Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-11-19
Ca(n1age
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmace. d. d.


their faith upon their religious ances-
try or their favorable environment in
stead of getting right with God per
sonally this sermon will come as an
arousing call. The text is Matthew
XIV. S. "Givc us OF your oil, for our
lamps are gone out
All men may be broadly divided into
two classes. There are some on the
border line. belonging not altogether
TO the one class or the other. having
characteristics Of each. but the great
mass may he separated into two groups
the workers and the oilers The one
class includes the toilcrs. the pullers.
the diggers. the grinders. the climbers.
They are striving TO succeed in u no
BILE, honest way. They do not mean
TO be social parasites. They want a
share OF the good things of life. but
they do not expect TO receive them as a
gift. but TO pay for them by honest
work They hope for promotion. and
they strive TO merit IL by seeking to
make themselves worthy OF It, They
study and toll to develop themselves.
so that when the opportunity comes
they will be ready TO take advantage
OF It, Though they may be in obscure
positions they do their work well. and
when the call comes to 20 higher they
are prepared by long years OF hard
work To perform the duties OF the high
er position.
why do you study so hard?" Yale
classmate asked one day OF John &.
Calhoun the South Carolina student.
who was his roommate You are now
the leading student in the college. No
man can successfully compete with
you i'm any study" oh" answered
the young man, II am not working for
leadership in q college town. l am
working to he a leader in the nation"
"What. Calhoun-do you expect TO be
a great statesman In Washington"
IF did not expect to 20 TO congress
within six years." answered Calhoun.
Il would pack up my books ut once
and leave Yale tomorrow. l feel so
sure Of going to congress that l be-
grudge every wasted minute. | must
prepare myself by unceaslng labor to
meet the nations leaders In the arena
OF debate" John &. Calhoun wanted
to win success He did more than that.
He wanted to prepare himself by hard
work for the time when that success
should come. as come il did. and rs it
nearly always will come to those who
are conscientious in preparatory work.
No short Road to Success.
The second class is comprised Of men
who want TO win success by mini
mum of labor. They hate drudgery:
they hope TO succeed by some lucky
scheme These are the men who. 60
ing on a foreign tour. expect to learn
French or German in 1--WE weeks; they
hope to marry Il rich wife and have an
easy time living on the savings of their
wife's father: they prepare TO conduct
the business OF their fathers. not by
beginning. as he did. ut the lowest rung
Of the ladder. but by taking six
months course in II business college or
by becoming their fathers nominal
private secretaries. During their easy
apprenticeship they would spend three
days out of every week playing golf
and at least five nights out of every
seven In ballroom. ut theater party or
I'm clubhouse designations. The little
time they play at business is when
they are not working ut play. These
people represent failure For rs an old
writer once said. People who never
do any more work than they are paid
for. never get paid for any more than
they do" These people always want
to succeed with a minimum OF work
Yes. the two kinds OF people on earth 1
mean
Are the people who lift and the people
who lean.
Wherever you go you will find the worlds
masses
Are always divided in just these two
classes,
And. oddly enough. you will find. too.
wcen.
There is only one litter to twenty who
lean.
Drones there are in the busy bee
hives OF temporal life Drones there
are in the busy beehives of spiritual
life. We know them we'll They have
existed in every age-men who hope
TO enter heaven, but are not willing to
deny themselves. nor TO resist tempta-
ton. nor 10 strive To enter through the
straight gate. Ii was 10 warn people
OF the futil.ty OF such lives that Christ
spoke the parable OF the ten virgins.
Five Of them, he said, were foolish.
self indulgcnt and needless OF the OBJ
legations Of the spiritual life. lie is
not here denouncing criminals or vi
cious people. These virgins were NOM
inally Christians. not the murderers
and robbers who infested the lonely
roads OF Palestine. ready TO waylay
the traveller; not the openly immoral.
like the Ma.dalene or the woman Of
Samaria. but the people who. as an old
commentator has said. make pro
fession OF the gospel and act In such
manner ns to give real Christians a
favorable Impression OF them and so
gain admittance into their midst" lie
il abiding to Christians in name only.
who Outwardly appear all right and
yet have not the true inward consecra-
ton Of heart and who expect therefore
TO go to heaven upon borrowed spir-
itual capital.
The Spiritual Mendieants.