Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-10-09
TALsMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
! FRANK DE WITT TALMaox,p.b.,
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago


preacher dra WIS broad distinction be-
tween right and wrong ambition and
points out the duty Of all to grasp op-
portunities as they come within our
reach. The text Is Galatians Vi. 10,
"As we have therefore opportunity, let
us do good unto all men,"
do circumstances make the man or
man the circumstancesT is the theme
Of never ending discussion. Some
people are intense in their advocacy Of
the first half of this question. They
believe that no great temporal achieve
ment Is possible unless that success is
the outgrowth of fortuitous combina-
tion of favorable circumstances. At
the present time they point, by way Of
Illustration, to the career of the presi-
dent of the United States and assert
that the present incumbent would not
have reached his exalted position had
not the unseen fates singled him out
as one of their most favored children.
1t was tidal wave Of municipal re-
form, over which he had practically no
control. that bore him, n comparatively
unknown young man, into police
comm ssoDer's chair of New York city;
It was the result of the Spanish Amer
lean war, which he did nothing to
bring about. that made him governor
of New York state; II was conspiracy
OF the politicians to politically mummi-
fy and embalm his presidential aspira-
tons that sbelved him. much againss
his will, In the vice presidential chair.
and then 1t was an assassins bullet
that opened for him almost immediate
ly the front door of the White House.
Thus the believers in the doctrine
that circumstances make men" de-
clare that in four short years a star.
Ting series Of events, unexamped in
the history or our nation, changed a
young assistant secretary Of the navy
department into the executive head Of
the mlghtiest nation in the world. On
the other hand, those who hold the op
poStc view and answer In the negative
the question, "Do circumstances make
the MANI" which has been debated in
every college literary society of the
land. contend that the president owes
his elevation to his virle force, unim-
peachable character. intense cOnvic
tons and never yielding grit They
declare that no power on earth could
ever have kept him an underlns
They affirm that these chara cteristic
qualities would have forced him to the
front no matter In what cline he might
have liyeS or to what flag he might
have owed his allegiance. These two in
terpretaticns of sucE well known ca
rcer to greater or less extent may be
applied to the worldly success of al
most every man who has attained en-.
hence in public affairs.
But though. high temporal achieve
ment can be rea ehed only by fcw. my
text distinctly implies that great spir
itual usefulncSs and great opportun-
ties to serve mankind are attalnablc
by every true Christian. Therefore in
this sermon ! would analyze and dis
cuss and emphasize the one Pauline
word, opportunity" With letters OF
fire | would burn that one word deeply
into every Christian heart l would
W an hApN INA lbc II cat OD-
portUntics for doing good to our fell
low man cOnii to the true Christian
In the same manner in which the op-
portunity for great temporal fame
came to Roosevelt a Mckinley. n
Lincoln, a Grant. Lee. an Ericsson,
a Morse, Watt, Harvey, James
Y. Simpson Washington Fred
t,al. Il.
How Opportunities Come.
Great opportunities are willing to
knock at the door OF only the honored
few who have previously made great
preparat tons to greet and to embrace
them. They are not friendless and
helpless waits ri the street. They are
not social outcasts who have to beg a
place wherein TO lay their heads. They
arr cot fugitves from justice who are
fleeing the conyict's cell or the hang
mans noose. They are august mes
scngers. who are particular under what
roof they lodge and at what table they
sit down and eat. Thus we find, by
tracing history. that though all men
who have prepared themselves for sue
cess in a certain line OF work do moi
necessarily get the opportunity &c
achieve that success, yet In no case dc
we find the swift footed travellers call
ed great opportunities dwelling il
the home of one who has not the men
tai and moral capacity to welcome and
entertain them.
Almost every great man of history
has declared THAT the result of his life't
work was not due to mere haphazart
chance. but TO years OF work, years OF
preparation and often years of incon
spicuous toll. Read the autobiogra ply
of James Marion Sims, the surgeon
whose discoveries have alleviated tn,
sufferings of multitudes of the human
rnce. He worked for years and year.
IN his peculiar department Of surger,
before the opportunity of fame ant
success came. He worked In ohscurit!
and In poverty. He worked until hi
own health broke down and he feared
he must die. Read the testimony o
Thomas A. Edison. Did the opportu
nifty come and knock at his laborato