The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-02
ID YOUNG
 MEN ON SUCCESS The Rev. Dr.. J. H, Duncan Preached Last Night NO HUMAN PROVIDENCE "There's Divinity That Shapes Our Ends"-"Trust In God
 and Keep Your Powder
 Dry"
NO HUMAN PROVIDENCE

The Rev. pr. J. A. Duncan preached last
 night at the First Methodist church. his
 sermon being especially to young men,
 on the subject, Success"
 His text was from Feel. 911. 'T returned
 and saw under the sun that the race is
 not to the swift nor the battle to the
 strong, neither yet bread to the wise,
 nor yet riches to men of understanding,
 nor yet favor to men of skill, but time
 and chance happeneth to them all.''
 The preacher said in part:
 1 It is surely natural for mon such as
 are described in these words to expect
 success in life. If the wise are to fail
 to secure bread, that standing for the l general needs of life, not simply for bod l fly food if men of understanding grow not
 rich; if men of skill do not secure popular | favor; if men who are strong and who
 are swift do not win in battle and in race, 1 then who may be expected to succeed? Is there any possible chance for the ordi- nary mortal?
 l Let us try to see what is the principle of success and what the principle of l failure. It is natural for the strong to
 expect to succeed in battle, and for the
 swift to expect to win the race. And this
 would always be true but for the fact that there are other elements that enter
 into these things What is more natural
 than for Goliath to desplse David. Who
 was this pigmy shepherd who dared to de- | fy the great giant of the Philistines host? | Who was Elisha that he should pit him self against the Syrian king and his en- l tire army? Suppose we come to more recent matters What is that little Jap that he should dare to go against the great power of Europe in battle? Men said: 70 yes, doubtless on the sea Japan
 will have some chance. but on land prac- tically none at all. Russia is too big.
 she has too great resources. too large an
 army and in the long run she must win So men thought, and yet the battle was not to the strong.
 It is equally true that the riches are not always in the possession of men or | understanding Men make money. and then lose it. few years ago the entire | financial world not only shuddered, but was so shocked that it took long time to get it's bearings. The failure of one great. firm, that of Barring Brothers in | England. was the cause. If there were any linen of understanding so far as tho making of money was concerned the world generally thought them to be the men. 1 Nor is favor the inevitable fortune of men of skill Saul. the first king of | Israel had in him elements of greatness. Lord Bacon was called by Pope The | wsest mightiest, meanest of mankind l Ceasar rose to height of popular favor, and was then murdered
 l No Human Providence.
 1 The great reason for this is that there | is no such thing in life as human provi- dence. No man can tell what a day may 1 put forth, or in the words of the text, | ''Time and chance happeneth to them oil. l There is no way in which even the wisest man can infallibly guard against the con tingencies of life. In the Merchant of Venice, how could Bassanio expect Por-
 tia to act as she did. He was perfectly honest when he promised to keep the ring | and equally honest when he told her that | he had given it to a man who had rem dered him the greatest possible service, 1 and yet he had not given it to a man at l all, and she to his surprise proved that | he had not
 | The hare goes to sleep, and the tor toise passes on and and wins the race. Many a brilliant man has failed because l of his brllianey. He has relied upon it. and believed that he could call up his | forces a any time, and that they would
 obey him. Then he has proceeded to take l liberties with them. The result of this has often been that he found his powers | like undisciplined forces unable to re- spond when the demand was made. Such men have not infreauently resorted to l stimulants. and for time have shone | more brightly than ever. It was only the fire burning more fiercely for little time, and then it was gone forever. l Men fail because they don't see their | opportunities. In this city, for example, how many men there are. good business men. men of real understanding. who might have been rich men had they only 1 seen a little into the future. How often | is it the case that men of no particular understanding, by simply holding things
 for no reason at all. find themselves rich | Outside Forces.
 l If one wishes to succeed in life he must l make something better than self the | ground of confidence He must realize | that there are forces at work outside of l himself all the time Admit it or not as
 we please, If history teaches anything | if teaches that there is divinity that | shapes our end The Mohamedan calls it destiny, the Christian calls it God. And
 say to you young men that the frst step in anything like real success in life | Is to recognize and honor God. Make
 the consciousness of God the background of your life.
 l After all what is success? l should de- fine if as the obtaining of that in life which really satisfies that life. It Is not | the getting of some one thing One thinks 1 that if he makes money he is success. 1 That may or may not be true. II the getting of money enables him so to live | that he gets the deepest satisfaction out of life then he is a success, but if this only makes him desire more money, how | is he better of? What better Is he than one who has gotten practically nothing! He is still far from the goal Of his de- sires . | One of the great essentials to success IS | humility. Esther succeeded when she stood in humility before the King TO succeed one must be watchfui. It IS very | aasv to make a blunder. Lose yourself | i'm your work and trust in God. AS the old leader of a fighting host salu' trust | in God and keep your powder ary& It I HlNa.N