The St. Louis Republic., 1901-12-30
PASSING YEAR TEACHES
LESSON TO UNRELlGIoUs.

I6SSON W OVn66lQlUUSs
Doctor Palmer Recalls the Prayer
of Moses on the Flight
of Time.
The Reverend Doctor S. c. Palmer, pas
tor Of the Lafayette Park Presbyterian
church. selected Psalms xc, 12, for his
text Sunday morning and spoke in part as
IN the good providence of God We have
come to the last Sabbath of the first year in
the new century Many who started with
by the way. The year had but just begun
ere scme began to drop out of the ranks
some have fallen within the past few days
Of seeing the old year die as any % one M s. Of us
They greeted friends with a Merry
Christmas. but ere they could say Happy
NeW Year, their voices were stilled in DEATH
maps the most. of us have stood by the
osathbed OF more years than We ever
shall again. Some of us have entered upon
the last fourth. the last tenth. the last
twentieth of our earthly pilgrimage. Some
OF us undoubtedly are celebrating the last
day Of our full year. 1t would tend to mel
thoughts. but there are times when they
force themselves to the fore, refusing to be
silenced. This last Sabbath Of 1901 Is such
in every mind, expressed or unexpressed.
1 ask you to take reverently upon your
lips this morning the prayer Of Moses, the
man OF God: SO teach us to number our
days that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom
1T must occur to you to be passing
strange that mortal man should ever need
great thing needed to induce men to pre-
pare for eternity is the practical conviction
that they have but short time to live on
will not apply their hearts unto wisdom
until they are brought to numbering their
days. 1t Is indeed a most surprising thing
,ion Of the Holy Spirit to convince them
that their days are limited. numbered. and
to induce them to recognize that fact. Have
tsaens Gr our Gyod
there not eloquence enough in tears to con-
vince us that we are mortal? Every day in
the year the black hearse and the white
hearse go side by side into the cemeteries.
There Is scarcely q home in which there
is not one or more vacant chairs. But in
spite Of 1t all We do need to pray that AZ
our days that we may apply our hearts
unto wisdom. 1t is not thus In other thingx
Frequency OF occurrence makes US expect
that thing to come to pass. and men do not
special operation of his Spirit.
. The farmer does not pray that he may
into the the soil must needs die die before @ it Siii
germinnte. Seeds always do that. The
sailor does not need to ask God to help him
believe that the needle will point to the
north. We do not need to pray that we
may believe that the sun will rise in the
morning. Morning has succeeded the night
from the beginning. And yet in none OF
in the fact that our days are numbered
and will come to an end. Nay, none Of
these things is so cure. The seed might
Aected by some unseen object. but every
man dies. And yet We must pray-pray as
for the revelation of some hidden mystery
ieve % so that we @ shall al ts act sensiby. nj plaesi-
cally-belieye that our days are numbered.
Admitting. then, that We do need such
prayer, this is most appropriate petition.
especially for to-day. as We are about to
wave o .good-by' to the old year. 1t is ad-
dressed, as all true prayers should be. to the
great Jehovah himself. to him who has been
alone can so teach us.' Moses was himself
q great teacher, one Of the greatest the
world has ever known. but even he must
ing prayer upon his lips. Let us kneel be-
side him while he thus prays.
TT fs petition that we may make right
reckoning of our days, not years. as we
fore. and as We might conclude as We stand
at the parting of the years to-day. Days
must impress us with the brevity Of the
time that remains. II you knew that only
days were left to you, surely YOU would
apply your heart unto wisdom In Gods
book your life is numbered by days The
world is fixed. To-day you are praying that
YOU make no mistake in your numbering os
these days Do not be 50 occupied in NUM-
bering your dollars that you shall mistake
in numbering your days
''You will not fail to notice that it IS n
very personal prayer. Teach us to num-
ber our days. that We may apply our hearts
difficulty in numbering the days of thos.
about ue. See yonder man. Note the hectic
cheek. Listen to that cough. .Ah. poor fell
low. his days are numbered YOU are say
Ing. Not more certainly than are your own.
Strange again. He does not seem to appre-
ciate his condition. Go speak to him. Bid
his health. L am feeling much better to-
day: as soon AS I get rid OF this cough /
shall be all right. The last doctor I consult
me. j shall roon be well again Well may
he and you kneel together and pray. using
the first person, singular number. so teach
ms to Seara n4m9sT 1nfo MY sdam tnat may apply
And as you thus pray, beg you to give
due consideration to the ultimate purpose
hs Ts yerH may woa9 apply
three Of them wisdom. The word SO
translated occurs 1l6 times in the Old Tes-
meaning sns s. TRe fear of the oia
That is wisdom Solomon echoes the same
IN PROV. tx. 10. The fear Of the Lord is the
SIN the solution OF life's intricate prob
em We must take God. eternity. the judg- |
nent day: Jesus Christ, his atoning sac !
rifice for our sins. his ever-present person. |
Atty into the account. This Is wisdom. |
Not to do this Is supremest folly. Our |
hearts Not simply our intellects. One |
may have Intellectual conception of what |
this wisdom fs and go down to his grave, |
IN to the judgment, unsaved. 1t is only as |
our hearts are affected And by heart / |
IS the mind that thinks. Apply our hearts
That certainly means to give immediate |
and constant attention to the matter All, |
We have found the difficulty at last It Is |
not so much that men do not know they
are to die. that their days are really num- |
! Judgment day just ahead Of them: not |,
that they do not know about Jesus Christ |
and his atoning sacrifice; not that they do |
lot know they are sinners and need cleans |
ng before they can appear without shame |
1t that judgment bar: 1t Is because they |
this matter.
Friend, beg you to remember that you |
are come this day to the parting Of the /
vcars. Remember that in Gods book, your |!
all. saint. and sinner ucforgiven, all and |
ZACH make this prayer the most earnest |
,etition OF our sJuls: so teach us TO mum. |
,er our days that we may apply our hearts |
INTO wisdom r
HAS BEEN THE
RECORD OF THE YEAR?r
question Discussed From Spiritual
Standpoint by the Reverend
nnxtnr Vyynw&c~