev.
] David "A! Cunningham. D. D., preached
Z from the text, Gen. 41:14, is, most in.
structlye and Interesting discourse, on
the topic, Success and How to Reach
4 4 It-a Sermon for Young Patriots" He
Z said: s. u, Z
rs The. anniversary of our American in
dependence occurs this week, and it is
fitting that ] should preach sermon
3 this morning, for young patriots, on the
topic, Success and How to Reach 1t"
! have chosen this text, as an appro-
PIRATE illustration. Pharaoh sent and
called Joseph as It is stated in the
fourteenth verse. Of this chapter. and We
all know how this calling ended. how
z that the secret Of the Lord was with
him, and how that he made all things
i plain to Pharaoh, and gave him suit
able counsel in the circumstances and
Z how he rose and rose like a star, until
he became not only the first man In
/: Egypt. but the first man of his age.
Promotion, we read. cometh. neither
from the east nor thewest. but God set
( tethup one and setteth down another.
as lit seemeth good unto Him. That Is
a great truth. and yet God helps those
that help themselves. Dr. Guthrie tells
US OF q sailor who had a singular fate,
According to the account he was the
ionly survivor of q wreck and death
seemed inevitable: but. caught in the
! arms Of q mountain hillow that was
dashing in upon the headland, he was
!. hung into u cave, and barrel OF pro-
Visions after him. After recovering
from the shck, and cropping around in
1.-The darkness he came upon this barrel,
and with this and the fresh water drop
: ping from the roof. he subsisted until
:, one day he heard. mingling with the
screams of the seabirds the cry OF a
: human voice, and saw q mans nrE, ex-
2 tended to rescue him. Strange Provi-
dence, you say. wonderful wave OF for.
tune. which at once saved thn mar and
! provided for his wants. But 1t was no
such wave of fortune that lifted Joseph
from the prison TO the palace; for
: though he owed all his success to God.
we are not to lose sight Of the industry.
the wisdom, the piety. and the energy
i which marked HIS whole caree. from
Z beginning to end. God gives the oppor-
tunity, and 1t lies with man to seize 1t
and turn 1t to good account. God gives
( the wind to thee, but what avails the
+ wind OF heaven without the energy OF
man? Without the skill TO catch the
favorable breeze. the vesse! would rise
1 and fall upon the wave, but 1t would
keilittle or no progress. So was It In
e JosePh's case, and every case. God
gives the opportunity. but success turns
upon the use We make OF the opportu-
nifty. the promptitude with which we
seize 1t, and the weight of character.
s skill. influence and other favorable
qualifications we bring to bear upon It.
many 1t matters not what be
the advantages that offer. for there is
mot only n lack Of wisdom to seize
( them, but Of nerve to undergo the nee
essary self-denial to follow them up.
z Now and then a,little help sets them on
their feet, and they commence 10 work
with a will, but oftener results show.
Z that there Is no use of helping thooe
! that will not help themselves.
They are poor; and Will remain poor.
do what you may; and vet. In the midst
of their poverty. they must have this
and that, and the other qualifications.
You are moved with pity when you see
7 a poor widow and four children sitting
Z shivering over the last fire. and you
send them a little coal and flour, and
tea: but when you hear that the night
before two OF the boys spent half dol
lar at the variety show. and the day
before they were all at the photograph
Y er's for their pictures. and that in going
s they spent n dollar for trinkets to be-
deck themselves. your pity is turned in
: TO Indignation. So with thousands of
y young men who cannot get on In the
!, world; and a very good test Is just to
put little money In their hand and see
how they use II. It Is not that society
or circumstances bear hard upon them.
but, there Is want of thrift. applica-
Z tion, energy and self-denial Self-wlll-
ed and carnal. they do not know how to
say no, or how to grasp an opportunity
8 when It comes within their reach.
They have no Just appreciation of the
& value OF the half hours and half days
and half dollars which come to their
hand.
= They think only Of present enjoy
ment, and they remind us Of the rash.
y impetuous Esaus who cannot wait, who
must have the present enjoyment. who
readily prefer their mess OF red Dottage
4 to all the usefulness anu glory OF the
future.
Success In such case Is impossible.
A high position may be reached through
the influence OF friends. but what II
there be no proper qualification to hold
1T? What is the value Of distinction
2 that comes in such ways as these. and
Is maintained by such means as these?
An ape on the top of tree Is an ap.
still. What is wanted Is not simply n
z high position, but a high character to
hold Il and adorn It. Who are the
y princely merchants and manufacturers.
the great statesmen, and wise phllan-
: thropists, and how came they to the
positions which they now hold? Was 1t
Z by some wave OF fortune that lifted
them. at once to honor and aliuence?
Or was 1t by slow, patient, persevering
5!toll? Go and read their history. and
you Will find that It was by much pa
tience and perseverance. conscientious
: ness IN the performance OF their duty.
and an unspotted name. they won their
way to honor and usefulness; they had
: to scale the ladder step by step. and
( face many difficulty and bear up I'M
der many reverse before they reached
their present positions.
RI So with Joseph. EIe was emlnently
successful. but he did not owe his sue
cess to Pharoah, or PotIPhar, or the
butler, or any man. The butler, indeed.
bethought himself OF his promise. and
Il told the king what had happened In the
prison-how Joseph had interpreted the
dream which he and his companions
had dreamed. but the butler did not do
no to serve Joseph, but TO sci q his
master He simply reported the eli 'um-
2 stances, and suggested the propriety OF
tending for Joseph in the emergency.
Joseph owed nothing to favoritism, but
( under God, everything to hlmself-hls
Z d!snity-patlence, pIety. purity. All
this Is plain. whether you look Mt him
MS q hog running with messages for his