The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-11
"Every Man Has a
Duty Toward
the PAST
REV. WOODMAN BRADBURY.
He Talks on the Work of
the Church
Notes.

Rev. Woodman Bradbury of the
Pleasant street Baptist church preached
yesterday on the subject Making the
past success" He said: 'sEsau des-
pissed his birthright." In one phrase the
portrait of Esau is drawn. In one act.
his character stands out clean-cut.
Providence had given him health, vigor,
skill in the chase and above all the
privileges of the first born. He shows
himself to be light-headed and ignoble
in despising these gifts and bartering
them for single square meal
IhlS is a common temptation. The
work OF years is often overturned by
one false action. The best gifts of God
are lightly esteemed and thoughtlessly
squandered. The true man will con-
serve these boons. regarding them as a
preparation for higher service. 1t may
seem paradoXical to speak of making
the past successful; for is not the past
lrreVocable, and Interchangeable? True:
yet each ones past is in the nature of
seed and cannot be pronounced a sue
cess until the harvest is gathered. Every
man has duty toward the past
Suppose the past to have been good.
Then the duty is to make the present
better. Contentment with past achieve
lilCllb LGIluS " SldSudllOn ana an
suspicious beginning into dismal fail
ure. The man who has easily won coll
lege honors will find that it is not
enough to wave his diploma that people
may make way for him to gather in the
prizes of life like ripe plums he must
win them. The talented man is under a
correspondence great obligation to do
great things for the world. Noblesse
oblige.
The reward of one duty done is the
power to do another. The true man asks
for no greater crown than increasing
ability to perform service increasingly
difficult. OF such is the kingdom of God.
1t is customary to decry ambition; but
was not Paul intensely ambitious? 1t is
one thing to have an ambition for
money. for social position, for f1attery,
for the biggest house in town and the
tallest monument in the cemetery, on
which imaginary virtues are inscribed.
1t is quite another to be ambitious to
be square, honest man in business, to
lead clean Christian life, to make the
slums of the cities cleaner and to give
the little children of the poor a better
chance in life. God bless the memory
and influence of the merchant prince
who died in Worcester this week, be-
loved by all his employees.
If our past has been failure, we can
make it a success. When Dessaix told
| Napoleon that the battle of Marengo
was lost, the great general replied,
True; but it's.only O'Clock and we've
| got time to win anotheri" And Re did
So we may organize victory in the very
midst of defeat. Helen Kellar has passed
| entrance examinations at Radcliffe by
surmounting incredible hardships 1t is
a part of the gospel gladness that
Men may rise on stepping-stones
| OF their dead selves to higher things
| The forgiveness Of sins means not
only pardon, but power. The disastrous
past, which might have been a mill
| stone around the neck, is changed into
a pedestal beneath the feet. The con-
verified drunkard can reach the drinker,
and the old disaster wrought by sin is
| changed into means of power by the
| grace of God.
AS patriots, we must make the past
| success. Many are the menacing evils
of our national life. Great are our perils
| from many sources. Yet our past has
| been glorious and we must secure its
glory by meeting our problems man
| fully. BY the sacrifice of Valley Forge,
! by the aching hearts on the old farms
| and empty homes in all our towns, by
the .heroism of Gettysburg and San
| Juan and Manila, we are invigorated to
| face our duty with enthusiasm. The old
| flag. planted in the foremost files of the
nations at the cost Of our fathers blood,
shall not be displaced while we have
| our manhood.
| It is the duty of the church to make
the past a success. Others have labored,
we have entered into their labors. Our
| Incidence sacrifices their gains and we
despise our birthright like Esau. The
memory of the prayers, labors and
plans of the dear ones who have loving
| ly laid the foundation of our church
work should make us faithful and en-
thusiastic. To this appeal, make the
| past a success, all that is noble and
manly and good in us responds.