The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-01-07
GRAND NEW YEARS SERMON.

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GhAND ME-" LEANS ohhMoN.-
| church, the Rev. ]. A. French delivered
a most interesting and eloquent New
Year sermon to a very large congrega-
| ton. His theme of the morning was
| 1.-THE Time is Shortened" and with this
as his subject matter, he quoted his text
as follows:
"The Time is Shortened"-1 Cor, %,
Or. W
''The year has gone and with it many
precious thought
, OF happy dreams. Its mark is OH each
| brow,
ItS shadow, IN ooob bo.rtr
-'' 'N"u'" -
| The death of one wear and the birth
of another is serious and suggestive. 1t
is like the death of a parent Who leaves
Graded infant behind or the passing
away of one generation and the coming
on the stage Of another II is n time for
review and anticipation-a time for retro
spection and resolutions.
Bidding farewell to the. wear is a
solemn thing. For while IFS cares and
labors., it's heartaches and warnings are
gone-gone also are it's privileges. What
| ever our hands or heads or hearts have
wrought by ministration. by reason. by
| emOtlOn mas passed forever from Our
grasp. The mistakes of the wear. the nm
kind words that have smittpn loving
hearts, the wrongful deeds that have
weakened confidence in Christian charac-
ter. the sinful thoughts that nave marred
our own souls. can not be recalled and
| rectifed. The hook has been shut and
sealed, thus to remain until it is opened
before the great white throne. But we
NAV reioice that we are still hero IN 70
deem the time and rise on stepping stones
of our dead selves to higher things.
The noble anostle 70 fhe Gpntiles re-
minds us that life is fastening TO it's close.
that our great business is so TO use it's
narrow limits as TO he nrenared for a
higher, better life. The primary truth
conveyed by the text is that the time of
the Corinthian Christians was Shortened
in virtue of the impending persecution
of Nero. but it is equally and always +, ne
that time is shortened. that it will soon
glide away and be no more. The imDli-
cation of the text is that our plans of fife
should all he formed in view Of this truth
that we should engage in no business
form no ties, indulge in no pastime in
which the truth here taught would be un.
welcome. Oh. if | might only get into
YOUR hearts with nv message this morn
ing the harps of heaven would strike their
sweetest notes and angels sing their most
| ioyous sougsJ for that your have learned
this all-imDortant lesson.
First-The time is shortened in which
YOU can attend to YOUR TEMPORAL affairs.
How old are you this morning? 1t NAV
be you are strong robust and young, that
you felicitate yourself on your manly,
erect, close-knit and sinewy frame, and
you say, Il have good lease on life"
| knew such a young mana splendid
specimen of physical manhood tall.
straight, broad-shouldered athletic. He
was envied by the young men around
him. He was full of business, and in
the midst of his employments this fine
looking young fellow was stricken down
with fever and died 1t may be you are
in the meridian of life, or that you are
beyond 80 years of age, which is the
average of human life, and imagine the
immunity you have enjoyed from disease
assures you of long life, or that because
longevity has characterized your family
therefore it will obtain in your case. But
how many the exceptions to this law none
can tell. My own father lived until he
was 90 and my mother lives today at the
age of II, and yet | have lost four broth