Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-04-14
SERMONS OF THE DAY.
RELIGIOUS TOPICS DISCUSSED BY
PROMINENT AMERICAN MINISTERS.

| rOur Yesterdays and Our To-morrOws" is
the Title of DIR. Hepworth's Sermon in
the New York Herald-Dr. Talmage
on Trying LIES Journey Over Again.
MOTE: The one-thousand-dollar prize
for the best sermon In the New York Her
AIDS competition was won by Rev. Richard
q. Woodbridge, pastor of the Central Con-
gregational Church, Middleboro, Mass.
"The Power Of Gentleness' was the title OF
Mr.. Woodbridge's sermon. Fifteen sermons
| in all appeared in the Herald's competitive
scries.]
TEXT: Sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof. Matthew vi, "a.
Here is bit of philosophy too profound
to be appreciated without careful and con-
tinuous study. 1t also contains stern in
junction not to worry over what cannot be
helped, but, on the other hand, to make the
best OF your circumstances. You are com :
manded to let the past go its way into the
land OF forgetfulness, and not to borrow
from the future the troubles which you fear
1t may contain, but to live in the present as
lar as possible. 1t is command very diff
hcult to obey, and yet obedience is abso-
lutely necessary IL you would get out of life
oil that God has put into it.
The man who has vivid remembrance of
MS past troubles and who cherishes that
memory deliberately throws gloom over
his present. II he will conflne himself to
find that he is quite equal to it, but If he
collccts all the miseries Of yesterday and of
the day before and adds them to the bur-
dens of to-day he becomes disheartened,
ana his encouragement saps his moral
strength and produces moral weakness.
You have enough to do to face what is i'm
mediately before you, and il you conjure up
the ghosts of misdeeds and of trials which
have been outlived you do yourself a seri-
GUS injury and 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 q
nervous tension which debilitates and
brings about the very failure that you
dread. No man can carry more than one
day at time. When Jesus asks YOU not
to attempt to do so He gives you wise
counsel, and you had better follow the ad-
vice. Life is not so smooth that you can
afford to make it rougher by 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
of the journey is reached. You may be
cheerful, and therefore strong. IL 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 n
great mistake.
II the sun shines now, be grateful and
.ontented. Suppose 1t did rain yesterday
or suppose we are to have blizzard to-
morrow. You have got beyond the rain on
the one hand, and, on the other, the
time has not come to meet the blizzard 1t
Is foolish to make yourself miserable now
because you were miserable few DAYS
hence. One duty, one labor at time is
quite enough. If there is any endowment
to be had, take it with an eager grasp; for
An CT in I'm la, g..
five minutes it helps 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-
perience with those who have any heart.
The fact of separation seems to have
magic in it, for it is suddenly revealed to
you that there were many little attentions
which you failed to render and the remem-
brance pierces like u knife. No one ever
parted with loved one without self blame
of that kind.
But as a general thing it is all an illusion
coDjured up by overwrought nerves. In
very truth you did whatever the circum-
stances suggested, you did as much as hui
man nature is capable of doing, but in the
presence of death you accuse yourself of
things of which you are quite innocent, and
in doing so you make the parting harder to
bear. 1t may be well for the dear one that
he has gone. He has sweet sleep for the
first time in many months. He is glad that
the bonds of mortality are broken, that he
is at last released. and In the lower depths
OF your own heart you are also glad for his
sake. Bat there comes this thorny thought,
that you may have been remiss, and your
soul is wrung by it.
You do yourself wrong. You did what
cQnl6 lnvipfp Ia
and more than kind. You have real burdens
enough without adding imaginary ones
Your tears must not be embittered by an
accusation which has no basis in fact Life
Is too precious and too short to be wasted
In regrets OF that kind. The duties OF the
future demand your close attention, and
you have no right to think Of the dead ex-
cept to recall sweet relationship and to
dream OF a reunion.
Live your life as quietly and rs peace
fully as possible. Live in each day as it
comes. Other days, whether past or future
must not be allowed to press on your heart.
This is the noblest policy you can adopt,
the policy which con- es to you as a divine
Injunction. Let neither regret nor an
ticipation intrude upon you to make you
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 trustful, doing the duty of the
present hour and not fretting over the
duty of the NEXT hour, you are in a mental
condition which keeps all your powers at
their best.
1t is the grandest privilege to feel that
there is God, Il guardian OF human des-
tiny, and that you are in His hands. II
that conviction is one Of your possessions,
your pearl Of great price, you can be quiet
even in the midst of tumult and cheerful in
the midst of sorrow, for your very tears
will serve rs background for the rainbow
of hope and promise.
GEORGE II. HEpwoRTH.