El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-03
FIRST METHODIST CHURCH.
"Consider the Years" Deut. 81, ~

J I wish you all very happy New
Year.
It will be whole week of years be-
fore another begins and closes with q
Sabbath day. Because it is Sabbath
day, ordained and set apart for rest
and contemplation: because it is the
first day OF the New Year; because it is
of the greaG divisions OF our lives; the
theme that 1 have chosen seems
peculiarly beftting, Consider the
years."
In the rotunda of the capitol at
Washington, there is famous picture
called "Western Emigration" The
artist has represented the emigrants
as having toiled through a rocky and
dangerous way and standing at last on
the very verge OF u new land. Some
are looking backward with sad hears.
others are looking forward with glad
| anticipatiOns. Let us, having reached
another mile stone on iife's highway,
| like the emigrants, take q backward
and a forward view "Cousidering the
years. 1t is certainly An unwhOle-
some thing for man to dwell and
brood continuously upon the past. But
on occasional retrospective view brings
to us lessons of the deepest signifi-
canoe.
In the first place who yet among US
has fully realized the value of year?
One SEVENTEEN, one fftieth, perhaps q
much greater portion of cur future
lives? Who yet has learned the real
value of an hours time? Who has cor
rectly counted the moments? A divi-
sion of an army was five minutes late.
The battle was lost and the history of
the world was changed.
l was within IL miles ,once, of Tarsus,
the birth place of Paul: l had planned
for.three months to visit the place. But
was detained by Turkish custom
officer and was five minutes late for
the train; lost the opportunity, and
perhaps for ever. At Helena, Mont,
was'One minute late for the train. 1
lost "a hours and long sought for op-
portunity. We began five minutes late
this morning. Estimating that only
100 ere present one man would have
to work hard during the remainder of
the day to make up for the time that
was lost.
Who has estimated the value of time?
Franklin once said: Time is money"
But time is something more than
money. It is almost the only thing
that money will,not buy. Agassiz once
said, 81 have not time for making
money" Another said, doctor, I'll
give you half my fortune for six
months more of life." The doctors re-
ply was ''you cannot live six hours"
Yet how many days are lost? How
many hours are spent in foolish talk,
in worthless games, in sensual plea
sures? These are worse than lost.
They prey upon our thoughts, they
sap our energies, they are the thieves
of our other days, and the murderers
of our opportunities.
Give me the time that has been lost
or fOOlishly spent in the U. S. in the
last IL months and 1 could build rail-
roads; or erect colleges; or manipulate
institutions; or If necessary conquer
nations. We sometimes hear q man
say tn at he is doing this thing or that
'to kill time" He forgets that he is
killing himself-his hopes, his oppor-
tunities. though SO gradually as to be |
impercepti BILE.
We have no more time than is neces-
sary for life work. Like the oil in the |
virgins lamps, we have enough for our |
selves but none to give to foolish COM
panions. IT we lose any portion of |
our time we must leave something I'M
done forever. We ought to consider |
the years, and especially the last year
on account Of the opportunities and |
blessing it has brought to US.
You all remember that night in |
February last when the wires all over
this country were made hot with the |
report that the "Maine" had been /
blown up in the .harbor rof Havana
ing up Of Sigsbee and his men-yet it |
seems indeed to have been necessary.
It was not iuntil then that our nation,
like great giant awakened from his |
slumber, rubbed her eyes. put on her
arms and pre- pared for action.
1 am OF the opinion that if it had not |
been for that, that Cuba and Porto |
Rico would yet have been under the |
Spanish rule and the American flag
would not be waving in the PHILIPPINES.
But the cruelties. of Spain had gone far |
enough and On that day God Almighty
looked down from heaven and said to |
that nation "Halt!" God wanted
America simply to prepare for action |
and stand by the lgu1s and he would |
fight the battles. Have 1 read history |
Alright? Then who can hear the stories |
antiagO and not say that they were |
Gods battles and Gods victories?
We should consider the present time. |
A bout once each year every good busi-
ness man takes an inventory of the |
stock be has on hand to see how he
stands with the business world This
Is good time for us as Christians to
take an inventory of the stock on hand
and see how our account stands with
the Lord. How much Christian
grace have we? How much of charity?l
How much Of the spirit of Christ?
Have we as much OF these as we had a
year ago? Has our stock increased or
1t Is not strange that we
should be unable to detect any growth
in our Christian lives from one dav to
the next. The time is not long enough.
But if there has been no growth in a
whole year, something is wrong. Let
US see. Do we read our Bibles as
much as we did year ago? Do we
pray as often in secret? Do we attend
BE- regularly the means of praca2 II