The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-07-24
SERMON BY REV. MR.. SHORT
"IMPORT4NTE ELEM ENTS OF CHRIS
TIAN CHARA CTER," THE SUBJECT.

"IMPORT4NT ELEMENTS OF CHRIS
TAN CHARA CTER," THE SUBJECT.
Read mt Taylor Church Yesterday Morn
ing-Rev. Mr.. Short is n Graduate of
Yale Theological Seminary In '07, and
The congregation of Taylor church is
receiving some excellent sermons from
Rev. w. H. H. Short, Yale Theological
seminary 81. Mr.. Short has been for
two years pastor of the Congregational
church in Spring Valley, Wis. During
his ministry the church largely increas-
ed in numbers and strength, and erected
and paid for fine new church build
ing.
His sermon of yesterday morning was
one of great practical value. The text
was from Psalms 1874: Let the words
Of my mouth and the meditation of my
heart be acceptable in thy sight, 0
Lord, my strength, and my redeemer."
Have you ever happened to think how
large a proportion of the effort of life
is put forth to please--to be acceptable?
If a man is to be received as an equal
he must be acceptable to others. TO be
such, to behave in such q manner, to
know such things that we shall be re-
ceived by certain Others whose assocl-
ates. friends and equals we wish to be
is rightly very great care in life.
Men take care to be received by soci-
ETY.. Society Is composed of people who
. please and are acceptable to one an
other, and there is always a best Socl-
ETY. into which nothing but fitness for
free intercourse of mind and heart will
give admittance. That society is pow
erty-stricken indeed in which this is
not true, which does not exclude the
ignorant and vicious, though they have
, millions.
He who wants entrance into society
would DO we'll to study the problem of
being acceptable.
But there are other things more vital
to mans life than society where he
studies how to be acceptable. A we'll
bred child studies how to be pleasing to
it's parents, it's brothers, sisters and
the essence of courtesy as opposed to
selfishness. Pleasing oneself; pleasing
others. The former makes life hard for
the one who pursues it. Pleasing others
oils the machinery and makes life
smooth and joyous. That parent gives
to his child good legacy-insures him
a joyous lfe--if he teaches him to study
how he may please others
I, cf,,I l,a,, - ,aI1 lit,
mistress; the maiden puts rose in her
hair for her lover. OF course. But the
wise husband pursues the study all his
married life, and the wife knows that
home will be paradise instead of mis-
cry just in proportion as she keeps her
self acceptable in the eyes Of her hus-
band and so keeps him striving for ac-
ceptance with her; thus husband keep
ing wife and wife keeping husband
through life studying how they will
please each the other
If one wants neighbors whom he may |
count friends-friends because they love ,
to be with him, instead of neighbors |
who with much anguish of spirit sac
rifice themselves for an hour on the al |
tar of neighborly duty-he will seek to |
be such that he can be acceptable to
them. If he would be the best friend, |
acceptable to the best there is in them,
rather than the worst. And. really, it
always seems to be doubtful compli
ment when man supposes that an
other wants to hear him swear or tell |
foul story. 1t seems to me real
compliment when one takes it for
granted that friend will welcome the
best language you can use, the noblest |
thought you can bring.
Following, Mr.. Short went on to say
that there was jury before one is con-
.tinually coming and asking "Am I ac-
ceptable?" and went to show the diff
ferent courts before which people were
continually brought in this life.
Mr.. Short also spoke on the use of
words and quoted Holmes who once
wrote who placed them as the inches of
a scale as follows: First inch, coarse
speech; second inch, bad grammar;
third inch, swearing; fourth inch,
drinking; fifth inch, vice. The sermon
then went on the show the Importance
of words in tire classes, viz: Showing
your breeding by your use of words;
showing the power for good or evil in
and showing how words confirm
in the good or evil the life of the one
who speaks them
I can control what I shall do, hear
and see to-day and so my meditations
OF Tomorrow. Let me refuse to-day to
be amonw those. whose conversation
may reasonably expect to be evil and ,
seek rather the society of those whom
know will speak of honorable things.
Let me not read foolish, facilitating
story to-day, but one which has worth,
moral and intelligence. Let me not do
4 wrong, selfish deed, but good, noble,
heroic one. Then tomorrow J. shall
have no trouble at all to mediate on
clean, noble, heroic things, for they will
have become the garden, the familiar
home of my soul Then my prayer: Let ,,
he meditation of my heart be accept
able in Thy sight, o Lord" will have
been answered, for the heart will have
learned to mediate on all nobleness,
ruth and goodness. And this is we'll