The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-17
REV. c. n. sIMs's SERMON.
'.MaIxing the Most of Life" His Subject
Yesterday.

The topic of the discourse preached at
the Meridian-street N. f. Church yester-
day was Making the Most of Life"
DR.. C. n. Sims, the pastor, spoke from the
text: MAN shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceedeth out of
the mouth of Cod
The pastor sad in part: 1.-THE most diff
ficult thing for man to understand is life
itself. and how to live is his greatest prac-
tical problem. Before one can live well he
must understand the value of his endow
ments and have a sturdy determination to
make the most of them. How differently
different men will use a dollar, or an hour,
or an opportunity! One wins with them
intelligence refinement, fortune, usefulness
reputation. To another they become means
of vice and degradation. Their value is
their own worth combined with the intelli-
gence and wisdom of their possessor. There
fore bread alone is inadequate to supply
all the needed elements of life.
Most men pursue the objects which APP
Pear best to themselves, and most of those
who fail Go Sc because they do not right
ly interpret life and opportunity My peo-
pie are destroyed for lack of knowledge
knowledge of the word of God gives us that
insight into life which enables us to make
the most of 1t. The ship captain, in cross
ing the painless ocean, depends upon three
instruments all of which take cognizance
of things distant or invisible-the compass,
which points steadily to the changeless
poles, the chronometer which marks the
time of a fixed longitude and the sextant,
which gives the altitude of the sun above
the horizon of the earth. So in the voyage
of life we must have knowledge of eternal
things which lie beyond the visible and the
present, and this we find alone in every
word that prOceedeth out of the mouth of
God. The real question of where we live
cannot be answered by giving street and
number. Some live in the present alone,
thinking and acting only for the passing
hou: like the butterfly amid summer flow
ers. Others connect with the present the
great to-morrowS which Gods word and a
noble hope reveal to them. Some live in
the narrow chambers of a low SelfshnesS,
others in the broad mansions of wide hui
man sympathy and good Will. All true life
is a noble, harmonious, conscious reciprocity
between the living soul and all other things
of which 1t takes cognizance; and the word
of God reveals the basis of this reciprocity.
There is a real reciprocity between the best
and wisest people and the natural world,
animate and inanimate, about them. Said
one of our florists to lady in my hearing
recently, Don't buy any Towering plants
you do not love; they only do well for those
who dearly love them. Do not flowers re-
spond to human love IN genuine reci-
procity? Do not the birds sing for those
who listen? Last week | saw a flock mas
crowded fearlessly around him, ate out of
his hand. waited for his touch on their
heads and looked into his face with mute
affection which told CT their confidence in
him. He was TO them God, and protection.
and providence, and there was a beautiful
reciprocity between him and them which
filled his life with a quiet and noble salts
faction. He had caught the Christ love
which noted the SparrowS, and the care of
the Heavenly Father which feedeth them.
'The word of God reveals and inculcates
that reciprocity among men which devel-
ops the sweetest and best fraternity. 1t
teaches brotherhood, patience forgiveness
is the best OF life. Our inventory of the
best of passing day is not the excellence
of the dinner we ate or the quality of the
clothes we wore, nor even the number of
dollars we have made. Is it not rather the
kind word given and received, the ministra-
items of charity, the tokens of love and
row and no one greeted you with a good
morning, or passing salutation, or hear
ty word Of cheer. you would return to your
house at night more unhappy than IT it
had burned down with no insurance on it,
The love which Gods word teaches toward
our brother. brings us into closer relation
''The word Of God leads us into sacred
reciprocity with himself This is not ir-
| reVerent. There is reciprocity between the
great sun and the morning dewdrop which
flashes back it's image, between that same
sun and the plant that opens its leaves to
receive his life Of warmth and light. So is
there Icetween God and those who live by
His word. The Savior said: Abide in me
and l in you. He says, again: Behold, /
stand at the door and knock. If any man
Will open the door | will come in and sup
with him and he with me- God permits man
to enter into reciprocal relations with Him
as Il child with its father, and in that re-
latiCn to be happy and safe. The joy and
value of life are in our harmonious recipro-
cal relations with nature, with humanity
with Goa: and this reciprocity Is found in
hearing and obeying every word that pro-
ceCdetn out of the mouth or GOD.