The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-10-08
HELPS TO RIGHT LIVING.
A Series of Sermons by the Rev. M. l..
Haines.

Haines.
DR.. M. l.. Haines, pastor of the First
Presbyterian Church. has arranged a series
of Sunday evening discourses on special
topics. for the month of October. The
general subject of these addresses is
Helps to Right Living" Special music
will be provided by the choir. which has
been increased to chorus size. The times
of holding the Sunday services have been
changed so that the morning service will
hereafter begin at IL o'clock and the eve-
ming service at 7:s5. The sermon last night
was the special subject, Burdens that
May Become Blessings" and was based
on the twenty-seventh verse of the third
chapter of the Lamentations of jeremiah.
DR.. Haines said in part:
1t is good for man that he bear the
yoke in his youth Those words sound
like fragment from mans biography
and evidently that is what they are The
man who wrote this short poem of Lamen-
tations-for it is a poem-probably was
Jeremiah--eitner jeremiah or some con-
temporary of his. 1t is the sad song of
a patriotic Hebrew in a time of national
calamity. The land was overrun by the
Chaldean armies. and the capital city itself
had been finally captured and burned
In the first and second chapters of the Song
Of Lamentations the author pours out the
sorrow of his heart over the misfortunes
that have come to his land and to his
city. How is the city, he says, solitary
that was full of people! How is she be-
come as a widows She was great among
the nationsl She weepeth sore in the night
and her tears are on her cheeksl Judah
is gone into captivity; she dweiieth among
hn al 6ndpfh N Thop
in chapter three he passes from a con-
sideration of the woes of the land and
OF the city at that time TO speak of his
own personal sorrows. am a man. he
says, that hath seen affiction by the rod
of His wrath Many and dark were those
Affections He finds 1t difficult to set forth
their grievous character in human lam
guaye, but right in the midst Of his sor-
trials that had come upon him, he changes
his tone; il is one of the most startling
changes found in sacred literature-from
wailing over his sorrows he suddenly
breaks off and begins TO sing song of
tnankfulness, recognizing the mercy and
compassion of God. 1t is from the Lords
mercy he says, that we are not con-
sumed, because His compositions fail not,
they are renewed every morning. Great
is Thy faithfulness. I have seen some
thing like that, friends. and perhaps you
levers In God-in times of trial. pour out
the grief of their hearts over their troubles
and then turn suddenly about and, it may
be with the tears yet in their eyes, give
expression to their sense of the super
Astounding compassion and goodness of
God.
''It is well for man that he is COM
PEELED to take the lower place to begin
with, for the great purpose of life, even
as far as this world is concerned Ii is
only in that way that skill and knowledge
of the professions and business are really
gained. You cannot pour business ability
or professional skill into man. He has
TO learn II himself he has to be trained
in it. he has 70 have IL rubbed into him
by hard experience. Thus habits of indus
try are formed. self-control, administrative
powers are developed. Millionaires sons
are very apt 10 be envied. and yet, in not
a few cases they are TO be pitied I
do not say in all cases. for some men era
died In the lap of luxury are able TO with
stand its perils. but others are not; they
go down to be ciphers or less than moth
ing.
more and more l believe that the affairs
OF our lives are ordered by wisdom that
is supreme. and even that in these ex-
periences that are trying and that come
in one shape another into every human
life-they are ordered By the Father OF
a.