The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-06-19
Is LIFE WORTH LIVING ?"
The Subject Viewed From a PhiIo-
sophie Standpoint.
Synopsis of An Interesting Sermon
Delivered Yesterday by Rev.
t. J. Horner.

In his sermon yesterday, at Pythian
Hall, the Rev. r. J. Horner said, after re-
viewing the causes for pessimism in the
world and acknowledging their reality,
that after all when that is said it is not all
That remains to be said, for even in the
darkest hours there come CLEANS of
light which tell us that things are not
what they seem, that life, not death, is
the great end Of all life.
Goethe has said in a darker age than ours:
Natures play is ever new, since she ever
creates new spectators. Life is her finest
invention, and death is her artitice to get
more life" Then turning to the latest
word of philosophy as it comes from the
pen of Professor Royce we read: 1.-The
world is, on the whole, very nearly as
tragic as Schopenhauer represents it to be-
Only spirituality consists in being heroic
enough to accept the tragedy of exist
ence and to glory in the strength where
with it is given to the lords OF life to con-
quer this tragedy and to make their
world after all divine.H
This is grandi Then if Spencer's word
is true science is getting out of the boys
and fens and climbing the mountains at
last for broader view, Spencer is the
great interpreter of science, and when he
says that human nature at large is
capable of what the best human nature is
capable of, then we are all kings and
prophets yet and life is infinitely worth
living, but under the influence OF this new
light 1t is not worth living at all unless
wei lived. Evolution offers no easy road
to heaven, no idle sanctimoniousness will
pass the traveller on this highway.
If all the travail and the struggle of the
ages has resulted in larger, broader
higher life, then life takes on the aspect
of fine art to man and like all other arts
is something to be cultivated in the hope
of attaining its ideals; and its ideals are
possible; are attainable, but mt by sitting
idly down and singing: Jesus paid it,
all-all to Him | owe!"
No selfish brooding over ills that are
real or imaginary will bring hope to the
soul Nor can we by disobeying the laws
OF life in our selfish greed gain anything
that gives lasting joy, though we gain
the whole world. In so doing we lose the
capacity to use it for good.
The great revelation that comes to us
through the scientific observation of ma
lures methods is that no good thing
comes to humanity without being paid
for. and so it has come to pass that law
has been established lin our nature pre-
venting us from approaching what comes
to us as a free gift.
lie only values money who has to
earn it.
He only values learning who has to
deny himself much that he may attain
to it.
He only values affection who has to
WIN 1t. She who yields to the first words
OF love lives often to rue the day she did
IL. Game that can be picked up is left by
the Wayslde by all true hunters.
The value of anything TO us now de-
ponds upon the amount Of vital energy it
h1IlnRn n hn f,itL -.
redeemlng merits of jesus blood is dying
out 1t is not because spirituality is dead
IN man, but because his lie is advancing
to higher plane where his honor will
not permit him to accept salvation with
out merit on his part.
What, then, is life? And WHY do many
think it not worth living?
Life viewed as a fine art is infinite op-
portunlty, and he who thinks it not
worth living has in some way missed see
ing 1t as such and making the most of it.
We are born into this world to conquer
and suDdue 1t and make it our own, real
lZlng within ourselves all that il has to
offer us OF knowledge, of power, of Wis
dom, OF love and of hope Why do we
know this? Because men have CON
quered and subdued so much of it, and
by so doing have realized their own
powers TO themselves as they could in no
other way.
We have come to see at last that man
crowns the tree of life, and such a prod
uct, IN his best development, iustities the
tragedy OF the past. We have come to see
that mind crowns man, and its use has
lifted him into lofty regions OF thought to
scan the meaning of the plan of which he
Is a part. Standardization crowns
mind and immortality becomes a neces-
slty to HIM, else the whole plan and pro-
cess of which he Is the product is mean
lngless, and he in his highest develop
ment is the dupe of dream.
This he Will not, does not believe, but
trusts the nationality of the universe
and the validity of his own mind, and
lives to tathom the secrets of the world
and be all that ne dreams.
The process is the process of all art. He
must study himself and his environment.
He must work, he must struggle. he
must conquer himself and his surround-
ings. He must love life itself and make
II large, broad and high.
Like the buAerdy, he must tear away
the chrysalis of his materialitv and mn
fold the wings of the spirit and make
them strong by exercise. All nature
loves life and enjoys it. Should not man.
whose mind can comprehend it? [ said
life Is infinite opportunity 10 man. Why?
because he Is all that the animal is and
more. His nature rises to mind, heart
and soul. To him the world has mean
ing; it has feeling; it has immortality.
All avenues are open TO him if he but
use them, but if he will not, he blindly
weaves web of narrowness and convent
tionallty about himself which grows
thick and strong with age until he is a
helpless prisoner aud himself his own
Jailer. For full realization of life one
must believe in himself infinitely. That
is, that folded up within his nature are
all the possibilities yet achieved by sny
other man, each one of which he NAV en-
JOY TO the full if he but make himself
Tree. In the larger view OF life offered bv
The best thought of our day death is but
an epoch opening up larger opportuni-
ties for the realization Of still greater
achleVements than This world rnnLes nos