The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-02
WHAT is YOUR LIFEq"
Rev. J. w. RoRan's Sermon at the First
Presbyterian Church


The services at the First PRESBYTERIAN
church on New Years day were in marked
contrast with those held at many of the 9th
er churches, being entirely free from every
thing Of "a joyous or festival nature. No
flowers or wreaths adorned the altar and the
music was simple almost to severity. A
verse OF the first hymn seemed to give key
note TO the whole service:
All it's numbered days are sped,
All its busy scenes are DER;
AL its joys forever fed,
All its sorrows felt no more
The reading of the morning was from the
beautiful and solemn Goth Psalm Lord
Thou hast been our dwelling-place in all gen
erauons. Thou turnest man to destruction
&c" During the reading of the Psalm
not ray of sunshine entered the
church and the whole service
almost seemed TO have been arranged with
dramatic effect to prepare the congregation
Tor the impressive sermon preached by the
pastor, Rev. j. w. ROgan, on what is
Your Life" The text was James iv., IA
whereas ye know not what shall be on the
morrow; for what is your life. 1t is even a
yapor, that appeareth for little time and
then vanisheth away"
To give philosophical answer to the
questions in the text, said the pastor, is
more than one can do. We are familiar
with its forms, and therefore we think we
are familiar with the thing itself We see
II existing in many forms, and yet no man
can tell us what principle It is that causes
the seed to expand and grow We are ia
miliar with its appearance but the thing
itself flies ahead and leaves us in deep inn
penetrable mystery. Life eludes forever the
scrutiny of the microscope and the touch of
the scalpel
First, what is your life as to its durationi
Nlaa. i.
The apostle James tells us to make no def
mite plans for the future, For what is your
lifei it is but vapor that appeareth for
little time and then vanisheth away
What can be more short-lived than the va
por that is dispelled by the first ray of the
approaching sun.
How forcibly we are reminded of the
shortness of life, when standing ut the
threshold of another year The 365 days
have multiplied with such rapidity that
while we looked for them they have gone.
Time flies so rapidly that we cannot half
accomplish the tasks we have allotted our
selves. Jacob standing before Pharoah
made answer: 1.-The days of the years of
my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty
years: feiO and cell have the days of the
years of my life been"
Time is not only rushing on, but it is car
rying the multitudes that now walk the earGh
with it, Statisticans tell us that thirty
one millions of lives are annually going
with solemn tread out into eternity
On the morning of the death of that great
statesnan--Daniel Webster-he addressed
his friends to this effect: ''All must ac-
knowledge that there is a God What
would be the condition of any of us without
the hope of Immortality! Thank God the
gospel of Jesus Christ brought life and i'm
mortality to light" Let us rejoice with
Webster in the resurrection. Yes, death
does not end ALL Socrates is reported to
have said to his executioners "You can
bury me if you can catch me-" and to his
weeping friends, Remember that you bury
my body only"
What is your life as to its purposesl So
many Of us, like the beasts of the field, live
| purposeless; others, while having purposes,
| yet miss the true end and aim of life A
very antiquated book tells us that the true
end of your being is to glorify God and en-
| Joy him forever.
Are you seeking the end of your being? |
would propel the question into your soul,
"What is your purpose in life"
You are constantly exerting an influence
either for good or for evil The potent
thought of Immortality is almost over
whelming. We are going, going, but we
will he here in influence thousand years
| hence.
Lastly, what is your life as to its prog
ress! The years are drifting on Are you
nearer tine kingdom of heaven than year
ago. Let us, using the wisdom of thu mer-
chant take an inventory of our stock and
find out whether we are making satisfac-
tory progress. Are We discharging our
| duties to Godi
After urging upon his congregation to
make new resolutions, and preface them all
with the resolution that they will keep all
these by the grace of God, the pastor
brought his sermon to a fitting close.