Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-03-06
WHAT OF 11FE9
Sermon preached recently by Rev. j. y. Pres
fridge In the Baptist Church.
"WmAT YouR LIFE?' James ~ IA.

A great many answers have been
given 10 our question. Mr.. Herbert
Spencer says, translated into plain
English, Life is the function OF a
being which enables it TO adjust it.
self to its external surroundings"
In still palmer English this means,
a Something " hich when cold can
build fire aud when hungry can
procure and prepare food. Mr.. Goe-
the, the greatest Of the Germans, an
swers through his writings, that life
is a sensitively organized lot of pas.
siOns which may he freely gratilied,
a vast bundle of desires which will
never b. realized and when the end
comes there is nothing for the pro.
lcssor TO do but TO die. His Will
helm Meister, man OF talent and
genius, piddlcs away his manhood a.
manager Of n0ndescript theatrical
troop, playing one piece, II is true, as
II will never be really presented, yet
doing nothing at all. Well does
Carlyle call him a "milk sop" In
his other great character, Werther,
we fiud 70 much Of passion and sad
ness aud valn longing that whoever
reads IL must for the time be sick Of
living. We are told that when il
was circulated through Germany in
every college and university h II
was heard the ring of the suiciuc's
pistol. Zeno said, Life Is burden,
which must he borne. That lis is
sues were beyond our oollrOl aud
pregnant with sorrow and suffering
That hc only was the hero who bore
inevitable calamities without muir.
nuring. When an old man he burnt
his finger, and after thinking ihr
matter over, concluded lie had borne
his burden long enough, had Uttered
his part aud so retired to his loDm
aud strangled himself. Homer
idea of life was a conflict, contest
at arms, display of physical pow
ers, clashing of swords and clang-
ing Ofslields. That the equipments
of life were ships, spears, helmets,
chlriOt1, swOrls AMI "bra's bound
shields" NerO's answer is, Life is a
stage wherc painted clowns contend
for the applause OF the rabblc, a
lhirsiing for flattery which cannot
b. satialed. Napoleon says II is a
vast battle field where the spoils be-
long 10 the victor. Living is con-
quering. Edgar 20, says Life is Il
tragedy with "much of madness, and
more of sin, and horror the soul
Of the plot" Aud at the end when
tout are the lights" "thc curtain, u
funeral pail, comes down with the
rush Of a storm )" the play is the trage-
dy man, "and ils hero, the conquer0r
worm." Too true, alas, such sad,
crushing tragedy was life TO him.
Each of these men represents class |
es of to-day. Their answers are the
answers we often read in newspapers
aud poems and magazines. Notice,
will you, how they represent il AS all
end within itsell-a thing 10 he
suufled out by the grave. How dif-
ferent from this is the answer given
by inspiration Ii says Life is but |
the preface to the book of immortal.
~, il is but the step TO the universe,
il Is a race with heaven as the re-
ward. Here these Ileaven-born be-
ings are left fora time to take on
color and shape for eternity. To-
night let us look earnestly into this
probation that TO us ii may become
more real and we be aroused TO seize
upon its possibilities.
/. 1t is II very brief probation.
The verse from which the text is
taken reads "For what isyour life
II is even a vapor which appcareth
for little time and then vanisheth
away" Job says Lifc.is switter than
II weaver's shuttle. 1t is fragile as a
dream and transient us the dew. 1t
is as the passage of swallow which
darts into lighted hall, across and
then out again iuto the night. 1t is
Il shadow which fits unsteadily on
the wall for time and then vauishes.
Tonight is long and tedious to
the fevered brain but when it is
passed 1t Is as song on the air. a
dream stretches itself out oyer days,
months and years but If some hand
Is laid upon the dream the joys, suf-
ferings and horrors are all over. DE
Quinsey tells us that he lay in the
great pyramid wrapped in mummy
bands for thousand years and
awaking found a few hours only
had passed. When Life is over it to
us will appear dream, a short
dream. The happenings will draw
together until our probation shall be
but a speck behind us. If we re-
view 1t, 1t will be a single picture OH
the canvass, Of which we will see a
cradle, few toys, some tools, arm
chair and q coffin. These dark nights
of sorrow, these long years of burden
bearing will look short and trifling.
They will make but one shade dark
er the background of the picture. !
These things which excite and fasci-
nate us now will then seem insipid.
and colorless. We will wonder how
they could have swaycd us from the
paths of knowledge and duty. 1t is
,uicar ond haitian IN yia,u IN From,