The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-01

specially prepared music and the altar
enclosure and pulpit platform were
made pretty with fragrant blossoms
and chrysanthemums.
The front portion of the church had
been reserved for the railroad men and
their wives. Among the prominent
ones present were: John r. Troch,
president of the Railroad Young Mems
Christian association; Charles Ashle-
man, secretary of the Insurance branch
of the Board of Locomotive Engineers;
r. w. Cox. Frank Belden, w. A. Berry,
Reuben Gillingham, Thomas Durr, Ed
ward Brisbing, George NJ. Wallace,
George and Bert Hammitt, Bert Ketch-
am, w. r. Ace. Benjamin Bennett and
William YOhe, members Of the different
organizations among railroad men.
The pastor was assisted in the service
by Rev. James Bennnger, of Lehman
Pa, and f. w. Pearsall, secretary of
the Railroad Young Mems Christian
association.
The text was from Sam, 27:10:
whittier have ye made a road today?"
In beginning the speaker referred to
the principles of various organizations
and then passed on to comments upon
Davil and his road. He then said:
Life is a road to you and to me. The
rails CLEAN before us with hope We
have the right of way, with the main
track, good ballast; the engine magnifi-
Gently furnished with capital sufficient
to draw ourselves safely over the road
until we reach the terminus and safely
mouse ourselves in the round house of
eternity. Yet there are men running
wild in life and because they have made
few switches, desperately determine to
make the end of life's run independent
of orders.
INDIFFERENT OF RESULTS.
Careless and Indifferent of results, and
with fun head of steam. they have
pulled out onto the main road of life and
said: Life is a dance and luck is the
fiddler; we can go it blind as well as any
other man." so they run until, into an
open switch of carelessness around the
curve of disobedience, they fly in
Gods judgment and wreck themselves.
In DaVid's case he possibly argues
past successes on the road are indica-
tive of present victories He says, II
have made success out of my undertake
ings; have swept down upon defenseless
homes; slain the unarmed, helpless old
men; captured women and maidens; and
this, at the dictation of self, independ-
ent of God, or godly admonition." But
that was not success. He was on a dan
gcrous road and soon the Amalekites of
Ziklag smote II, burned it with fire and
carried its women away captives.
oh, David, yours were poor rails, rot
ten ties, old engines, dried-out cars. no
system, go-as-you-please, and you were
running to wreck and ruin. But today
men live in the past and live largely be-
cause they have not wrecked life in the
days behind them. saying: "Why should
we borrow trouble? Sufficient unto the
day is the evil thereof Have I not run
life's engine over the roadway Of desire;
firing my life to please self these many
years? Have l not conducted as [
pleased; brakng to suit MYSELF"
| am here tonight safe and well. and
because of the past [ am going to do the
same in the present" But whittier have
ye made a road today?" MY own way"
Yes, your own way. Men have gone over
your road before and never came back.
As you say, it may be "A road of flowers;
but flowers make a poor railroad. Men
have said, "This is a road of pleasure" 4"
But you cannot run a railroad with
that. Every man can do as he may
please but he will thus bankrupt ,Ae
best road ever made. Life means some
thing more than risks, something more
than folly.
WARNING OTHERS.
1t means warning others to ways of
danger. 1t means responsibility to the
company and to property, to the home
life, to the community the nation, and
TO God. These things affect us indie
pendently of past experience. They are