The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-04-07

q man o WILL find that his life isn't
worth writing and isn't worth think
ing about not because God hasn't
given him a chance but he hasn't
used the chance h God gave him,
Through Carciessncss.
Many a man loses his chance be-
cause OF his earelessness. Whenever
or hear a good sermon or to come into
the company of Christian people,
whenever He opens mp q way that
looks hard n dangerous and yet 1t
is the path of duty n we know IL,
II we treat these 0pportunities with IN
differences, then we are treating with
contempt what God haS given TN as
a trust.
Bacher lived in the last century.
His specially was the history of
music and he spent several years
writing the history connected with
Vienna He. had been given to TN
derstand that his history. when COM
pleted. would be published by the
Austrian Academy of Music. When
the manuscript was finished he too
II to that body and after the mem
bers of he academy had kept ii for
three months they returned IL They
had done their best TO read it but
could not. The ~penmanship was so
wretched. Bacher then gave his
work to a professional copyist to have
it copied, but the copyist could make
nothing of IL. Other copyists were
tried with the same result. Finally
Bacher tried to dictate the book TO Il
copyist only to discover that he him
self could not decipher It. The manu-
script was as worthless as so much
blank paper. Bacher was heart
broken, that all those laborious years
should nave been wasted. He tried
to commit suicide but failed. At last
he became insane and the rest Of his
life was spent in a lunatic asylum.
All because he was careless in making
his manuscript.
Jesus gave Judas just as much op-
portunity as he ave h other dis
ciples but Judas let 1t slip through his
fingers. Esau<fllled his life with re-
greet for trifing one day. Esther was
fun Of glory for one days courage.
Peter slept one hour and lost a great
opportunity. Mary's name Is fragrant
forever. for her golden deed. Take
heed to the things hat vol hear lest
at any time you let them slip"
We need to learn to live up to our
opportunities. The Indians give us
the legend Of a Spirit who lead n
showed her the golden corn and told
her II she would pluck the corn dill
gently. 1t would turn to precious
Jewels and the richer the corn fhe
brighter would be the gem, The
maiden accepted the offer and as she
went on many ripe M full airs fell
in her path but she did not pluck
them because HI was waiting for the
better ears so as to have richer
thinner and the ears poorer with
scarcely any grains on them and
further on they were blighted so she
did not think them worth picking.
AZ las sha stead ar the end OF the
held for she could not go back over
the ground, she had passed with
every opportunity gone because she
did not take them as they came
We are all stewards Of some trust.
God wants us all to do better than
we are doing. He wants to make
every Abraham the father of some
thing good, He wants to take every
David from the sheep cote and make
him q king, Every Peter from his
nets and make him a Rock. Every
Paul from his own way and lead him
In Gods way.
Make the Most of 1t.
Make the most OF what you rrfve.
Many of us are waiting for a better
day and a better opportunity. Make
LO6 OPPORTUNITY you nave p3lteT.'
Bone years ago a clergyman was
called to two New York parishes. Ono
was thriving and the other was stand
ing still. One church seemed to be on
the increase, n on the decrease.
Which should be taken. He chose the
latter. His congregation at that time
was very small. The church at that
time had Il Sunday school OF less than
fifty members People were. moving
further UP town and st. Bartholo-
news was q of the smallest Epis
copal parishes, but DIR. Greer canre
with new ideas, with new zeal. with
o. a *Fsr 'f w y