The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-19
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
HARVEST LESSON TEACHES ONE or
LIES IMPORTANT THINGS.
A short Sermon by Rev. Frank La
PhaIen, Second Congregational SO-
ciety Gun itarian), Concord, N. H.

be pduenL therefore, brethren. Be-
mold the husbandman waiteth for the pre-
cious fruit of the earth, and hath long pa
thence for 1t, until he receive the early ana
latter rain. BE We also patient-James ",
Z, s.
The calm, peaceful splendor OF the har-
vest moon on one Of these clear Septem-
Der nights speaks to us of patience. The
ingathering at this harvest season Is elo-
quent of the patience of the husbandman
who ''waiteth for the precious fruit of the
earth, and hath long patience for it,"
This fragment of Scripture brings before
us one of the great and important lessons
of life. If there were ever time when
the exhortation to patience was needed,
that time is the present. One of the marked
characteristics of these last days OF the
nineteenth century is it's impatience its
restlessness, It's discomfort
Part of this stir and fever may be a d.
vine discomfort, healthy and helpful, but
much of it is hurtful to all the highest in
terests of human society. Everywhere there
is incessant activity to the injury OF sus-
tanned and patient reflection. A tremendous
pressure is brought to bear upon every
one, from the precious children in the nurs-
cry, kindergarten and public school, the
wives and mothers in homes, the husbands
and fathers in business and professional
lic Everybody and everything feels the ir-
resistible push and rush of this modern
spirit of high pressure. 1t seems as it the
world had conspired to drive at the highest
pitch, from the laundering express train
and ocean greyhound to the strained mus
cles and nerves of overworked men and
women
And yet, with all this hurry and worry,
this pushing and crowding, this progress in
industry and science, intelligence and civil
lization, there is latent and often visible
upon the surface of society a great world
WEAKNESS; nothing seems to satisfy
Are we not too eager, too impatient OF
conditions and results? Would it not be
well If We could add to our human rest
lessness, our thirst to be rich and power
full and distinguished the serene self-poise
and divine patience which preside over the
laws and forces of the world of nature?
And then, as our thoughts turn heaven
ward, away from the noise and fret OF
earth, what a place patience, the power to
wait and work, to endure and strive in
hope must occupy In the plans ana pur-
poses of the great God. He has to wait ana
wait and wait for this slowly moving world.
He has to endure our human follies and
plumbers and sins; and have wondered If
we understood and practiced as we should
this divine quality of patience, which must
be so fundamental in the God and Father
of all? And so this bit of Scripture comes
knocking at the door of our hearts with it's
gentle appeal, BE we patient"
is it not true OF thousands of men and
women, young and DID, that calmness and
self-poise are strangers to their feverish
lives? That there is neither steadiness nor
moral and mental equilibrium to their
thought or life? That many are overthrown
by novelties. surprises and sensations? Are
not the questions most frequently and eag-
erly put Whats new?" whats next?"
1t is an age of too much activity and not
enough thought, reflection and reverence
Men act before they consider, when they
should think first and then act. We are im-
patient of delay. We want our desires full
filled at once. We turn night into day, and
then the hours are too short for our pur-
poses. We demand the immediate estab-
Iishment of the kingdom of heaven and car
ry the plan in our pockets by which it muse
be realized. The children are in haste to be
men and women. We grow old and gray
when we should be in the freshness and
yigor of manhood and we drop into our
graves amidst the rush and roar of hur~
rying world that soon forgets us.
We would not quarrel with rational earn
estness nor let fly one dart of criticism
at those qualities of human nature which
have won all mans victories in the material,
moral and spiritual worlds. But much of
our modern fever and haste IS unnatural
and pernicious. Nature is never Impatient
The stars shine in their places with a steadi-
ness and calmness which put our bustla
and fretfulness to shame. The tides OF the
sea, the motion of the planets, the coming
of day and night all teach patience. They
are never in a hurry.
Emerson somewhere says that men CONS
out of the convention or legislature not
and impassioned, with nerves tingling and
brains whirling. and nature calmly sayss
why so hot, my little sir?"
And beyond Nature, in the unseen world
OF God, there is no haste, no crowding
to reach the best seats. 1t is all order,
system and wisdom. Our God is a patent
God He can wait 1t is only our impa-
tient humanity that cannot brook delay.
we must have things go right and have
them go right now" on the Instant.
Now. in making a plea for patience in
life and social progress, / am not advo-
eating sitting still nor preaching incidence
We read seed time and harvest shall not
fail"-yet assuredly they would fail did we
not SOW and reap. Ours is a two-fold les
son--.sI4earn to labor and to wait" Patience
is not a mere negative or passive attitude
of mind or heart. Patience calls for the
highest ideal of manliness.
Impatience is like friction in machine.
1t wears out the mechanism of life and
uses up valuable power, but yields nothings
Tt is pure waste; more than that, 1t mis-
uses and destroys power that should be-
nut to use. IL moving machine or loco
motive were to get out OF order, the way
to fit II for further use would not be to run
It at topmost speed. That would ruin 1t. The
sensible way would be TO call a halt, over
haul it and remedy the defect
So when our lives get out of harmony
with the divine ideal we ought not to think
we can mend matters by impotence and
wavwardness. That avails nothing but to
take the bloom from the cheek and the
song from the heart. We ought TO stop our
fmperfectly working vital mechanism and
oil it and readjust it in the spirit of pa
tience and hope. Impatience never wins
ANYTHING. 1t always invites disaster
suppose we were shipwrecked at sea-
that our ship was sinking and We had
10 take our chances on a raft Would
ii be wise to grow impatient with the
raft and destroy it because il is not a
stanch ship? Is it any more reasonable
for us to rebel against the misfortunes
and hard conditions of life which lie be-
x,opd otr control and to fret and fune and