Milford chronicle., 1902-10-10

portuuitics 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
tnan the circumstances" is the theTne
OF never ending discussion. Some
people are intense IN their advocacy Of
the first half of this question They
believe that 10 great temporal achieve
ment is possible unless that success Is
the outgrowth of fOrtuitous combirA-
ton 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
us one OF their most favored children
1t was tidal wave OF municipal re-
form. over which he had practically no
control. that bore him, u comparatively
unknown young man. into Il police
commissioners chair Of New York city;
1t was the result OF the Spanish Amer
lean war, which he did nothing to
bring about. that made him governor
OF New York state; It was conspiln cy
Of the politicians to politically mummi-
IS and embnlm his presidential aspiia-
tons that shelved him. much agair st
his will in the vice presidential chair,
and then 1t was an assassin's bul ct
that opened for him almost Immediate
Is the front door Of the White House.
Thus the believers ~ the doctrine
that circumstances mike men de
clare that in four short years STIR
thing series Of events. uneXampled In
the history of 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 hhnd. those who hold the OPP
pOsite view and answer IN the negntiYe
the question. do circumstances mako
the manY' which has been debated In
every college literary society Of the
land. contend that the president Ow es
his elevation to his virle force. unim-
peachable character. Intense cOnvic-
lions and never yielding grit. They
1 AAiAl AiO llOhNt vi VIZ ~ NOAtAN
ever hAVe kept him an UNDERLYING
They affirm TINT these characteristic
qualities would have forced him to the
front no matter in what CLINE he might
have lived or TO what Gag he miGhi
have owed his allegiance These two in
corporations Of such well known ca
rcer to greater or less extent may bt
applied TO the worldly success Of al
most every man who has attained emf
hence in public affairs.
But though high temporal achieve
ment can be reached only by few, n!
text distinctly implies that great spir
itual usefulness and great OppOrtuni
ties to serve mankind are attaina Ol
by every true Christian. Therefore il
this sermon ! would nnnlyZe and els
cuss and emphasize the one Puulin
word, "opportunltyg' With letters o
fire would burn flat one word deepl
into every Christian henri. ! wOul
have all know that all the great 81
pOrtunities for doing good to our te
low men come to the true Christin
In the same manner In which the 81
pOrtunity for great temporal fam
came TO a Roosevelt, n McKinle",
Lincoln, a Grant. q Lee. an EricssOI
, Morse. Watt. a Harvey. Jane
/ Y. Simpson. Washington. q FrN
. erick the Great or n CharlCmHgne.
How Opportunities Come.
Great opportunities are willing
knock ut the door of only the hOnOiC
few who have previously made gree
preparations to greet and to embriu
q. them. They are not friendless al
or helpless wRifs Of the street They a
to not social nutcnsts who have to beg
c. place whereOn to lay their heads. Tl'
" are not fugltlves from justice who u
r. fleeing the cOnvict's cell or the hA q
= mans moose They ARE august me
sengers. WHO are particular under wa
roof they lodge and ut what table til
n sit down and eat. Thus we find,
tracing history. that though all ~
who have prepared themselves for 81
cess In a certain line Of work do q
al. necessarily get the opportunity
. achieve that success. yet in 10 case
n we find the swift footed travellers ca
D ed great opportunities dwelling
the home of one WHO has not the ms
tai and moral capacity to welcome q
entertHip them.
Almost every great man Of hist
Inns declared that the result Of his Iii
Ite work was not due to mere haphazI
. chance. but TO years of work. years
r, preparation and often years OF Inc
sti. spicuOus toll. Read the autobiograI
srs OF james Marion Sims. the surg
her whose discoveries huve alleviated
nty sufferIngs of multitudes of the hun
,rd, race. He worked for years and y6
IN his peculiar department Of surg
before the opportunity Of fame
- success came. He worked in obscu
~ md in poverty. He worked until
own health broke down and he feu
Lc must die. Read the testimony
EY JhOmAs A. Edison Did the oppO
nifty come and kBOck ut his labor
rs by mere haphnzaPd chanceI
Thomas A. Edison distinctly and
phatically declares that he never II
M, any great invention without the hi
est kind OF mental toll.
iobn One of Ale greatest chess player
sfae- tIle world gave me the same testinl
dies IN refpFence TO his past life. He $
ice. ~ came TO the conclusion that no
/ In could make greHt success at
Tife's thing. even In a game. unless be
INNS himself up to a rigid course Of pFeT
lions ton. So for three long years /
bi I9s to sleep and eat and exercise du
the day. Then alone in the quie
urn I'll OF the long hours of the night, '
the whole world was asleep, !
DBL. solving the different problems of
chessbOaFd. At last by this work
M perfected my memory that blindfC
in, / have met ten and fifteen diff
players at the same time. l have
ried all these different games IL
head at once and won them ALL"
1Ir opportunity for great success in
OLE. department Of life never comes c.
to him who has equipped himself
'usS' rigid course Of preparation and
Orable training.
rental The Christians Preparation
ID This premise being true. II ls 4
tlaI that the Christian should (
crate his life to Christ In order
D TO prepared for the great oppOrtunit
Christian service. 1t is very Il
- tant for you and me to live Gle
rs Christ, to feel the touch of CT
, Aan amounting hands upon our hear
cry feel the touch Of his loving lips {
silaS. cheeks. the touch OF his anOlntin
- anon OnF feeA hefOE0 ma can Rn