The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-08-23
GUIDING LIGHTS OF LIFE
SERMON BY REV. DE. PECK .lT TRINITY M. F. HURCH.
Eloquent Words by the Ablo Divine Lights of Nature and Reason Helpful but Not Sufficient to Guide Us.

LNeF' beolSe w. feCk, LII. D., paSlOr of St. Marks Methodist Episcopal church of Buffalo, N. T., relative of the late Rev. Dr. J. O. Peck, who was a much loved former pastor of Trinity M. E. church, this city, supplied his old pulpit in Trinity church yesterday. At the morning service he preached an able sermon from the text found in Isa- iah 2:5. % house of Jacob. come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord"
 Dr. Peck said in part: "The course of the ship at sea depends upon the mari- ner at the wheel. So it is every life is directed by the individual will. Life is about what we make it. Who had not rather be the master of circum- stances than be controlled by them?
 We see that mind moves matter but we do not see what determines the act of the mind. It is the will that deter mines the act of the mind, but no one has ever been able to explain just how l it thus influences the mind and proba- ply no one ever will,
 Thus we see that there is mystery connected with our simplest actions, | wherever we go and whatever we do or say. In all these acts of ours there is mystery and darkness about. It is not the only mystery. We see mystery in all the earth, the sky, the sea about us.
 we see it In the force of gravitation which men have never been able to ex- plain. There is mystery within and without us. In view of the fact that we are surrounded by mystery and darkness, it behooves us to consider what light there is by which we can walk.
 We are told of the light of nature. of reason and of revelation.
 "The light of nature we always have.
 There is the lesson of activity from the brook forming the waterfall, turn ing the mill wheel and rushing to the ocean to assist in conveying the com merce of the nations. Then there is the | lesson of beauty and usefulness to be | learned from the trees enriching the earth with their beauty and providing it with sustenance. In this, no doubt they are fulfilling their object in the | great creation.
 But these inanimate objects are not alone in instructing us. Does not the book say, Go to the ant, thou slug gard, consider it's ways and be wise.' So all animate nature has some lesson to bring us and everywhere we shall find that nature has luxuriously pro- vided light that shall lead us out and make us respect the things that be.
 T have no respect for the person who gets tired of the things in nature Even the worst creatures have some purpose to perform.
 But we have need to look deeper than nature to give us the light to sat- isfy the cravings of the soul. We see in I nature not alone life but also destruc- tion and death and decay. Nothing fol- lows death in nature but the silence of the grave.
 What after death? is the question of the soul. With that problem unsolved the light of nature is in vain. The | light of reason also is very helpful in guiding us. Reason points out to us self-evident truths.
 Reason has settled for us such prob lens as that fire and water coming to- gether always produce steam, though we have not boiled all the water of the ocean and rivers. Reason, it is true. does many things for the race and many people after they have found out a few things, by reason have wor- shipped it. In the French revolution the French people built a temple for the worship of reason, and Napoleon had to threaten to destroy it with his cannon in order to make the people give up the foolish worship. Reason goes out in darkness when confronted with the question, whither are we tend ing?
 ''The souls of the people cry out for instruction as to the hereafter
 We have reached then the end of the means for the solution of the problem of the world by the light of nature and reason, and we come to the pages of sacred revelation With this blessed Bible you can never say again that this world is in darkness as to the hereaft- CT.
 we rest assured that whatever comes to pass and however much the mind of man may roam about and search for knowledge and information, u tnt utuI t ilLS, llllS bOOh WILL lul ulSli us with the purest and brightest light to guide us. We have reached then in this sacred revelation, what I think is satisfactory to our natures and we see that Gods word is the basis of all truth.
 "In closing there are few questions which as reasonable beings it is right that we should ask. s-
 First, should we study the light of nature? Yes, for this is good and beautiful world. Study the light of ma. ture but do not depend upon it to fur nish you with light upon the pathway you are to tread by and bye.
 Then of course we should study the light of reason, using great discretion about the literature we study. Let the one who wanders out from the light of reason and nature unsatisfied look up to God and to the knowledge and love of the Holy Spirit. We shall re- main in darkness and doubt ever unless we study the light of revelation.
 MISS CADY'S SCHOOL.
 The reading notice in this paper call ;oo o attention tO the oDepinp of Mrs