Milford chronicle., 1902-10-10

called Opportunity" with a yelled
face. He said, The reason l covered
OppOrtunity's face was because so few
are able to recognize her when she
stands by their side" The sculptor
was wrong in part as well as right in
part. He should have blinded the eyes
of the onlOOker rather than the farsee-
ing eyes of the NEUROLOGICAL goddess.
The chief reason why some of us do
not see the sweet faced Pauline mes
sengers. which we may call the OppOr-
tunlties Of Christian service. is because
most Of us are spiritually blinded by
our past sins, because most of US are
not willing by prayer and earnest COM
muniOn with God to make the spiritual
preparation that is necessary to fit US
Alright for gospel work
But more than mere equipment is
necessary. Great opportunities are
willing to bless those only who are
ready to sacrifice and. If need be, TO
die for the cause those opportunities
represent. There Is a wide difference
between being mentally. physically and
spiritually equipped to meet great
opportunity and being willing to make
I the sacrifice that is essential for the
! SUCCESS Of that cause after the oppOr-
funity hHs arrived PLATE was mentally
and spiritually ahle TO realize the ma
ture OF the opportunity Of bis position.
He knew that Jesus was guiltless. He
saw clearly and distinctly what be
ought to do, but PLATE was not ready
to sacrifice for Christ his political ca
reer as governor of Judpa. Therefore
| PLATE. who saw his opportunity. en-
braced it not, but shrank from It.
Thomas Cranmer. when the days OF
persecution came. saw what his Oppor-
tunlty was for true service for Christ.
but in order to escape the fires of mar
tyrdom lie testified falsely concerning
his belief in his Lord and Master and
when no was finally led to the stake,
in spite of his PeCaptation, be gave this
as his valedictory to the world: Nov
] come to the great thing that trou-
bIeth my conscience more than any
other thing that ever said or did, and
that Is the setting abroad of writings
contrary to the truth that / thought
in my heart, and, forasmuch as my
hand offended In writing contrary to
my heart, therefore my hand shall first
be punished. If | may come to the
fire, it shall first be burned" And his
tory declares that when the fires of
maPtyrdOm were kIndled about Thomas
CranmeF, In atonement for his past
sins and his failure to live up to his
opportunity. the dying prelaie thrust
his right hand into the leaplng flames
and saw it wither away. So there are
many men who are mentally equipped
for grent opportunities of Christian
service who might also be spiritually
equipped for those same opportunities
were they not unwilling to make thu
sacrifice which true conservation de
mands. They are unwilling to do TO
Christ that which they know the!
ought to do.
Make the sacViRee.
ChrIst's disciples today often shvinl
from making the same kind Of saeriiic
for Christian service which RID hnr
Fuller made when a young man. A
that time he was the most prOmisin
Junior member Of the South CarO.in
bar He was the pride of the city an
the future hope Of the state. But, bC
ing converted. be Immediately turne
his back on political prefeFment. u
nounced public life and declared tina
he would cOnsecrnte bis life theme,
+ forth to the gospel ministry. I'll
friends tried to dissnRde him. HOl
Willium Il. Preston MIR. CalhOun's co
league In the United States senat
went to his home to plead with bin
Then young Fuller turned and snll
l. preston. was living a selfish lif
; eager only to win success and have
/ great name among men. Religion ne
or entered my thoughts, and | was ne
lIgent Of all duty to God. Sudden
o my eyes were opened. discover
q Gods grent love to me. saw tn
It Jesus Christ had left heaven and con
e to earth and died to win my love. Til
ID act has so impressed me TINT. as ms
re Of honor can do nothing else but To-
a him In return and give my whole II
y to his service. Preston. does It see
70 TO you that am acting irratiOnally
g "NO. Fuller" exclaimed Senator Pre-
s ton; "you are right. You are the I
ne tional man, and we are the irrationi
~ because most of us do not live up
~ our Christian opportunities. We
an not do for Christ what we well knC
&C. we ought to do" The gFandest opp
OF tunities OF Christian service denim
to the complete and voluntary suPPend
do Of our whole lives to Jesus Chr
IL They demand the same kind Of volt
In tary sacrifice which Garibaldi ma
N in the cause Of Italian freedom. I'll
nd demand the same kind Of sacrifice
lumbus made when he went from CO
ny TO court begging money to buy t
e's ships that he might prove his the'
I'D that the world was round. They II,
Of the same kind of voluntary sacrii
IN that Luther made, that SavOnar
by made. that John Knox made, that 1
on inner made and Ridley made, all
The whom were ready to lay down Il
IAN lives for the cause of Christ.
ars Great opportunities often come
cry unexpected places at unexpected til
md to those whom they wish to hOl
1ty General U. S. Grant began his M
his oirs of the Civil War" with these
red emn words: MAN proposes, but
of disposes." Man plans, but the Inf
-tu- is continually changing the plans
ITO the finite. Man hopes. but God OF
No! builds an entirely different superstl
em- tUre upon the foundations of those
AIDE sires than that which we architec
lrd- ally designed. Samuel +. 3. Nc
the inventor of telegraphiG comm
OF cation. started life as an artist.
ony spent many years abroad IN the st
aid: of the old masters. He was the fol
nan er and the first president of New YC
my National Academy of Design. Blu
ave October. 1882. when he was forty
ara years of age and returning from hii
iseq tistje studies in Europe, he entered
ring to conversation one day with fe
luqs passenger on board the packet
'heh Sully. This conversation, which
was about the properties of the electro
the net, led Samuel +. B. Morse then
SO there to consecrate the rest of his
lded to the establishment of electric
rent municatiOn between the distant
car of the world. So the opportunltie
my Christian usefulness may come ii
The expected ways and at unexp,
any times.
icept uDa~Ds.tad oDnor.,D,.,..
by a. Creat onnortunities for Christian
mex fitness may come to you in an
pected way, as they came to
!. tian lady who was one day I
.seen- olono, the sfraats ~ Ricbnond