Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1898-03-18


the Title ct nr. Hepuorth's sermon in
the New York Her,ld-Dr. Talmage
on irving i.ife's Journey over Again.
INorE: The onr-ihou~and-ioliar prize
for the best sermon In the Mex York Her
aids competition MAS won by Rev Richard
e.. Woodbridge. pastor ol the Central Con-
grcgaIional Church Middlchoro. Mass.
The Power OF Gcntlcuos~ was the title 81
Mr.. Woodhridge's sermon. Fifteen sermons
in all appeared in the Herald 5 CON p'iltiNe
series.
tent: "Sunlcirnt unIo th" daN.iS th' rvH
thereof. Matthew yi, -.
Here is a biz Of philosophy too profound
10 be appreciated without careful aud con
tinuous study. II also contains stern IN
junction not TO WORRY over what cannot he
helped, hut. on the other hand. 10 make tn"
best OF YOUR circumstances. You are COM
manded to let the past 20 its way into the
land OF forSetlulness and not 10 borrow
from the future the Hubles W men you rear
it may contain, but 10 live in the present n
far a. possible. II j. a command very dlt-
hcult to obey. and Vet obedience j. ahso-
LATELY necessary If yuG would ger OUT OF HE
all that God has put into il.
The man who has vivid remembrance OF
his past troubles and who rnerlshrS that
memory deliberately throws gloom over
his present. II he will conIlh" himself 10
the DUTY of the moment he will generally
find that he is quite equal Ia 1t. but II he
collects all ne misviics of yesterday and ot
the day before aud adds them To the bur
dCns of to-day he becomes diSheartened,
aud his dIscouragrmcn; ~aps his moral
strength and produces moral weakness.
You have enough to 90 TO face what is i'm
mcdintcly before YOU, and if YOU com lure up
the ghosts OF misdeeds and of trials which
have been ouilived YOU do Yourself seri-
Gus injury aud interfere with your spiritual
or business success.
In like manner. if you think you can
master to-day's work. but dampen your
ardor by wondering how you are going to
get through tomorrow You produce "A
nervous tension which Gehiiitates and
brings about the very failure that YOU
dread. E0 mUu eau carry more than or
day at Il time. When Jesus asks you not
10 attempt to do so He gives you wise
counsel. and You had better follow the ad-
vice. Lii" j. not 80 smooth that you can
afford to make it rouGhpr 10y recalling the
bad roads over which you have already
passed or anticipating the bad roads over
which You will have to pass before the end
ul the Journey il reached. You may be
cheerful. and therefore strong. if you will
forget the things that are behind and let
the future take care Of itself: but If you
propose to add yesterday and tomorrow
to to-day you will add what God warns you
against doing, and will certainly make u
great mistake.
Ii the sun shines now. he grateful and
contcntcd. suppose il Gid rain yesterday,
or suppose We are 10 have a blizzard to-
morrow You have got hey oud the rain on
the one hand. and. on the other. the
time has not come to meet the blizzard. 1t
Il foolish tp }. "A NauTSplf niGpTu hlp
because NcU were miserable a few days
hence. one duty. one labor at time is
quite enough. II there is any enjoyment
to be had. take it with an eager grasp; for
il YOU sit in the warm sunshine for only
five minutes it hclps.you bear the cold Of
the next five minutes 1t is poor policy to
spoil those first five minutes by worrying
about the other five minutes.
Let me illustrate. There is nothing in
connection with death more wearing than
| the regret that you did not DO more for the
one who has gone. This is II universal eX-
! pcrirnce with those who have any heart
! The tact Of separation seems to have a
! magic in il, for it is suddenly revealed to
you that there were many little attentions
| which You failed to render, and the remem.
branrc pierces like II knife. No one ever
partcd with 4 loved one without self blame
| OF that kind.
But Ns a general thing it is all an Illusion
| cOniurrd up by overweight nerves. IL
very truth yOu did whatever the circum
stances suggested. you did a. much rs hu
man nature is capable of doing, but in tn,
| presence of death you accuse yourself o
things of which you are quite innocent an,
in dong so you make the parting harder t
bear. 1t may be well for the dear one tina
he has gone. He has sweet sleep for tn,
first time in many months. He is glad tina
the bonds Of mortality are broken, that h,
is at last released. and in the lower depth
of your own heart YOU are also glad for hi
sake. Bat there comes this thOrny thought
that You may have been remiss, and you
soul is wrunS by it.
You do yourself a wrong. You did wha
you could. You We're loving, tender, gent
and more than kind. You have real burden
enough without adding imaginary ones
Your tears must not he embittered by Il
accusation which has no basis in fact Lii
is too precious and too short to be waste
in regrets of that kind. The duties of tn
future demand your close attention, an
you have no right to think of the dead eN
ceIt to recall Il sweet relationship and t
dream of n reunion.
Live your life as quietly and rs peace
fully as possible. live in each day is
comes. Other days, whether past or future
must not be allowed to press on your heart
This is the nobieSt policy you can adopt
the policy which cones to you as u diyn
Injunction. Let neither regret nor an
ticipatiOn intrude upon you to make yol
weak.
1t is evident that there is a plan accord
ing to which your life is arranging itself
and equally evident that if you are repose
full and trustfuI, doing the duty of tn
present hour and not fretting over tn
duty of the next hour, you are in menta
condition which keeps all your powers a
their best.
1t is the Srandest privilege to feel tina
there is Il God. II guardian of human DIES
tiny, and that you are in His hands. l
that conviction is one of your possessions
your pearl Of great price, YOU can be quie
even in the midst of tumult and cheerful il
the midst of sorrow, for your very tear
will serve as Il background for the rainboy
of hope and promise.
GEORGE II, HEPWORTH