The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-28
NEW YEARS SERMON.
Rev. w. G. Eliot, DR., at the Unitarian
Church.


Church.
Attic morning services at the Unitarian
church yesterday Rev. W. g. Eliot, jr.,
preached a timely New Years sermon,
taxing for his text:
Psalms, xc;l2-"so teach Us to number our
days that We may get US an heart OF wisdom"
Mr.. Eliot said:
As the day approaches when most of the
CIVILIZED world celebrates the beginning OF
another year it seems a good thing TO think o.
mat day as tirae-fessival. The idea of time
Is universal and we understand each other
When We talk about IL. but we never understand
IL We cannot analyze time beyond our con-
seriousness OF time any more than we can analyze
thought beyond our consciousness of thought,
or truth beyond our own confident idea that
there Is such thing as truth. We measure
'iihe Win our days AMI years; measure what
VIC cannot touch; we measure il, and, 10. all
we seem to have is the measure with
which we measure. But when l know
anything as surely rs know time, when any
great Tact or principle Is revealed to me with
The certainty that the fact OF time is revealed,
ma myself cessing TO want to understand it or
precisely define ii; what more do want, except
10 KNOW better and better its deep meaning for
me and my relations TO it.
The idea OF time extracted from events Is
fiction OF the intellect. If there were no things,
time. Time without events is empty; nay,
time ana events are inseparable. Neither can
exist without the other. Time aud history never
lose each other. To the Infinite Mind time,
however infinitely ancient, has been historic;
and no event, however ancient, has been I'M
timed or untimeiy. Time is always filed with
events. 1t IS only figuratfyely that we say one
PERSONS time Is empty, another's full. Each of
US has an equal share of time; each has ''all the
|. time there is:" each fills the time with some
thing. II that something is sin and sehshness
and idleness, then we say our time is empty; II
IL is filed with goodness then We say it is not
empty.
1t is interesting to compare the absolute even
ness OF time with variable ways of filing 1t.
The present moment of time is the present
moment for all the universe Nothing can lag
behind; nothing can get ahead of time. The
present moment Is present moment for speed
and rest, for activity and ideness, for intensity
and for sloth, for sin and for holiness. The I'M
swerying eyenness OF time only emphasizes by
contrast the unevenness of its human fulfill
ment. The very mystery of its possession and
realization; its kinship to the mystery and in
finity of our Heavenly Fathers life moves our
hearts 10 think OF its saeredness-the saeredness
OF its opportunities for love and duty. And the
same mys tery and inilnity moves the hearts OF
men to know the awfulness Of sin; of willful
failure and guilty disooedienOe.
The closing days of the year are days to think
OF the use and abuse OF time. IL is the time to
renew our life intentions, our life vows; our
sense of responsibility; our devotion to God
and to those things 10 which he has devoted US.
Taking up all that can be OF any good in our
past and forgetting the things that reall!
behind, we press on toward the mark of our
high calling.
Oh, ii seems to me no small thing, either for
me or for you, or for the world, that there is
mark, more or less visible to every struggling
soul. 1t is Gods intent for every human soul
often dimly seen and vaguely felt by men, but
fully and definitely revealed by the Gospel and
life of Christ We all racing for the same
mark; for the mark that Jesus attained the
mark OF His high calling; the mark OF our high
calling.
1t is fine to feel the infinite mystery of time
making our days precious; il is fine TO pray for
revelation which shall teach US wisdom; il is
finer yet to have the prayer answered 1t is still
finer to get the heart OF wisdom; all else is vain
If we fail of that A heart OF wisdom-not the
wisdom of the world, but the wisdom of heaven;
not the wisdom of words, but the wisdom of
life; not the wisdom OF selfshness, but the wis
dom of self-saerifoe-the wisdom of the cross,
the wisdom of Christ, the wisdom from above,
which is "trst pure, then peaceable, gentle,
easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good
fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy"