The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-11-22
IS LIFE WORTH LIVING?
Sermon Delivered BY Rev. W. %. Ayers.
Rector OF the Episcopal Church.
Ardmore, Ind. Ter.

These words were spoken OF hu-
man life. and by one who had
made of life a true estimate. King
Solomon uttered these words in his
old age after he had learned by
painful and disappointing expert
ence the insufficiency Of earthly 1
things to satisfy his spiritual ma
ture.
He had thoroughly tested the /
world; its forms of honor, wealth,
pleasure and speculative wisdom,
and he had found it to be vanity
and vexation of spirit" He had
found that life's ills exceed its
comforts, its sorrows its joys, its
hardships its rewards, and when
philosophically considered, it is not
worth the living. This Is the evil
dent import of the text: Vanity
of vanities, saith the preacher, all
is vanity" This pessimistic view
of life did not originate in the fer
tile brain of King Solomon. nor
did it end there. There have never
been wanting. at any period of the
worlds history, men who have
philosophical concerning life, and
who have apparently seriously
questioned the fact of its utility
and who have pretended, at least,
to deem it if not an infliction, ut
least an incalculable aud deplorable
waste.
The Greek philosopher Epieurus
maintained that all the real good
of life consists in the avoidance of
pain and in the getting of pleasure.
The present century has witnessed
the publication of a book. the au-
thor of which discusses at length,
and, as it seems, seriously, the
question: is Life Worth Livingi"
And this volume has called forth a
greatnumber of ofingenious and care
fully written replies.
Such a question as this seems to
be quite too puerile to be worthy OF
serious discussion. But the fact
that such a question as this il
raised and considered by even 1
few minds, as well as the dreadful
and pathetic fact of the alarming
frequency of suicides, renders /
too apparent, alasl that many mel
are placing too low an estimat
upon human life, and this, / fear
. is true of us all. =.
Let us consider what are some Q
: the causes of this sad fact. One j:
: as ! think, the prevalence of th
materialistie and worldly spirit
No thoughtful and observing pc
4 son can lock abroad upon u
world today and contemplate tt
habits of thought and of condu'
of multitRdes of men and not
deeply impressed with the fact tn
o their energies are being direct'
toward the realization of world
- and ambitious aims, and chief
to the accumulation of wealth. 2
SO great an extent is this true tn
it seems quite impossible for the
/. to be earnestly and prsyerful
" thoughtful concerning spiritu
realities. rs there money in III
is the question that is consider
concerning almost every proje
that is presentation considerable
Thisdominant spirit of our age pU
US all under a high and mora
dangerous pressure. II rendt
A., almost. every man in the comm
nity and in the nation somewhat
Eevolying wheel or a flying spine
in the mighty ineIorsble ! maehi
Of business! activity 4nf rehdl
him incapable Of religious refit
ton and of true dey6tion. Th'
habits and conditions of life ms
life seem to every earnest 81
sadly empty and unsatisfyiI
Every person whose thoughts a
energies do not rise higher th
the attainment Of money, worl'
5..;ecst;on and banniness I