Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-10-06
TALMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor of Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago


tween right and wrong ambition and
points out the duty of all to grasp OPP
portuuities 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 circumstances?' 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-
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
as one of their most favored children.
1t was a tidal wave of municipal re-
form. over which he had practically no
control. that bore him. comparatively
unknown young man. into q 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 a conspiracy
of the politicians to politically mummi-
fy and embalm his presidential aspira-
tons that shelved him. much against
his will. in the vice presidential chair,
and then 1t was an assassin's bullet
that opened for him almost immediate
ly the front door of the White House.
Thus the believers i'm the doctrine
that circumstances make men" de-
clare that in four short years Il star
Ting 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 mightiest nation in the world. On
the other hand. those who hold the op-
posite 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 virile force unim-
peachable character. intense convic-
tons and never yielding grit. They
declare that no power on earth could
ever have kept him an underling.
They affirm that these characteristic
qualities would have forced him to the
front no matter In what cline he might
have lived or to what flag he might
have owed his allegiance. These two in
'terpreta ions of such well known ca
,reer to greater or less extent may be
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. my
text distinctly implies that great spir-
itual usefulness and great opportuni-
ties to serve mankind are attainable
by every true Christian. Therefore in
this sermon | would analyze and dis
cuss and emphasize the one Pauline
word. opportunity" With letters of
fire l would burn that one word deeply
into every Christian heart. | would
have all know that all the great op-
portunities for doing good to our fell
low men come to the true Christian
In the same manner in which the OPP
portunity for great temporal fame
came to a Roosevelt. a Mckinley. a
Lincoln. Grant. Lee, an Ericsson.
q Morse. a Watt. Harvey, James
Y. Simpson. Il Washington, a Fred
erick the Great or a Charlemagne
How Opportunities Come.
Great opportunities are willing to
knock at the door of only the honored
few who have previously made great
preparations to greet and to embrace
them. They are not friendless and
helpless waits of the street They are
not social outcasts who have to beg g
place whereon to lay their heads. They
are not fugitives from justice who are
fleeing the convict's cell or the hang
mans moose. They are august mes
sengers. who are particular under wha
roof they lodge and ut what table the!
sit down and eat Thus we find. b.
tracing history that though all mel
who have prepared themselves for sue
cess in certain line of work DO no
necessarily get the opportunity t
achieve that success. yet in no case d
we find the sw.rt footed travellers call
ed great opportunities dwelling i
the home OF one who has not the men
tai and moral capacity to welcome an
entertain them.
Almost every great man of histor
has declared that the result of his life
work was not due to mere haphaZar
chance. but to years of work. years Q
preparation and often years of incor
spicuous toll. Read the autobiography
OF James Marion Sims. the surgeO
whose discoveries have alleviated tn
sufferings of multitudes of the huma
race. He worked for years and year
I'm his peculiar department of surger
before the opportunity of fame an
success came. He worked in Obscurit
and in poverty. He worked until b
own health broke down and he feare
he must die. Read the testimony I