Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-09-17

l nau TO decide II ny the supreme
court of my own intellect, and not with
his. I would always ask his advice.
He would gladly give me that advice.
But he would always end up his advice
with these words: Now, my boy, re-
member that you must decide this
question in your own way. Every man
knows his own business best, and no
man can rightly decide for another"
Young men, you are going to meet
temptations and dangers which only
your eye can see and only your ear
can hear It is absolutely essential
that you have n moral code by which
you can be able to discern quickly
right from wrong. You should have n
spiritual compass which will teach you
how to steer clear of the concealed
reefs and the jagged rock of sin as the
mariner protects himself against the
distinctions of the sea by chart and
magnetic needle. You should have an
indicator which lifts tho danger signal
of sinful explosions, as the engineer,
by watching the water in his glass
tube, knows when the boilers by his
side are doing their proper work. You
should have this moral compass be-
cause the first great essential for every
true success is that young man shall
he honest. that he can and will disdn-
glish right from wrong and do the
right, no matter what the temporary
cost may be. 1t should be to you spir-
itualy what in temporal sense the
compass is to the explorer, plunging
into the darkness of n South American
Jungle.
If this fact be true-and it Is true
where can q better moral code be found
than that written between the covers
of tho Holy Bible? Where is there a
book which can better inspire one TO
tell the truth and be honest In his f1nan-
cial dealings? Where is there one that
will better build up such a character as
will make the banker trust the mans
note and employers feel that his hand
Is honest and not that of a thief
Satan" once said John Knox, cannot
prevail against a man whose left hand
bears a light to illuminate his sight
when he searches the Scriptures in the
hours of the night" Is not this true in
reference to all honorable lines of bust
ness? Alexander Pope's most famous
pootical line Is, AN honest mans the
noblest work of God" How can a man
be made truly honest sooner than
through the constant absorption Of the
Scriptures?
The Young Mans Safeguard.
The Bible is the greatest safeguard a
young man can have. Some time ago
an old soldier showed me a mutilated
Bible. He had carried that book next
to his heart all through the civil war.
In one battle, however, bullet from
an enemy's rifle tore its way three
fourths through the leaves of that book
before It was halted in it's deadly mis-
sion. That Bible saved that soldier
life in a physical sense. But in a spir-
itual sense the word Of God can stop
the onrush of every Satanic arrow
That book can be a breastplate as well
as moral compass. 1t will teach us
no matter what the crisis of life may
be. to do as Jesus would have us do. II
will teach rs the great lesson which
Charles Sheldons book tried to teach
to follow "in his steps
Granting, then. that each nearer sit
ting before me has accepted the Bibl'
as his guide against temptation. the
next great step forward in the righ
start in life is for every young man tc
take the first honorable position which
he can get and not wait for what ht
wants and cannot get. Likes and dis
likes may be very important factors II
a young mans decision when he ha'
! two or three different positions Offered
/ 10 him. But in most cases with {
young man he does not have q choice
| When he leaves school or college n sin
| gle opportunity arises generally In
very humble sphere. Then he mus
take that and go ahead with full steam
on and not hang around waiting fo
something else to arise.
welcome Opportunity.
God never calls Il man to what h
cannot get. Bishop Potter, / think i
was, once made this very wise saying
"Our best thoughts are those which
seek us and not those which we seek.
Gods opportunities in the same wa,
are those which seek us when we ar
at work. Christ called to Peter ant
Andrew when they were laboring a
their nets Our best opportunities ar
| nOt those q ftpr. rbicb vvn ore runDjn
around, ncglcctng the pressing dutie
at hand. They are the horny hands o
toll which if necessary are just a
willing to firmly grip the handle of
pillow as to WELD a pen or unsheath
glittering sword Gods messengers G
temporal and spiritual success some
times appear attired in the rough gal
ments Of n laborcr instead of being COY
cred with the white robes Of n corona
ton. When Abraham sat at the door @
his tent and welcomed the three dus
stained travellers he thought they wer
mse pm men. When the guests LEI
they revealed themselves as angel
ambassadors. God sometimes sends HI
greatest opportunities clothed In HON,
spun We had better grasp as a frien
each opportunity that comes. We mus
welcome ii with full welcome, no ma
ter how humbly it may knock Mt OF
doors.
Russell Conwelps greatest lecture
founded upon this idea. His Acres
Diamonds draws its inspiration frol
an eastern legend An oriental farm