Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-03-23

SOur Yesterdays and Our To-morrOws" -
the Title of DIR. Hepworth's Sermon in
the New York Herald-Dr. Talmage
on Trying Life's Journey Over Again.
[NoTE: The one-thousand-dollar prize
for the best sermon in the New York Her
AIDS competition was won by Rev. Richard
G. Woodbridge pastor of the Central Con-
gregational Church, Middleboro, Mass.
1.-The Power of Gentleness" was the title OF
Mr.. Woodbridge's sermon. Fifteen sermons
in all appeared in the Herald's competitive
series.l
TEXT: Sufficient unto the day Is the evil
thereof."-Matthew vi, "a.
Here is a 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
it may contain, but to live in the present as
far as possible. 1t is a command very diff
flcult to obey, and yet obedience is abso-
lutely necessary If you would get out OF life
all that God has put into it.
The man who has a vivid remembrance of
his past troubles and who cherishes that
memory deliberately throws gloom over
his present. If he will confine himself to
the duty of the moment he will generally
find that he is quite equal to it, but if he
collects all the miseries of yesterday and of
the day before and adds them to the bur-
dens of to-day he becomes disheartened,
and 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 if you con jure up
the ghosts of misdeeds and of trials which
have been outlived you do yourself seri-
Gus I'M ury 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 prolu a
nervous tension which debilitatss and
/ brings about the very failure I'll At you
| dread. No man can carry more tn IN one
! day at a time. When Jesus asks III not
| to attempt to do so He gives YOU wise
| counsel, and you had better follow le ad-
| vice. Life is not so smooth that you can
| afford to make it rougher by recalling the
| bad roads over which you have all eady
| passed or anticipating the bad roads over
| which you will have to pass before the ,nd
/ of the journey is reached. You NAV be
cheerful, and therefore strong. If you will
| forget the things that are behind and iet
/ 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 a
| great mistake.
! contented. suppose it did rain yesterday
or suppose we are to have a 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 a few days
| hence. One duty, one labor at time is
| quite enough. If there is any enjoyment
to be had, take it with an eager grasp; for
il you sit in the warm sunshine for only
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 universal ex
perience with those who have any heart
The fact of separation seems to have q
magic in it, for it is suddenly revealed tc
you that there were many little attentions
which you failed to render, and the remem.
brance pierces like a knife. No one ever
parted with loved one without self-blame
of that kind.
But as a general thing it is all an illusion
conjured up by overwrought nerves. In
very truth you did whatever the circum
stances suggested. you did as much as hu
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 tC
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 depth:
of your own heart you are also glad for hi:
sake, But there comes this thorny thought
that you may have been remiss, and YOU
soul is wruDg by it.
You do yourself wrong. You did what
, You could. You were loving, tender, gentle
and more than kind. You have real burden:
enough without adding imaginary ones
Your tears must not be embittered by al
accusation which has no basis in fact. Lif,
is too precious and too short to be wasted
in regrets of that kind. The duties of tn,
| future demand your close attention, ant
you have no right to think of the dead ex
, cept to recall a sweet relationship and t.
dream of "A reunion.
Live your life as quietly and rs peace
= fully as possible. Live in each day as i
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 comes to you as q divin
Injunction. Let neither regret nor an
ticipation intrude upon you to make yoI
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 tn
present hour and not fretting over tn
uutS oi the next iour, YOU are III mchto
l., condition which keeps all your powers a
their best.
l. II is the grandest privilege to feel tina
l. there is a God, a guardian of human des
;. tiny, and that you are in His hands. l
:. that conviction is one of your possessions
your pearl of great price, YOU can be quie
6 even in the midst of tumult and cheerful i
Il the midst of sorrow, for your very tear
. will serve as background for the rainboy
Of hope and promise.
: GEORGE H. HEPwoRTH.
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