The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-10-19
IN HONOR OF THE AGED
DISCOURSE DELIVERED ar I3P-
WORTH M. II. CHURCH

Last Sunday, October 18th, by the PAS
tor of the Church, Rev. IL. Nj. Triple
His Topic. "The Abundant Life of thu
Years"
Following is the sermon in full of Rev
r. M. Triple delivered at EpWorth M
e. church last Sunday morning, it be,
ing an address to the aged members OF
the congregation and the subject Iht
Abundant Life of the Years" The day
was Harvest Festival day at the church
and the interior of the edifice was splen'
didly trimmed and decorated for the
occasion with autumnal agricultural de
signs, flowers, leaves and vines, the sight
being very beautiful. Rev. Mr.. Triple
spoke as follows:
II am come that they might have
life, and that they might have it more
abundantly." st. John 1910.
THE ABUNDANT LIFE AND
YEARS"
Does this seem to be an inappropri-
ate text for autumnal day? The leaves
are falling, the flowers are dying, the
sharp winds are blowing, the robins are
gone, the summer is past and the WIN
ter with it's cold bleak days draws
near. And yet I speak of life, album
dant life, as though all around We're
not death and decay.
The world measures life in its own Pc
culiar manner. 1t looks with well
come smile upon the babe in the era
die, it caresses fondly the child as he
walks out into wonderland, it admires
the vigor of manhood. For three-score
and ten years the world reserves for
you a place and then some morning in
the fall when the foliage begins to turn
you are left alone in the cottage by the
Wayside while the great army in which
you have marched these many years
pushes on with new recruit. The
rhythmic sound of the trampling feet
grows faint the shining helmets and
the waving plumes fade from your
sight, you make one last effort to rise
and follow the now distant host, but
your effort is a dismal failure and you
sink back in your chair exhausted.
You are old. You are worn out. There
is no longer room or use for you. You
have had life. 1t is ended. And the
world already counts you as one dead,
Your life has consisted wholly in the
things that are seen and now when
these are passing away there is nothing
left for you. No song but the song of
the falling clod, Earth to earth, ashes
to ashes, dust to dust" The world
bows to you so long as this right arm
is strong and this mind is alert, and
when these are weakened you cease to
be an object of worship, and look where
you will through city, town and ham
let, there is not a ray of light or word
of cheer God pity the old man of the
world.
But heaven has it's own peculiar way
in measuring life. Jesus Christ lis the
fountain of life. He saw men fainting,
perishing and gave his life to save
them He boldly declared. "The water
that I shall give him shall be in him
well of water springing up unto ever
lasting life" Il am come that they
might have life, and that they might
have it more abundantly." Once there
was briar growing in the ditch and
along came the gardener with his spade.
AS he dug around it and lifted it out
the briar whispered to itself What is
he doing this for? Does he not know
that / am an old, worthless briar?'
But the gardener planted it in his gar
den amid his flowers. Then he came
with his keen-edged knife and budded
it with a rose, and by and by lovely
roses were blooming on that old briar.
This is just what Jesus Christ is doing
constantly with poor human lives. He
lifts them out of the dust, puts some
thing of his own life into them and as
the years roll on they grow younger and
younger, growing into His likeness
The more the years the richer the
roses. Heaven looks down upon the
babe in the cradle and sings life"
upon the beauty and strength of man
hood and sings abundant life" upon
old age and sings life more abunda Mt"
and then when this mortal temple is
deserted on the shore of lifes unresting
sea and the spirit embarks for the
eternal city there comes floating over
the waves the song of the angels life
life in it's divine fulness." There's a
wondrous depth of meaning in the
1ymn:
There is life for look at the Cruel
fed One,
There is life at this moment for thee;
Then look, sinner, look unto Him and
be saved
into Him who was nailed to the tree.
Look! lookt look and live!
There is life for look at the Crucified |
One,
There is life at this moment for thee"
And so L greet the aged this morning |
With good cheer. All hail! Some of I
,ur ships appear to be outward bound |
While yours look to be passing into the |
raven. In the dark days before the |
ivil war there We're thousands of slaves /
n whose bosoms burned a longing for
liberty. They ali knew that freedom
ay in the direction of the north star,
ut further than this they knew moth
ng except that the distance was vast
nd the way was frought with unknown
erils. But even from the far south
aany came safely through all the dam
ers, guided by this lone star to the
md of deliverance. And | look on your
aces to-day. Some of you have come
ar on the long journey. You have
cen watching the star through in
ears. We are all watching it. God ]
rant that we all may reach in life for
,bicb we long
Far thro' the memory shines happy
day,
loudless of care, down-saod to every