The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-05
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
NEW YEARS PROMISES NOW FAIRLY
TESTED: ARE THEY BEING KEPT:
short Sermon by the Rev. George III.
Hubbard, Pastor of First COngre-
gatiOnaI Church, Enfield, Mass.

numerous persons daily have been joining
the now vast company of pilgrims who are
silently vending their way toward the Val
ley of Humiliation. Who are they? They
are the victims of a great delusion. Five
weeks ago their hearts were swelling with
the conscious virtue of many freshly made
and beautiful resolutions. They may have
doubted neither their purpose nor their pow
er to keep these vows through the year; but
each new day has swelled the list of those
defeated ones who look with despair upon
Vows and promises unkept
And reap from days of strife
Nothing but leaves"
The shores of February are piled noun
tains high with the wrecks of January's
broken VOWS, yet every returning New
Years day saints and sinners together
launch their little banks of resolution upon
the stormy sea of time, only to be dashed
in pieces by waves of forgetfulness or temp
tation or utter inability.
There are few things more pitifulIy ludi-
Crous in all the effort of mankind to achieve
its own moral regeneration than the per-
sistence with which, year after year, men
and women brace themselves for new
struggle with sins petty or gigantic-armed
like the kings jester, with the lath sword
of good resolutions; or like so many Dame
Partingtons mop in hand, defyng the At
lantic. And when the fragile sword is brok-
en- or the incoming tide proves itself too
much for mop and dignified remOnstrance
there comes the perennial surprise and dis
appointment as keen and real in each case
as though the same thing had not occurred
times without number from the year 1 to
1899.
If only matters of trifing Importance were
involved we might look upon this as simply
an oft-repeated and somewhat tiresome
comedy or farce But in view of the deep
earnestness of the actors often, and the
vital nature of the struggle in which many
or them are engaged it becomes a real
tragedy. When we consider that the char
aCter and happiness often hang upon the
issue of the struggle, that the keeping of
breaking means slavery to human souls
that every lapse means not merely tempo
rary disappointment and vexation, but real
less OF power and courage for future Strug-
gle against the tyrant sin; then the matter
IS plainly serious to the last degree. 1t de-
mands earnest thought and most sober
treatment
WHY THEY ARE NOT KEPT.
Why is it that the vast majority of New
Years resolutions are sooner or later brok-
en-, however carefully and prayerfully made
end however manfully kept at the first?
Why is it that the most vital and unselhsh
vows share the same fate as the most
trif1ing and childish? Why is it that the
vow itself often seems to be the chief source
of temptation for it's own breaking-that the
very fact of determining not to do a thing
fills us with increased desire to do it? Or
that the determination to do seems to make
the thing doubly difficult?
The reason is found in the very nature Of
the system itself. Vows and resolutions of
the kind we are considering are utterly op-
posed to the spirit and teaching of Christ
Salvation by vows is no part of the gospel
scheme Jesus preached the salvation which
is by faith. And the two methods are as
1ar apart as the poles. You cannot imagine
Jesus Christ making good resolutions. The
mere suggestion is absurd. st. Paul made
some resolutions at one time and like the
rest of men, he broke them You remem-
Der what he says about it: The good which
not that l do And in his despair he cries
20 wretched man that I am, who shall de-
liver me out of the body of this death?'
But having found a better means for achiev-
ing the conquest of evil, he eXclaims joy
orr Lordn'
Here, then, we have a contrast - the
religion of self and the religion of Christ
the religion of VOWS and the religion of faith
the religion of resolution and the religion
OF eonsecrea ton. The pith of the whole
matter lies in the contrast between these
two words-resolution and conservation.
Conservation is always positive. If we could
gather up the myrads of good resolutions
that have been made this year and classify
them we should have two very UNEQUAL
lists. First there would be very long cata-
logue of negative resolutions. Thousands
upon thousands resolved Jan. 1 to abstain
during the year from some unwlse or sinful
indulgence, or determined to over come some
eVl habit or to remove some hindrance
from the pathway of their lives They had
but one thOught-to get rid of something
to cast out some evil. On the other hand,
we should find small number Of positive
resolutions. They are comparatively few
who resolved to do something. Only about
one in hundred perhaps included among
ms resolutions any plan for definite and
worthy achievement during the year. AT
least ten men have framed for themselves
whole decalogue of II will nots'' for one
who has whispered in his inmost soul, II
will
ELEMENTS OF WEAKNESS.
Now, this negative form of most reso-
lutions is the first element of their weak
ness A negative resolution is not sea-
worthy. Tt will so to the bottom in the
first storm. One cannot conquer sin, still
less attain to holiness, by the method of
shalt not'' or will not" Who strives sim
ply to expel some evil from his life, and to
keep it out without filling it's place with an
equivalent good, is attempting the impos-
sibe. Each life has a definite capacity
and that capacity must be kept full. Not a
habit nor an appetite nor a passion in any
life but represents some need of the nature.
Remove any one though it be the least
or the most harmful, and it leaves a vacuum
which must be filled. Neglect to fill it. and
the evil will surely return with multiplied
force.
To-day there is many life with one or
more empty corners. Manfully the unclean
spirits of habit and desire have been driven
out. Heroic is the struggle TO keep them
OUT But it is useless. They receive re-
Inducements daily, and the struggle against
them can only end in failure. 1t is the in
evitable result of all purely negative effort
Conservation, on the other hand IS posi-
tive 1t drives out the evil by filling the
life with the good. Let one occupy his time
and thought and power with active service
for God and his fellow-men, and the evil
will be crowded out and kept out without
any direct thought or effort on his part
There is a wonderful and blessed truth en-
bodied in DIR. Chalmerss phrase. The expul-
sive power of new affection
John r. Cough conquered his appetite for
strong drink not solely or chiefly by the
direct effort of his Will against it-though
this may have been a necessary first step
but by giving himself heart and soul to the
rescue of others who had fallen under the
same curse. 1t was by filing his life with
positive effort for others that he kept the
demon outside the door And many a man
who is vainly struggling against some sin
would find it conquered almost without a
struggle if he would forget himself in the
effort to help other struggling ones.
Again. resolution works chiefly at long
range Conservation is hand to hand. How
many New Years resolutions take in the
whole twelve months at a single sweep
Another element of weakness The burden of
a years duty is too great for any man.
1T is like carrying a load at arms length.
Who does the duty of a single day faith
fully lives TnaPnificeufIV The man