The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-01-12
e ALMAGE'S SERMON.
"a NEW YEARS oREETlNGn
s5fa THE SUBJECT.

ss - II ~ E.W 4{s$sY EAK = f& Ok EE TlNO,'yI
THE SUBJECT.
Verse s, Follows: How Old Art
Thou?' Some Lessons from Life.
The Egyptian capital was the focus
OF the worlds wealth. In ships and
barges there had been brought to It
from India frankincense and CHINA
mon and ivory and diamonds; from
the north, marble and iron; from Sy-4
ria, purple and silk; from Greece some
( OF the finest horses of the world, and
some Of the most brilliant chariots;
and from all the earth that which
could best please the eye, and charm
I the ear and crafty the taste. There
We're temples aflame with red sand
stone, entered by the gateways that
We're guarded by pillars bewildering
u with hieroglyphics and wound with
Y brazen serpents and adorned wilh
winged creatures their eyes and
beaks and pinions glittering with pre-
cious stones. There were marble coll
umns blooming into white fowerbeds;
there We're stone pillars, at the top
bursting into the shape of the lotus
when in full bloom -sna*,9( ~
Along the avenues, lined with sphinx
and fame and obelisk, there were
8 princes who came in gorgeously up
holstered palanquins, carried by SER
wants in scarlet or elsewhere drawn
by vehicles the snow-white horses,
golden bltted, and six abreast, dashing
at full run. On floors o. mosaic the
glories OF Pharaoh where spelled out
IN letters of porphyry and beryl and
3 lame. There were ornaments twisted
from the wood of tamarisk, embossed
with silver breaking into foam. There
We're footstools made out of single
precious stone. There were beds fash
Toned out of a crouched lion in bronze.
Inere were chairs spotted with the
81 sleek hides Of leopards., There were
sofas footed with the claws of wild
beasts, and armed with the beaks
/ OF birds. AS you stand on the level
peacn or the sea on a summer day,
and look either way, and there are
miles. of breakers, white with the
ocean foam, dashing shoreward, so it
seemed as If the sea of the worlds
pomp and wealth in the Egyptian cap
1tal for miles and miles flung itself up
into white breakers of marble temple,
mausoleum and obelisk .1-1 ,As~.}s@s. =,
1t was to this capital and the palace
or Pharaoh fhof ha r0o ~ CHI
nerd, came to meet his son Joseph,
who had become prime minister in the
royal apartment. Pharaoh and Jacob
met, dignity and rusticity, the grace
1ulness Of the court and the plain
manners of the field The king, want
Ing to make the old countryman at
& ease, and seeing how white his beard
IS and how feeble his step, looks IA
mll1arly into his face and says to the
aged man: How old art thou ?"
Last night the gate of Eternity OPEN
ed to. let in, amid the great throng OF
departed centuries, the soul of the dy-
Ing year. Under the twelfth stroke Of
the brazen hammer of the city clock
the patriarch fell dead, and the stars
OF the night were the funeral torches
l II is most fortunate that on this road
Of life there are so many mile-stones,
ION which we can read just how fast
we are going toward the journeys end.
feel that it is not an inappropriate
question that I ask today, when I look
into your faces, and say, as Pharaoh
did to Jacob, the patriarch, How old
q art thou?" l5s.E %.
People who are truthful on every
other subject lie about their ages, 50
that do not solicit from you any
literal response to the question T have
) asked. would put no Sone under
temptation, but simply want, this
morning, to see by what rod itis we
are measuring our earthly existence
There is a right way and wrong way
OF measuring door, or a wall, or an
arch, or tower, and so there is q
right way and wrong way Of meas.
uring our earthly existence. It /.
with reference to this higher meaning
that confront you this morning with
the stupendous question of the text
and ask: How old are thou?'' =
It is not sinful egotism for a Chris.
tian man to say, II am purer than
II used to be. am more consecrated Il
Christ than | used to be. | have go,
II over great many of the bad habit.
in which used to indulge in. am ,
great deal better man than used t.
q be-" There is no sinful egotism II
that. It is not base egotism for ;
soldier to say, II know more abou
military tactics than used to befor,
~ took musket in my hand and learn
ed to present arms, and when was ;
y pest to the drill officer It is not ba 1,
egotism for a sailor to say, 81 know
better how to clew down the mizze1
topsail than I used to before ha,
ever seen a ship" And there is d,
sinful egotism when a Christian mar
fighting the battles Of the Lord or. i
you will have it, voyaging toward
haven Of eternal rest, say, II know
more about spiritual tactics and abou
9fvnva0irp toward heavon +horAT 49,.