The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-12-20
SUNDAY MEDITATION,

I'D
No lesson is appointed for Sunday, Dec
so. 1t will be The last Sunday of 1894. We
choose topic for meditation, hoping it may
be timely and profitable;
Each one can say, % . What have done, /
have done" Each minister can say, What
/ have preached, have preached. 1t is
now too late to change my course for 1894. u
This is good time for reflection. The
words of st. john 10 a22, "What 1 have
written, have written,n come to mind aS
exceedingly fitting TO this hour. They ex-
press a sentiment well worth study. Read
the account, where we find the words just
quoted, and one will the better realize their
force. The writing alluded to refers to the
inscription placed above the Savior's cross.
Its entire strength lies in the fact the Jews
could not bear to have Christ called their
King.
The account reads:
"Pilate wrote title and put it on the
cross. And the writing was, Jesus OF Naza-
reth, the King of the Jews This title then
read many of the Jews, for the place where
Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city, and
it was written in Hebrew and Greek and
Latin. Then said the chief priests of the
Jews to Plate, Write not the King of the
Jews; but that, he said, / am King of the
Jews Plate answered, What / have writ
ten, have written"
Plate could not be moved to change the
title. Though the Jews hated such an in
scription, they could not alter it.
We are just finishing year. We have
acted, thought and worked. 1t is all over
now, and we cannot change anything.
Though our acts, words and thoughts please
or though we hate TO think of them, they
cannot now be changed. Impressions have
been made ON the soul which cannot be
erased Influences have been set in motion
which it is impossible to check. Words
have been spoken with effects we cannot re-
move. Time has been wasted for which ac-
count must be given at the Judgment.
Money has been expended for bad purposes
or retained from good uses. A year has
glided by, and, as Christians, we have not
progressed so rapidly As the means of grace,
which we so richly share, demand.
ITEMS FOB SELF-EXAMISATIoN.
Influence.
Consider the year as to our influence.
This we are increasingly exerting. We can
not now change the influences we have left.
How glad would we be If we could neutral
ize much of the past! If we think little
we can array before our minds thou
sands of influences, which we would, if
we could. improve. 1t is TOO late. What
ever influence we have exerted, is ex-
erted. 1t will make endless differences
in the condition of ourselves, and of others.
We must remember we are all the time in
fluencing for good or for evil, and that, too,
irremediably. We cannot live wholly for
ourselves. We are carrying with US the in
terests and destiny of others.
AS the past is influencing MS, 80 the pres
ent is to affect the future Great statesmen
have died. and yet they live in the politics Of
to-day. Great diyiEes have ceased their
labors, but yet their brilliant conceptions,
their grand theological productions, and
their feryent spirit liyeio5day. Their noble
thoughts burn in the studies Of our modern
scholars, and fash from the pulpis whence
we of these times learn our spiritual lessons.
Washington and Jackson still live to teach
us National wisdom and patriotism. Girls
void, Nash, Delaney, Hobart, IIibbard,
Simpson, James, Anes, Scott, Mott. Samp-
son, Anderson, yelling, Shaw, Beecber, and
hosts of others are still active spirits i'll
life, as when they mingled with the masses,
acting and speaking in The flesh They
have left behind them influences which we
all claim as the common property of the
Church. -Ga--t
And il is not The great alone who thus
live, or to mould the future. We are all
originating influences destined to produce
eternal effects.
During 1895 let us be more careful what
influences we put in operation
Orr Words
Have all these been fifty spoken? Words
uttered have no tangible form but yet they
can be felt. They can never be forgotten.
We sing, Kind words cap never die" 1t is
as true of the unkiBd. Bitter words never
die.
We are endowed with the power of lam
guage We may use it for good or for evil
We may make it an instrument of the
greatest social pleasure, or means Of in
tensest misery.
To prevent the building Of the Tower of
Babel, and thus to put an end to the wicked
designs of the people, God changed their
language. His remedy was effectual In
stead of one they were of many tongues.
Thus terminated the God deGyiDg enter
prise.
When we have heard two persons quarrel
ing, when we have seen their eyes flashing
wrath, and have heard their tongues uttering
angry words, we have heartily wished one
might suddenly be made to talk Greek or
some other unknown language. Welcome
the remedy if it heal strife, cure cOnten-
ton!
We can scarce conceive of q contrast
greater than that between the spirit where
kindness reirns and that where contention
RACES. We have gone into flower garden;
dahliss, lilies, Stars OF Bethlehem, tulips,
roses, and a thousand Others have bowed
their heads and smiled on u.s. The fragrance
of many flower has hidden us welcome.
The whole air was cheerful and lovely.
Such is the atmosphere where kind words
alone are spoken.
Again, we have been where are crowds
of thorns, briars and thistles. We could
scarce walk without wound, scarce turn
without a scratch. Thorns and tbisiles on
every hand. One must be on guard con-
stantly, bowling here and there, or his very
eyes would be pierced. This is a fit picture
of the place where are heard bitter words
and seen unkind countenances.
Have We not much to regret as to our
words during the past year? Can we review
them with satisfaction?
What a power there is in words! One
word may brighten an entire life. Another
may grieve n heart TO death.
Many one has been killed by unkind
words. They are the worst of wounds.
They pain the most They agonize the
longest. They sink the deepest.
We are to learn by'experience. We can
well recall words which we wish had never
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