The morning times., 1896-10-19


at Trinity NJ. Z. Church, Fourth street
southeast. More than a score OF resi-
dents of the Methodist Home for the Aged
We're present.
The services were under the joint
auspices of The officiary and the Epw orth
Leagle chapter or the church. The pulpit
and chancel were decorated with palms,
potted plants aud cut flowers. Early in
| the day the old folks began to arrive in
| carriages, provided for them by the league,
and enjoyed the time until the first service,
which began at IL O'Clock, i'll social In
| tercourse With old friends, or in visiting
| the SESSION ot the Sunday school. Com
| Portable rocking chairs were provided for
| The use of the aged guests. ranged In a
| semicircle about the pulpit. and their faces
| were study of happy contentment until
| the close.
The music of the morning was beauti-
| fully rendered by the choir, Increased to
| fifty voices by many weil-kuown local
| vocalists. under the leadership of Prof.
| X. X. Stratton. During the service the
lie Deum Laudamus" of Lloyd, the
Gloria" from Mozart's Twelfth Mass,
| and an adaptation from Costa, .'Grander
| Than Oceans Story" were rendered with
excellent effect by the voices, accom-
| panied by an orchestra of twelve pieces.
| The sermon was delivered by the pastor,
Rev. &. W. Hobbs, who took his text
from Second Samuel. xx:34-''And Bar
zillia said unto the king. How long have
| 10 live, that 1 shoulu 90 up Wilh the
| King unto Jerusalcm?'"
After few words of greeting to the
| aged ones present. and a recital OF the
| object OF the church in perpetuatiug the
| observance OF an old folks day, the pas
| Tor said IN part:
CHILDREN's DAY.
In June we celebrated our Chldren's Day,
| coming together with birds and flowers and
| songs Truly that was Il joyous occasion.
| as we looked forward TO years OF promise
and hope. We come this morning to glance
| briefly at the other extreme OF life-old
| age-and ask, should ii be less Joyous less
hopeful? Age produces upon men, first,
melowness OF heart There is a feeling
soft and subdue drumming through the words
| OF this patriarchal Gideonite of the text
| Old age, think, has this effect generally
| on the hearts or men. Men, like peaches
and pears says Holmes. grow sweet, q
| little while before they decay AT thirty
| We are all trying TO cut our names in big
letters upon the wall OF fame. twenty years
later We have carved them, or shut up our
| 1ack-kniYes. Then We are ready to help
| others. and care less to binder any, because
| Dobody's elbows are in our way.
| In the passing from maturity to help
| lcssness the sternest dispositions some
|
| as gentle and placid as little children
1t is said Of the famous chieftain, Lochiel,
| that he was rocked in a cradle in his old
| age, and one who saw the Iron Duke, he of
| Waterloo, in bis last years, describes him
| as extremely gentle in aspect and dcmeanor.
Time produces upon men, as well, an in
| disposition to exer1on. How long have
/ to live, that should so up with the king
| unto Jerusalem?' ~
| II am this day fourscore years old.
The physical deterioration attendant on
old age is peculiarly affective. Solomon
| has given us highly figurative but truly
| impressive description of this. He speaks
OF it as time when the sun, moon and
| stars are darkened, when the understand
| ing, the imagination, the memory and in
| truth each OF those controlling influences
| which sway the thoughts and acts OF man,
| like tue heavenly luminarieSin the natural
| world become obscured and fade away, a S
| when darkening clouds interpose between
| us and tue lights of the firmament.
''In every period OF life Affections and
] veXations occur, yet the storm is usually
succeeded by sunshine and calm, which
| serve to obliterate tue impression from our
minds, but when hoary age frosts the
brow no sunshine makes the sadness u
| mere memory, but clouds succeed the rain.
| Desire for activity fails with the dis
| integration OF, tue faculties. The busy
| scenes OF life are viewed as troublesome
and aggressive, and it seems rare provi-
depce that with falling strength the mind
| ceases to rule what the body is incapable
OF performing. craving for rest creeps
| over the frame as years advance.
| 1t Is well that 1t is SO in order that the
| Soul may calmly ponder upon questions of
its imperisLable interests. and that death
| may Come with no sudden shock. We
| think of an aged Christian as of one
..nf tod t.s,n
the calm evening of a busy, holy. useful
life, looking back on the past without any
other regret than that which springs from
| the recollection OF his sins, and looking
forward on the future without the shadow
| of fear, as a servant with his task done,
waiting to receive his reward.
I'VE fancy him by the eye of faith pierre
ing the Inists that hang over deaths dark
| Iloo0, ana as he descries the shining ones Oh
| The other shore, he stretches out his aged
arms and cries as he longs TO be gone, ani be
with them: oh, that 1 had wings like
dove that might fly away and be at rest. ,
III age results, as it does in this indisposi-
ton to effort, let us work while We can,
While the mind is active and the limbs are
biilhc- With lack of inclination 10 exert
ones self comes lack OF interest in the
| world.
LOSE THEIR CHARMS.
|
states king to his capital would have been
a strong temptation to this great man, but
| now such an invitation has no attraction
| He declines the offer Of his ruler anu
queries in reply: How long shall live, that
should go up with the king to Jerusalern?'
| To an old man the world is as plum, that
mas lost its bloom, an orange that is dry
The pageantry Of court and the lurements
OF fashionable life are TO the old man but
as the worthless gilt that spangles the
| dress of the actor. He could not relish
the banquets or the concerts of the court
] The choicest dclicacies of the table would
pail on his appetite, the most transporting
strains would fall dead upon his ears. The
| desires have failed and the daughters Of
music are brought low.
Years not only steal away our strength,
but our relish for earthly pleasures In
| this there is to me divine beneyolence,
for it means the loosening Of the bonds
| which link us to our mortal state, and
these symptoms of decay, which SO rap
| idly increase upon you, instead of being
| regarded as reasons of rcpose and self
| Indulgence ought to be considered, as so
| many calls to redeem what remains OF
| your lifetime. Your eye is now DIM, but
| it will soon be completely closed; your
| voice is now feeble, nbut it will soon be
| completely silent; your ability to avail
| yourself OF the means OF grace, and the OPP
| portunities OF usefulness are rapidly de
| clining; soon they will cease forever, re-
ceiving, therefore, daily admonitions of
| your approaching end, ought they not 10
| excite in you increasing earnG'tncSs and
diligence to improve the short time of ex-
istence which yet remains? Glory at