The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-01-03
CHURCH OF TIE REDEEMER
ABLE SERMON BY III Il PASTOR. REV.
". L. PHILLIPS, LAST NIGHT.

-" +opaSt "Atht va 1oVos AAhiCly
Suggestions for the New year-Special
Music Rendered by the Choir--A Large
Number of Persons Received Into Mem
bership."
At the Church Of the Redeemer last
night the pastor, Rev. Dr. Watson L.
Phillips. preached an able sermon en-
the topic What Of 1882" Many time
ly suggestions for the new year were
made. There was large attendance.
A special musical programme was rem
dered by the church choir.
The following persons were yesterday
received into the church: On confession
of faith. Mrs. Mary Susan Brewster and
Mr.. William S. Lewis; by certificate,
Mr.. Solomon Davis, Mrs Joanna r.
Davis. Miss Caroline M. Davis and
Miss Helen II. Davis, from the First
Orthodox Congregational church in
Somerville, Mass; DR.. r. A. MELON
nell and Mrs. Lillian May Mcdonnell.
from the Howard avenue Congregation
al church. New Haven.
Dr. Phillips spoke from the following
text: Psalms 90:12. $50 teach us to
number our days. that we may get us
heart of wisdom.
He said in part:
This psalm has been so long associa-
ted with funerals that to many people
1t is somber and unwelcome; but 1t Is
really psalm of life Offering many
valuable and pertinent suggestions as
to the best way to live.
Light is thrown upon the text by
passage from another song:
Lord, make me to know mine end,
And the measure Of my days, what it
is;
Let me know how frail I am.
Behold, thou hast made my days as
handbreadths;
And mine age is as nothing before
thee"
The idea seems to be to impress us
with the shortness Of life and the value
of life that we may be inclined to live
wisely. The comparison usually In the
minds of the scripture writers is be-
tween man and God, He is from ever
lasting to everlasting: we bring our
years to an end as tale that is told"
AS Sound" or Sigh"
But the number Of ones days is of
small Importance; long life may be
short in all essential particulars.
Fourscore years may be Tabor and sor-
row." and even then "it is soon cut off,
and we fly away" No greater disaster
could befall us than to know the exact
number Of our years. Such knowledge
would make us fearful, or discouraged
or reckless, and every night would
bring increase Of sadness For none Of
to wish to leave this world, and we
ought not This is now our place, our
work and relations and opportunities
are here. Our present business is to
make the best possible record, and to
get out Of the world and give to the
world all we can that Is of real value;
this Is the best way to prepare for an
other world. Jesus bade men regard
themselves as pilgrims watching for the
end and the coming of the Lord, with
loins girded and lamps trimmed; but he
also bade them, while waiting, to at
tend to the business of life, and said
Blessed are those servants who, when
their Lord cometh, he shall find so do
ing."
But a proper consideration Of the fact
that our time is limited should cause us
\ to get heart Of wisdom. Such con-
sideration will:
/. Prevent waste of time, opportunity,
power. Waste is one of the worst
things about US; poverty often comes
from mere waste. But the waste of
what is of more value than material
things brings most distress; of chances
for development and for helpfulness, of
the forces with which we are to work
here by applying them to uses lower
than were intended. Suppose loco
motive engineer, instead of using the
- L., H. a. Ne r.ka
draw his train and reach his destina-
ton, were to employ 1t in freshening
the grass along the track, what would
be thought Of his sanity, But it is in
precisely that way that men are squan-
dering the forces Of brain, of nerve, Of
will, of affection upon low and common
ends
Selfishness Is always waste; men dc
not think So, they still have a notion that
seffshness, If it is only shrewd enough
is profitable But there really is nc
greater waste because it runs counter
to one Of Gods great laws, give and ii
shall be given unto you" That law OF
reciprocity you find everywhere; selfish
ness loses the increase to which men
are entitled by this law, and would get
If they would give.
g. Such consideration would make us
diligent, using the fleeting days to the
best advantage. The diligent man will
get more out OF one day than the lazy
procrastinating man will get out OF
many days. But the diligent man is
not always the busy man in the COM
mon meaning of that word; he SO d.
: vides his time and plans his work that
he is always master and gains for him,
self time for more than routine tasks
and does his work easily.
g. 1t would give proper sense OF
perspective, proportion and value
Much that we busy ourselves with and
distress ourselves about Is not worth
while. 1t is not worth while to lay uI
money for ones heirs. and the lawyers
at the sacrifice Of all the beauty an6
Joy of living; it is not worth while tc
slave and drudge. 1t is not worth whiel
of course, to be improvident and make
no provision for the rainy day, ''tak.
Ing the risk of becoming charge upor
the Industrious; but the right number,
ing of our days will teach us that heart
mind, soul, life, knowledge, peace, love
are Infinitely more than real estate OF
personal property.
A. 1t will cause us 20 be wisely ant
lovingly careful In our relations to 9th.