Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-07-04
LAY SERMON No. 3.
Thoughts for sunday Meditation.

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"Take therefore no thought for the morrow"
| --MATH. VI, 81.
There are certain laws chat obtain
in all the various matter Of life, which
affords an orderly and true basis for
our cooperation with the Lords di-
vine providence in the allotment and
enjoyment of all its goods. And their
observance underlies all real success
and happiness in the practical daily
life. When Christ uttered these words
he only reiterated law of life which
had been known and acted upon by
the good and great, in all previous
ages of the worlds history-as when
he gave the Golden Rule, "Do unto
others as you would that others should
do unto YOU" He referred to the law
Of action and reaction-a law which is
as immovably fixed as the pillars of
Heaven: "For the measure you meet
shall be measured to you again.
These are laws of life which we must
learn if we make life q success.
The art of throwing our whole life
into the present moment, both in its
natural and in its spiritual outgoings
is one of the craving accomplishment
of the culture which the Lord gives us
for the heavenly life. 1t is an art in
which the angels excel, and which
renders their life more useful, con-
tented and happy than we, poor, care
worn, anxious, dly-dreaming mortals
can conceive. They have the whole
of their life to give to present uses and
present enioyments, without having
its noble energies frittered away on
the endless expanse of the past or fu-
ture. And they get it by the divine
and heavenly art of concentration of
power, which we so nearly lose by our
absurd and unwise diffusiveness of
thoughts, love and action. 1t is this
art Of concentration that we need so
much to learn; that we must learn
before our life can be saved for any
good and use, in earth or Heaven.
We have lessons enough from which
we may learn it if we will. The Lord
has filled the world as we'll as His
word with these lessons. Every pas
sage of Scripture which urges to con-
fide in God, every moment while we
are engaged in the duties of the mo-
ment, as well as the practical illustra-
tiOns in everyday life, whose import
we cannot mistake, are lessons on this
subject
The sciences are bringing this great
law of life more forcibly to view every
day we live. The gain of savior by
concentration, and it's loss by diffu-
sion, is one of the laws of natural Or
der which is obvious to every think
ing mind. 1t is the great aim of
nearly all natural appliances to so
concentrate the forces they deal with,
that from diffuse and aimless action
they shall be brought down to operate
at a single point and to single pur-
pose.
To catch and cage wild and unguid-
ed forces, and bring them down to the
most perfect singleness and effective
ness is the climax Of their excellence.
The steam-engine is but q machine
for bringing the greatest practical
amount of forces, lying in an indefi-
mite and inert form in fuel and water,
pOintedly to bear upon single point,
by which motion is effected.
The electric battery with the like
forces of electricity. The telescope
performs it's wonders in the revelation
of the secrets of distant worlds, by SIM
ply catching a few diffused rays of
their light and concentrating them be-
fore our eye. The burning-glas SINH
larly focalizes the rays of heat. This
whole world is fOcalizer, condensinm
the rays of the sun by the power of the
atmosphere, Transforming them from
the cold, ineffective thing that they
are in void space, into the great won
der-working power of the earth. The
sun is focalizer on vaster, grander
scale, in whose vortex of fiery activity
absolutely inconceivable in its inten-
sity, are, as it were, precipitated from
invisible immaterial elements the
whole corporeal structure of Nature.
The action of the human intel
lect shows the same law. The art of
focalizing its powers upon the exact
point of the present thought is the Sc
crct of its success. A mind that has
not learned this art,-whose thoughts
go careering wildly wherever their
fancy Strikes-neVer comes to any,
thing. 1t fritters itself away on aim
less flashes, brilliant, perhaps, but use
less. Many meteor-like mind has
shot across the mental horizon of this
world and gone into oblivion, simply
because it had never learned to con-
centrate its powers and hold them to q
purpose until IL was accomplished.
The great object of education is at
tanned when the mind has learned to
concentrate successfully.
In the practical business affairs of
life the same law holds good; concen-
trated effort brings success; failure
comes with diffusion the world over.
Yet as important as these laws are,
there is nothing, probably, less under
stood and carried out in the conduct of
human affairs in everyday i e. 1t is
true we say great deal about them,
and might be supposed to value them
highly, and be esteemed to be duly
impressed with the Importance OF doing
our duty to-day and trusting TO the
Lord for the rest. But if we were to
he judged by oul feelings ard actions,
we would seem to be more impressed
with the past or the future than the
present. We do not mean to bring all