The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-02
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
THE TURNING OF ANOTHER Leaf
SOME NEW YEAR THOUGHTS.
A Short Sermon by the Rev T.. II. Arch
ibaId, ID. d., Pastor of First Bap-
fist Church, MiddIebury, VT.

1
chronicle. From this point on each page
| is blank. The earlier leaves are all num-
| bered and filled; these We can look over,
| cleaning comfort and encouragement and
stimulus from the good recorded there and
from the i'll learn what to avoid. With the
| failures to serve as warnings the triumphs
| and successes to give us new heart. we
press on to better things in the new oppor-
tunties before us. We arc through with
the past. save as it has contributed to our
experience, which shall serve US in the days
to come-in this way it has a value to us
still; so utilized, our future will be better
than our past
Another year of life, Another milestone
reached. We stand on the threshold OF
| 1885, Our new resolutions are launched and
| set adrift to battle with the adverse winds
and buffeting waves Of habit and circum-
stance. Some will perish in the breakers.
| some be wrecked upon the rocks, but, in
the words of a great thinker, Those who
try to do something and fail are infinitely
| better than those who try to do nothing
and succeed" Longinus said, ''In great at
| tempts it is glorious even to fall" and we
might well parody an old saying thus Bet
ter to have tried and failed than never to
have tried at ALL
AS matter of fact, however, we by no
means fail in all; each effort made is an
| advance. Provided our purpose was earnest
and the struggle honest, what matters it if
we do disappoint ourselves in part, or what
if we are sometimes laughed at for making
and breaking our good resolutions?" Is it
not better to have made and kept some,
though others be broken, than TO have
made none at all? BY effort, whether who'll
ly successful or not, even by failure as well
as by achievement, do we grow in power
and $50 from strength to strength
That our endeavor in every department OF
life should. at the beginning of each new
year, be something higher, better larger
| than before is none the less important be-
cause it is a trite and well-worn principle.
or because it has heretofore met with such
poor result. Sustained effort is as neces-
sary to successful accomplishment as is
food to continued life.
And what is your life?" What is 1t TO
us to live? Our text gives us a rule to work
by, that we may really live, in the highest
and noblest sense. Here we have a COM
mand, a prohibition and the reason and
result of both. Take it in its most literal.
everyday sense. The man who does his
work well gets plenty to do and makes a
living; the thiftless worker scarce keeps
body and soul together.
Viewed from a sanitary standpoint, IT is
he who takes proper care of the body and
its surroundings that enjoys healthfu life
to the full. Those who pay no heed to their
physical Well-being sicken and die, or at
best drag out a miserable existence that is
not living" So, with reference to morals,
there are many forms of evil which in
themselves destroy life, forfeiting not only
the right, but the power to live. Natural
laws working out their natural results, it is
true that 1.-The wicked does not live out half
his days"
This of simple existence. But "to live
is not all of life I'VE live in deeds not
years" ''Time wasted is existence; used,
is life" II count life just a stuff to try
he souls strength on, educe the man.
All these imply that life is something
more than meat Simply refraining from
evil is not enough, for life is not state
of passivity but Of activity. Seek good"
IS not he who commits no murder that
), but he who carries life to others; not
who steals not but he who gives OF
worldly store, good will and sympathy; not
he who takes not the name of the Lord in
vain, but he who obeys Him: not he who
hates not, but he who loves with a love
that suffereth long, that endureth all things
and never faileth; not he who bears not
false witness but he who speaks charitably
of every erring and fallen one.
Years may come and years may go, but
this better life is not measured by length
of days. He does not live longest or best
who simply lives and let's live 1t is he
who helps others to live. There is no
worthier life indeed there is no other
real life, than that which consists in rails
ing to a higher plane not only ourselves
but those about US.
ST am the bread of life" said Christ If
this be true then life must be something
different from the clothes we wear, the
food we eat, the books, the pictures and
houses we possess. Only the food our sys-
TENS assimilate benefits us, and only so
much of Christs life and work is OF use
to us as we can put into action in our own
lives. Many seem not to realize that
Christ's principal work while ne sojourned
on earth was doing good-adding to the
pleasure of guests, comforting sorrow,
counseling the thoughtful but uncertain.
raising the fallen healing the sick, and
showing to all the way of life immortal.
In this practical age when living" to
so many means simply getting a living"
the first step toward true living is to recog-
nize that this other is not living. Not that
the body is OF no importance-it is neces-
sarily the first care, but not the only one.
1t should be considered only as the fitting
temple of a worthy guest, the soul. 1t is
not the eternal abiding place of that soul.
and this divine guest should be diligently
cared for and prepared for "a house not
made with hands eternal in the heavens"
What we spend on the temple to build
and repair and ornament it may all be law
full and wise; but this work viii perish
with the temple while the efforts put forth
to cultivate and strengthen and beautify
the temples guest will go with that guest
to another world. Genuine work alone.
what thou workest faithfully, that Is
eternal"
This true life will not come upon US UNI
awares mo man becomes a saint in his
Sleep" Only active effort viii make it pos
sible TO overcome evil with good" This
doing good is not q pastime but business;
for unless it is done thoughtfully and falth-
fully it will produce no true living. Life
is dear to all, but how many of US pass
through a long period OF years without
pausing 10 consider whether We have really
lived a day-without asking ourselves
whether the guest, our soul. is given room
to expand.
We boast much and justly Of the material
sronrox-en,ents If the nineteenth century