The age-herald., 1901-04-29

exercise. and eternal in its demand and
 struggle for gratification.
 The existence Of this hope of something
 better. based upon the self-conscious de-
 sire for something purer. 1t is that en-
 couraging many man to live after the
 world has long ceased to see any possi-
 bility of worthy accomplishment in the
 prolongation of his earthly existence. It
 Is the murder of thls hope In the soul of others that cause them to lay violent
 hands upon themselves and snap asunder
 the silver cord, that the dust may return to the earth as 1t was: and the spirit unto God who gave 1t, when In the un-
 enlightened eye of the world, there Is
 much for them to accomplish and great
 things for them to achieve.
 Very common Is the expression, Where
 there Is life, there Is hope Less com
 mon, but more true is it that Only where there is hope. can there ever be life.' And in making this assertion, I speak of the wicked as well as the righteous. l
 speak of those who fail in life. as well as of those who succeed. Tell me, what nourishes the desire of the blasphemer of God to live beyond the darkness of the
 night that with its falling shadows cuts short his vain and profane babbling of the day? Is. 1t the consciousness that with another day of waking will come
 further opportunity to blaspheme and profane the God who so omnipotently
 
 him? tell you, no If spared to see
 the light of new day. to profane and
 baspheme may be his avocation as is
 1t today, but that Is not the secret of
 his desire for prolongation of life until
 the morrow That desire is based upon
 the hope of something better for the mor- row than he realied today He may be | unconscious of the existence of this hope: he may be unmindful of the influence 1t wields upon his life and actions, but 1t Is there, and the moment it vacates its throne and withdraws it's influence and gaunt despair takes possession instead.
 the desire of that man is for death. and 1 not for life.
 Tell me, what is the secret of the re-
 newed action of the man who failed yes terday in the accomplishment of lifes purpose. in again taking up the Jattle today? Is Is that he may fail today as did he yesterday? I again tell you. no! l Hope Is the basis of his action. The hope | enthroned in his life that there is some
 thing better for him today than was there yesterday. That hope may be inconslst-
 ent with his action. How many times do 1 we find 1t 50 in the life of nearly all menl
 Hoping for better when the legitimate result of the action performed can but be l worse: expecting to reap good where they
 have sown evil: hoping for purity through the practice of corruption: and yet. in- consistent though that hope with their
 action be. hoping always. hoping ever. | So then, the simple continuation of | life always bespeaks the continued exls- | tence and exercise-consciously or uncon- sciously-of hope: and that hope, whether | in the soul of the saint or the sinner, Is always for something better and purer and nobler and higher. - ---.----.----- | And so the answer to the question, l What shou.-. be the nature of the hope indulged In youth?' is, that the hope up | on which life subsists and for it's tenure depends, not only being pure In concep- | tion and inspiration. but ever. in It's ex- ercise, manfesting desire for something more exalted in the future than it ex- periences now. then all the hopes enter | ing into life should be pure in their as- | pirations, in order that renewed strength
 and vigor may crown their retaliation. But not only this. Our hopes should | be elevated and innocent because they are
 the inspiration to all life's endeavor: and
 as realization the second segment of the I circle must ever be subsequent to and | consonant with endeavor, our realization
 can only be of such things and nature | as constitute our ideals and hopes. Our
 ideals are ever clothed In the form of | our hopes and our realization. In the | form of chievement can only be of our
 ideals. So, If our achievements would be l manly, noble and pure, our hopes must l be innocent, upright and honest.
 | But more reason still is there for the | moral and spiritual elevation of 1ifes 1 hopes. For. as the second segment of l the circle--lifes endeavor and achieve | ment-is dependent for it's worth and na- | ture upon the composition of the first l segment life's hopes and ideals-so the | third segment-life's memories--is depend l ent for it's desirability upon the charac- | ter of the second. Life's achievements
 must be honorable, in order that life's I xrxa tx.w ..t. l even endurable.
 | The Comfort of Memory.
 Sorrow has no power to destroy the l true delight of memory; for many times l the saddest; events of life are productive
 of memories, so hallowed in their nature,
 that in after years they afford the only | comfort Dnd solace of an otherwise lone- | ly existence.
 | Removal even of loved ones cannot rob
 the recollections ofethat loved one of a | sweet interest and calm satisfaction in
 cident to no other experience of life. Who | here this morning would blot out the
 memory of the season, and then take to ] himself again2 Who does not rather thank God for the gift that made possi-
 ble that memory, with all it's hallowed, | mellowing, influences, and it's divine in | spfration to love and labor for higher | development? For the inducement it | II affords us to strive to attain unto the | perfection of that higher life. where all l former holy and sacred relations will be renewed to be no more severed forever. l But what sorrow and death are power
 less to do In the way of embittering life's memories. sin and vice can accomplish l And in this connection. because of this | fact it Is, that we should indulge pure | and holy hopes.
 We may anticipate the commission of
 sin with pleasurable emotions. In the | promised qualification of sensual desire | and animal appetite there may be-nay, | there frequently is--an alluring joy that intoxicates with it's suggestiveness and | maddens with its charm. But, the desire | gratihed, pleasure ends and anguish be- l gins. The memory of any qualification, | when that qualification was sin. Is de- | void of comfort solace or consolation. All | Is remorse, humiliation and pain An inn pure hope crystalizes in an unhoiy act: and an unholy act, unrepented and unfor- given, fixes upon the soul the stain of eternal disgrace, and charges the mem- ory with immortal despair.
 1T may be indulging somewhat in the | abstract this morning, but that I am far from mere theory there are those here to testify. How near am I to the practical, I call upon all to affirm, in whose ex- perience memory Is beckoning to the l front, iniquitous scenes and doings of by l gone days suggestive of the truthfulness | of what I say My witnesses are not a | few And also upon you. in whose life l there have been experience pregnant with | innocent joy, and full of the inspiration | that leads towards righteousness and God