Telegram-herald., 1891-10-03
THEIR GLAD AlW YEAR
The Celebration Of the Jewish
Holiday Begun.
RABBI JESSELSOs'S ABLE SERMON
Ne Draws q Beautiful Picture y rom the
Word AID Adraenishes His People
OF the Fisstsess OF Iinle Asd
the Certainty of Death.

The beginning of the new year 5652
of the Jewish calendar Was arked last
evening with appropriate services at the
Temple Emanuel.
The service from the Jewish prayer
book was read, and Rabbi Jesselson an
nounced that he had taken his subject,
"The Book of Life" from the the text
"Remember Us for Life, q King. Who
Delightest in Life, and Inseribe Us Into
the Book of Life" The speaker said,
''There is no hour IN tho whole
course of time that comes home
To us with so much significance as
this hour, which separates time
from time, or unites the past
with the future. Ii is the hour when
every man should pause and mediate,
and render an account of himself. He
looks around and sees the changes
which time has wrought. He renieni-
bers that one and another has been
gathered III by the great harvester,
Time. Where but short time ago he
saw the rose-bush bud, and bloom, and
spread its fragrance around, he behoids
the decaying flowers. the deserted
twigs, the cherries thorn. and he re-
members how quickly and unexpect-
edly the rose-colored cheek of the ten
der human bud faded IN the shadowy
hue of death, and all that is left of the
loved one Is mouldering beneath some
sand hill. He sees the tears of sorrow
ing parents, whose chief possession on
earth time can never restore to them,
and he sees the speechless grief of low
ing children who vainly wish to look
once more into the dear faces OF those
who loved them best.
Reminded OF Death.
Some of you think at this moment
that preachers should tell you some
thing more cheerful. But this is not
the place for gossip. Every conscien-
tious pastor should remind his people
at least once year that there is such
n thing as death. If you would wish
to turn your eyes away from the
mournful monuments of the past,
would not a glance at your own hour
glass tell YOU you had passed another
portion of your life's journey. No
matter how far away the ocean of your
eternity may be. the rolIings and
plashings of It's blllows must reach your
ear as you reflect upon this hour. The
words of my text now rise wherever
the scattered remnant of Israel are
gathered before God to sanctlfy the
new year. Do you think such
q Book of Life is really IN
existence. Yes, it really exsts-not
merely as law of divine retributon.
1t is a book on which stands the recorded
| history OF every mans life a record OF
v,,,sb ~, f,,lHllad ~ IF hnnas bia stnd cf
happiness or misfortune. Is not the
countenance OF man a Book of Life !?
| We imagine ourselves unknown, when
every hour we are writing our most
secret thoughts in the enduring colcrs
| are as legible as books, with the adyan-
| tage that it takes less time TO read
them, and they are less likely to de-
ceive. Every human contenance Is
either history or prophecy. In the
contenance, more enduring than the
marble rock, is engraved the last word
parents, and grief-stricken widows
pray, "OGod, inscribe US in the book
of life."
Inscribed In the Book.
Ponder well this invisible, inward,
vet active life. What the future may
have for US, of Joy or sorrow, sweet
hours of happiness or dark visltatlons
of trouble, il can not deprive MS of
what we have had, if we are inscribed
in the Book of Life. Dark and cheer
less has been the path of our co-relig-
ionist in Europe for several years.
Long dead hatred has risen from its
grave and stands, specter-like, in the
broad light of day. Dark rascality has
tr;d to strike out the word Israel!te
from the Book of Life. But we will
fear not, for God lives. May the New
Year be blessing to us. May He who
rules over time and eternity, dry our
tears, and change our sorrow into glad
hess. Mny ife he With us in the days
to come as in days past. May He re-
member us, and inscribe us into the
Book Of Life"
At the close of the sermonn the sol
emn memorial service for the dead of
the past year was read, and the con-
| gregation was dismissed with the bene-
dlction. Then followed general
hand-shaking an exchange of compli-
/ npnts of tho New Hesr A AnnYopriate