Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-03-30
SERMONS OF THE DAY

"Peace in the Soul'' Is the Title Of the
Rev. George H. Hepworth's Sermon.
Preached I'm the New 'rk Herald's
Columns-An Address by ID. L. Moody.
.sFor the kingdom Of God is joy and
peace.''-Romans xiv, II.
The Bible is the most practical book IL
the world. There is very little theology in
it-not as much as some people think-but
a great many inspired bits Of advice as to
the conduct of every day life, as though
the writer loved the men and women who
would read his word and was actuated by
no other motive than to help them over
rough places. For this reason the Book
has maintained its hold on mankind. 1t is
friendly, kindly and encouraging, book
not to be read through at a sitting, but
to be taken up at odd times and glanced
at just as you would look at handful OF
jewels for a moment and then put them
away.
I have noticed that 1t makes many, very
many references to peace and joy--not the
peace OF a nation, that busy peace In which
we compete for personal gain, but the
peace Of the heart which creates content
ment and keeps the soul in poise and
equilibrium; the peace which makes a man
feel that everything will come out right in
the end because nothing can come out
wrong when God is guiding our affairs. 1t
is once spoken OF In very extreme lam
standing" like the peace which a sensitive
soul enjoys when it gazes on a magnificent
landscape, or like that which the lover OF
music has when he Is listening to some su-
perb orchestra. or like that which moth
er has when she is sitting by the cradle OF
analysed, but is so deep and strange that
no one can describe it to person who has
not felt it.
1 am talking to myself as well as to you
when say that we could get great deal
more out OF life il we were more reposeful.
We expend to much energy on trivial
things, things so unimportant that it does
not matter greatly how they go. We allow
ourselves to be disturbed by small matters,
whereas the soul is big enough to look on
them with Indifference. We keep ourselves
In a condition of nervous tension, which Is
not simply hurtful to the body but equally
so to the spiritual nature. Body and soul
are so closely related that over excitement
of the one seems to throw the other off its
balance. You and 1 cannot be at out best
until we are tranquil in heart with that
kind Of tranquility which rests on the firm
basis of faith that the angels of God are
looking after our interests and trying to
persuade us to take the right road to heaven.
There is just an atom Of insanity in US, and
when we grow restless that atom Is famed
into a flame. The truly sane man is the
quiet souled man. 1 say, therefore, since
Christianity teaches a man to be quiescent,
that the Christian religion will both make
US sane and keep us so.
When crossing the ocean recently on
ship ran into a storm. The sea was yer,
rough, the fog closed in on all sides, and
we had an uncomfortable time. The waves
were in an ugly mood, and on two or three
occasions swept the deck. l enjoyed 1t as
little as did the other passengers and should
have been grateful for a ray of sunshine.
But that was not to be thought of. Sup
pose l had taken on myself the RESPONSE
bility of the situation. The captain was on
the bridge night and day. but suppose
had allowed myself to wonder whether he
knew his business, and had offered him ad-
vice as to the conduct of the vessel. Would
that have allayed the tempest, would it
have stiiled the troubled waters, would it
have kept the ship from rolling uneasily?
l should not only have done no good, but
should have interfered to my own detri-
ment. My duty was to keep on nv feet as
best could, not to go beyond my province
as a passenger. to bear in mind that the
captain had passed safely through a thou
sand worse storms and was showing no
anxiety about this one. If I had faith in
the master of the craft there was no need
to be afraid. Any doubt as to his ability
would at once create havoc OF mind and
body. My duty was to keep still and to
cherish the conviction that all would be
well in a few hours.
Now the spiritual difficulty we encounter
after all there may not be a God, or, II
there is that He is not equal to the emer-
gency. That rankest Of all heresies lies at
the foundation of our religious restless
ness. We may as well face this fact and
govern ourselves accordingly. The man
who does not cheerfully meet his fate has
a lurking doubt Of Gods existence. He
may deny it to Others but he must needs
admit it to himself He may accept the
longest creed that was ever written and be
orthodox in all the details of his professed
belief, but IL you could find your way into
his heart of hearts you would discover that
his faith in God is II social or ecclesiastical
luxury, and as such is worth very little.
Did Christ have any doubt that Il legion
of angels would minister unto Him in His
necessity. Can you conceive of Him as
sitting at the window of His friends house
in Bethany on the night before the cruci-
flxion and wondering il He could go
through the next days experience? On
the contrary, He was self-possessed, even
cheerful, and II the opportunity to avoid
the cross had been offered He would not
have used It. He knew that the Father was
there, that the Father would be with Him,
and that the cruel nails could not pain Him
30 much as doubt Of that Fathers love-
We cannot follow that example except in
a far-off way. He said Thy will be done
without a tremor but we can say it with a
tremor. The highest excellence is repose,
truthful repose Of soul, but you cannot be
self-possessed until you know that you are
possessed of God. The essence Of religion
Is the souls consciousness that as its day
so shall be its strength; that God and you
can do anything and bear anything. After
that you will be at peace, quiescent and
acluiescent. He who has hold of God 8
hand and knows it is the most cheerful
soul this side of Heaven.
GEORGE H. HEpwoRTH.