Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1898-02-24
OUR WEEKLY SERMONS.
PREPARED ESPECIALLY FOB
THE FAMILY PRESIDE.
"Four Anchors is the fitie OF the Tl.ir-
teenth sermon in the New York
Herald. Competitive >eri.s-Dr. Tai
mare Preac,e. a Sermon to sisters.

stern.'-A"tS xvii :"
The svmboli-nt of the text i striking and
suggestive. Many Hives have been ship
wrecked for the need .; anchors holdlng
them 10 etcadfH-tue-@ However deep We
NAV feelthe waters 70 he through wbi'h We
are sailing. We are often nearer the -neais
and reefs than Is imagined.
The first anchor which alorilI b1 thrown
out Is nyelness II purpose. The inner
most enrret IF successful lives i in the
concentrated OF power along certain de-
finite Zines. Pau SAYS. This one thing l
do, and the world viii ever do him rev.
erence. DR.. Hudson Tay Tor says. This
one thing / 40" and China f. opened as
never before to higher ideals and larger
visions Of life. The Larl Of Shaftesbury
says, This one thing | do, and he goes
down to the HDlb0rn yiaIuct. in London.
and the hootblacks AID hucksters and
street arabs and costermongers are trans
formed. The great names inart. In science,
in philosophy and in finance are always
Identified with pain and purpose. Life is
power, but power undirectel IS lost. Only
constant striking on the same spot makes
an impression. PnrpOSe connects and
unifes our months and years and makes OF
them all but parts or Il single whole. Zach
day ought to be a link tempered and
welded into the chain of a completed life.
Three-f0urtha Of mems failures may be
attributed - the lack Of purpose. The
~ a. ~ no. l
a plan: how much Jess can Il human life be
fashioned without 4 conception Of what
1t will be when finished PlanmUst preceue
construction: the ideal before the realiZa-
ton, the purpose before the accomplish
ment. Only the man who ain- will strike
the mark. Turn Eo3tr life into Il definite
channel; let It not cover too much terri
! tory, for il Is the deeply flowing stream
which cuts away the distractions and at
last reaches the sea, while the stream
which spreads itself in shalloWness goes
silently into the swamp-lanI and its life
is ended. The analyst. Of every completed
life reveals a central point about which
energy and emotion and devotion cluster
themselves.
But purpose to exert its influence must
be accompanied ~ perseverance, so east
out the second anchor. Here Is q. vast diff
ference between the aim and the accom-
pIisl,ntnt, Perseverance is the bending
Ofthe bow 10 send the shaft at the target.
and the bow is the. Will. II will fight it
out On this line if It takes all GUNNER. =
says the great general. That is the spirit
which conquerS. osooner have our plans
been drafted or Our purpose fixed than cir
ctlmstauccS AMI difficulties seem to COLI
splre to defeat and ruin them. Many aman
has seen his star in the east. but only here
and there has one been Possessed Of the
courage and devotion to follow it over an
unbeat"n path until it lea him t. his treas
lre. 1t i blood eHrn"-tne~- which tells.
The man who is ever unconscious Of defeat
is he who some day will plant his standard
upon the enemies ramparte and win the
day. lie who holds on in the face of the
storm, III spite Of ACCOMPLISHMENTS, calmly
suffering temporary delays, il he who final
~ secures hio.crDNn and his reward. Shall
we comp lain Of difficulties when q thou
sand fingers are pointing at wonderful.
achievements, made after overcoming ire
mendOus obstacles? Helen KciIar, withou,
sight, without hearing. without language
presses on until She passes the entrance
examinations to Harvard University. JOhI
Bunyan, the drunken tinker Of Bedford
rises to the authorship Of '.pilgrim's Prog
ress. It is half -hcartedness which fails
but the doing with thy might which sue
ceedS. Before Il determined will and
passionate devotion men will stand asid
ard let yoH~ pass-they cannot help it: diff
rulties Will vanish they cannot withstan.
you; obstruction will he c~rushcd-thei
puny strength deserts thtn.
Then, ia order to make perseverance
possible, anchor the third. Faith in one
self. Too often the estimate Of our powe
falls far sttort Of what it really is. Emer
sons word. "Iru-t myself. carries with i
a true philosophy, foro may lot achiev
until there i Il firm belief III ones ow
0 II We rate our ideal at 100 and or
power at fifty the accomplishment Will j
but one-haif. The great Grim" men com
NH against themselves Is not III ONtrtIUg
: ing, but III under Judging. Nv self-ss
limitations determine the extent of II.
achievement. And what right has mai
: born i'll the image Of God. with unanOw
and undeveloped powers staining before
| hidden future. to measure and to.circuu
scribe his capabilities ana to limit his pos
, sihltltirs OF success in the construction {
q life? Only God may measure man. foronl
y God know the height the indiTitual ma
u reach. Men who tu-day are almost mea.
y nrelese in their intellectual sweep are the
" VIC have not dared with corpa- and III
= to set their bounds. This is NOS concei
bur i resi- poet f0rthc Untouched. undream,
: OF potency Of Your own soul. 50 tilrl
believe not only in your Ideal, but in &
possibility OF realizing il.
And then the fourth anchor. faith in Co
We may imagine Paul a- tire last anchor
thrown ont calling to the sailors. Me
does it hotdt" aud the answer comin. bac
Yes: the rope is taut: W DO not see Il
- ledge down below the waves. but Il
= anchor holds" Al. that i the blessed I
perlenre of lifc: this anchor always sras
the solid rock. the unseen rock Of Go
FAITH connects man with Omnirotenc
Faith isthe conductor which places at o
: disposal divine grace and power. This
the testimony Of every child Of faith.
4 can do allthins- through Him. This
the power not orr " which NAV be ii
propriated. And there are times when t
safety oftAe Whole Life depends upen tt
anchor. The anchor OF purpose may
4 disiodsed an" tlung nigh upon the shore
storm and tempest: the anchor Of per-
: verance may he worn away ny the frettir
tide and the cutting sands. the anchor
lalth may snap In twain in some feari
crisis "h'n the strain i great and the hes
~sick, hut away ucS~" .-alow tha epo-ai
SHOWS - passion and te1ptsti.n re.
80 anchor offaith embedded III the lie;
cfGod. 50 let us live with anotIe purpc
worthy the patient enieayor ana unfalt
ing devotion we hestov upon il. mindful
our own undiscovered resources and no
ing fastto the night If God.
Rev. CHA2fys ATWOOD CAMPREII.
Fist Presbyterian Church. Providence. Il
CNp rlot