The Wilmington daily Republican., 1902-01-02
"WHAT OF
THE PAST. :"
A Sermon Preached by
the Rev. John Shape
Dec %, 1901.

WheH lISu VIZ SIeeteu you. ueaI
young thing, u year ago. But my,
how you have changed--IIow old you
look. That gray and sea attered beard,
those wrinkled cheeks, those shaking
limbs that trembling voice, those al
most sightles'eyes Who would have
thought that you would have aged so
quickly:? you came with fair words
and fair promises, and you leave with
all the pathways OF the past strewn
with broken resolutions. You be-
guiled us into believing that you
would prove to be the best friend we
had ever known IN all the years, but
now that we think Of it you have not
been different from your predeces-
6ors.
How many desolate homes, empty
cribs, silent rooms, broken hearts,
hnd weakened bodies you leave be-
hind as wreckage from your record,
like leaves cut off from stably oak
now withering on the sward. We are
disappointed in you We expected
No much. We thought that you would
nerve US for braver battle than we
ever fought, but we confess at this
moment to direr defeats than we had
ever dreamed Of.
We thought that you would guide
US safely oyer the dangerous rocks in
life 3 great waddy, but there were
many slips, and even now our feet
are wet from the last misstep.
We thought tIlatwe would be taller,
stronger, nober at this time by your
assistance. but we are spiritual dwarfs
and weakened creatures yet.
We hopei for success in business
life, and failure was our portion, We
resolved to enjoy felicity for one full
year, but oh how many times we
grumbled at the little woman in the
house, until your icy hand stillcd the
nervous iluttering OF her poor worn
heart and chilled the warmth of the
marble cheek that scalding tears
could not bring back to roseat life, as
kisses one time did.
We intended TO speak a shade more
kindly to the lad we lovel, out we
didn't and now. he doesn't tell his
poor cd mother where he spent last
night. -
We resolved to watch more tender
ly by the side OF the baby that you
gave us, but only yesterday we laid
him to rest in the quiet cemetery,
because you only wanted to taunt us
by the brief possession Of our ieweled
gift.
We almost hate you old "l90l,"
and we only restrained from bitter
est words by the thought that you are
not wholly to blame.
We pledged fidelity anc loyalty to
the church we love, but we've ne
elected her best services, and have
Kept from her our best and noblest
effort.
We promised sterner devotion to
heroic duty, but we''v only proved
ourselves common men. We began
the year with increased Joy i'll Bible
reading aud Bible study, but half of
the time the dear old book has been a
sea ed book to us.
We Fesolyed. to bury old animos-
tiles in the grave Of the old past and
we did but after three days they had
a resurrection, and we still don't
speak to the brother by our side.
Begone you miserable old l901.-
YOU'RE filled with mistakes and
hatreds, and sorrows. and sadnesses,
and failures. But then 1t Is not all
your own fault. 1t may be VIC were
more to blame than you.
You, too, have seen some sorrow;
you have buried eleven children and
the twelfth. has but three days more
to live. And strange too, these chill
dren, though members Of the same
family were wholly unacquainted
with each other. How short their
lives. One died and another was
born, and always the duty Of one be-
gan with the death Of the other
The life Of each was very brief, yet
each accomplished its mission. How
brief is life; after all what IS your
life?
1t Is as grass that In the morning
flourisheth, and in the evening with
ereth. What IS your life? 1t is con-
sumed like smoke. What is your life?
1t is a vapor that appeareth for a
little time and then vauisheth away.
What is your life? We spend our
years in u tale that is tod.
Life at the longest is never long.
Three score years and ten Is the limit
but four score means labor and sor-
row, for it is soon cut of and We fly
away,
One lransl alton of the text might
be 1--WE spend our years as a sigh
that is past A brief breath soon
to he LOST cn the icy air of Time.
Consider the suggestiveness Of life.
What does 1t teach Of sorrow, of ex.
perlcnce, of hope? What kind of
tale will men be telling In 1902, as
suggested by the lives we've lived in
1901?
II our years are spent as tale that
is told, let us sec to II, that we make
the tale worth telling. We may at
least learn this lesson, namely, that
IT is impossible to live over again the
wear that is SO nearly ended The
record must stand as IL has been made
and recorded. There can be no atone.
ment, ON our part, tor the past. There
can be only present falthtuIncss.
Present improvement is after all, but
present duty.
A little child once filled her basket
with pretty flowers and running along
the rivers Lank, flung them one by
one into the stream and watched
them glide away. Then realizing that
her pretty treasures were all gone,
she started up crying, "Come back
pretty flowers, c,me back l will use
you over again to better pur pose. III
weave you into a beautiful bouquet and
send you to the sick. III place you
where your fragrance will be apprecl-
ated. But no, the We gone fast hur-
ried to the surging sea.
We are much like the little child.
We stand on the brink Of Time S fast
running river. In our hands are fra
grant opportunities, opportunities to
b.autify other lives to fling fragrance
the fragrance Of sympathy and love,