Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-01-11
Retrospective.
RACHEL DuDGEoN.
Louisa MARIINDAI.E.
JANE McCRD>KEY.

Beng an extract from New ears sci
mon delivered by Rev. George a. Little
pastor of he Presbyterian church, on las
Sunday The introductory part has beer
omitted. in order 10 give place To the sub
ject matter coming closely under III
range of iris snbjrc'. Mr.. Little said:
As we are about tn SAY 30 ,d bye IT, IN
/ centennial year. should we not, is indi
vidn j., recall its events and permit then
io have their lawful effect upon usg Per
liars the remembrance of former thing,
viii Cause us {" pour out our souls be or,
! God; will make us wiser i'm regard e.
action. and more hopeful concerning al
we have entrusted To Gods kindness and
! care. And first. want la say, that some
live in such a way AZ To leave no impress
sion of their days and wears upon theil
minds. | can remember standing upon
Plum Island watching the Atlantic waves
"a they rolled up the sanity shore. When
they recrdcd mate marks on the wei
beach, which The next wave covered with
the sand il rolled up and down the slope
! 1.-THE mark wa deep and large. it tool,
two waves entirely L, cover IT, Thus, foI
hundreds of wears have the waves been
hiding the tracks Of men, animals
birds. The imprint has only lasted until
the next wave went over it, Is this not n
picture of our mindsg The sun rises, and
while II shines. many impressions are
made. There are anNieties and cares. JOYS
and sorrows. work and play. The night
! comes as great wave. ana when ii is gone
and the shore - seen wnen another day
has come, the impressions nt yesterday are
gone. We have forgotten largely what
we said and did. who were with us, and
what were our plans an6 purposes. And
when several dark waves, or several
nights, have rolled over that, it will be Ia
us as though it bad never been, so com.
| pletely will ali its marks be concealed.
| Thus II Is that weeks conceal former days.
and months former weeks. and years con
ceai months and former years, SO that our
lives are almost ms though they had not
been.
Now the teaching of the text is, tia. we
ought not Ia suffer it thus to be. There
should he a remembrance of former things
Each day of life has, its lesson, and these
lessons we learn more or less perfectly
end there tsh ould be reviews. So that all
this wisdom msy be profitable unto US.
While much must be forgotten. there are
some things TO bc remembered Many
things are washed up from the ocean which
we are content tn see gos back into the
deep; but the pearls should be gathered
mp. These pearls are the valuable
lessons OF experience Some let them go
they remember nothing DAYS come and
GO. and all are pretty much alike 1t is
e1t. drink, work. and sleep the entire year
around, and year after year. No day. nor
week. nor month, has value THAT marks
u from others. and therefore II is forgot
zen. Ii seems rs though Elihu rebuked
The three old companions o. job when he
SAID. days should speak, and mulIiiides
al years teach wisdom" These three men
should have been wise enough in expert
ence Ia answer Job, but were not. They
had not observed that Affections come
the righteous Cases like that of Job had
come before them, and the wicked had
gone unpublished; vet they had not
learned The lesson they had been taught
Impressions hid been made on their
minds for "A moment, and they were de
,irnscsl. So with many men. They do
not remember fpr their own profit. Year
after year they commit the same errors.
rhey become nc wiscrs hut are ms unwisc
n though almost wholly uracqnainte,l
with the ways of The world This l.
wrong. We are la remember former days
we are to keep some record of events
either in memory or on paper. and by ex-
amining them discover what are causes
and what effects. so that more wisely and
advaniageou>ly we may use the future.
Asthe year draws near its end. we should
enquire rs Ia its blessings. Perhaps u
great one To this community is the preser-
vation OF human lire Fewer deaths than
usual have occurred. Why the mortality
has been less than common, we may not
be able To tell; hut possibly The hard times
prohibiting excuses in living have had
somewhat To do with This change M
doubt record of deaths and diseases
with another record of sanitary changes.
purpnsely oraccidentally made. would he nj
use tn place like this But The object is
not TO make these considerations so much
of public rs IA private nature. Have we.
rs individuals. Cause for gratitude that
God has kept us and every member of our
families well during the year. stranger
meeting another, said tn him: Did Won
ever thank God ryour rcasnny' No"
was the answer DO so, then at once"
replied he, for have lost mine" such
words should cnnr to us in regard to all
blessings. God keeps our homes happy
81 long rs he keeps safely the household !:
but when one goes, then ii is made desc
late. The missing one takes us back over
long years. when that one was with Us,
and We think OF the happiness he gave US
We were not thankful in the former years
for the blessing we then enjoyed II had
tn leave us ere II were appreciated. Then.
perhaps, gratitude was awakened for So
long continuing To us the service and
comfort of the one taken away. But we
need not be SO unmindlul: we can look
about US and see ii all are present and well.
and give thanks for safely bringing them
To the end of the year.
Another inquiry may be made i'm regard
To our temporal affairs. How have we. as
individuals. been prospered in business =
A great deal is said about the hard times
and il is true that no article brings high
price. Still very many are as well off at
the end OF this pear, as at the nd of others.
They have "a much in the bank; they are
quite as independent; their grounds have
produced far crops. and valued by the srti
cies which had To be purchased with The
money given for grain. hav, been fully up
To that of other years; they have no rea-
son to complain. bnt iaIher To he thankful
that il is SO well with them as it is.
A third question should have reference
To our religious advantages. Too many
seem To think that physical health and
enjoyment are all the blessings that men
find in this world II one Is well and
wealthy. he has about all the good this
Lille affords This is far from true. Ii is
only true concerning man so far rs he is
like the dumb animals. Give the healthy
brute plenty To eat. and shelter from the
rain and cold, and il has nearly all the
enjoyment life affords But hot thus with
man he Is capable of higher enjoyment
There isa health and ACTIVITY to some
ihirg of more consequence than flesh and
BOLTS. There IS a mind Ia develop which
seeks intellectual tod. and there Is n
moral appetite which seeks virtue as its
chief good The gymnasium of life is not
entirely of an aihclclic nature; but there
are exercises for the snnl. which make il
stiong in Patience. filth and love Aud
we are 10 enquire as tp whether We have
been blessed with opportunities tor obtain
ing good In our souls in these ways The
inquiry Is not as Ia What you have actually
received: but as To what it was possible
for you To receive. Has the gospel been
pea. ed: Have the important truths at
Christianity been plain y and interestingly
presenteiy In the great lay of acc counts