The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1903-02-27
OUR OPPORTUNITIES
Rev. Frank De Witt Talmage
Asks Us to Improve Them.
The Lesson of Success In Temporal
Affairs Applied 10 Christian Ef-
fort-Right and Wrong
Ambitions.

I l'AAtc Jul Tie AAAe VI all 10 grasp up
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 cutgrowth Of fortultous combina-
| tiOn Of favorable circumstances. At
the present time they point, by way Of
Illustration, 10 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.
Ii was tidal wave Of municipal re-
form, over which be had practically no
control, that bore him. comparatively
unknown young man, into a police
commissioner 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 a conspiracy
Of the politicians to politically mummi-
~ and embalm his presidential aspira-
tions that shelyed him, much against
his will. in the vice presidential chair,
and then It was an assassin's 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. 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 manf which has been debated in
every college literary society Of the
land, contend that the president owes
his elevation 10 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 10 the
front no matter in what cline he might
have lived or TO what flag be might
have owed his allegiance. These two in
terpretatiOns Of such well known ca
reer to a greater or less extent may be
applied to the worldly success Of al
most every man who has attained emil
nence 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 I 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
have all know that all the great op-
portunities for doing good to our fel-
low men come to the true Christian
in the same manner in which the op-
portunity for great temporal fame
came to a Roosevelt, a Mckinley, a
Lincoln. a Grant, a Lee, an Ericsson,
a Morse, a Watt, Harvey, a James
Y. Simpson. a Washington, a Fred
erick the Great or a Charlemagne.
Great opportunities are willing to
knock at the door OF only the honored
few who have previously made great
preparations 10 greet and 70 embrace
them. They are not friendless and
helpless waits of the street They are
not social outcasts who have TO beg
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 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 not
necessarily get the opportunity to
achieve that success, yet in no case do
we find the swift footed travellers call
ed great opportunities" dwelling In
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's
work was not due TO mere haphazard
chance but to years Of work, years OF
preparation and often years Of incon-
splcuous toll Read the autobiography
Of James Marion Sims. the surgeon
whose discoveries have alleviated the
sufferings Of multitudes OF the human
race. He worked for years and years
In his peculiar department Of surgery
before the opportunity Of fame and
success came. He worked in obscurity
and in poverty. He worked until his
own health broke down and he feared
be must die. Read the testimony OF
Thomas A. Edison. Did the opportu-
nifty come and knock at his laborato-
~ by mere haphazard chancef No
Thomas A. Edison distinctly and en-
phatcally declares that be never made |
any great invention without the hard
80. ,-f,d % rs,or-a1 foil
Opportunity for great success IN any
department Of life never comes except |
to him who has equipped himself by
rigid course Of preparation and inez-
Orable training.
This premise being true. II Is essen |
tial that the Christian should conse- |
crate his life TO Christ in order TO be
prepared for the great opportunities OF
Christian service. 1t Is very impor-
tant or you and me to live close TO /
Christ. to feel the touch OF Christs