The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-31
DIR. T'alrn1age's Sermon.
BY THE Rev. FRANK DE WITT TALmAoe. D. D.

| the goods they bought. You have Wor-
ried about the tariff laws and the cleo
tons. You have worried about the rival
concern which settled on the next block.
You never thought that worse trouble
could come to you than the loss Of your
store. You never thought that your own
health could break down and that you
would have to resign from the firm and
sell out Troubles came into your life,
but they invariably came in the way and
at the time you did not expect.
If this premise IL true. is 1t not time
for you to stop your useless fretting? It
Is not senseless occupation to be wor-
/ rying about certain troubles which In all
| obability-tudged by the past-will
never afiict your life? Do you not feel
( that the old English proverb is right
! which declares You must not cross the
1 bridge until you come to it?' In the
journey of life you will ind many bridges
down. You will discover that the spring
| freshets have swept away the embank-
ments upon which countless abutments
were placed But in all probability the
bridge you worry most about will be firm
enough and strong enough TO bear you
over Its stream, although you may have
to wade into other angry waters a little
further on.
Anticipating troubles Is a SIM because
the present duties Of life tax almost ev-
to the utmost limit. We read with sor-
row and admiration about the pathetic
struggle Sir Walter Scott made in his old
age to pay off his debts. BY foolish in
vestment he became responsible for some
thing like 100000. With his magic pen
he went TO work. He worked during the
! day. He worked during the night. He
worked while he lay in bed. He worked
when walking upon the street. He lived
/ r~zA 49, g.
being able to say he owed no man a pen
ny. But while he worked he so worried
over this debt that one day his physician
came to him and said. Sir Walter II you
do not cease worrying you will die"
| With that the magician of Abbotsford
| looked up and gave wan smile as he
said: why, doctor, as long as that debt
is hanging over my head I cannot help
worrying. 1 know the worrying is kill
ing me. But you might as well go and
| tell my cook to order the water in the
kettle not to boil as to command my
brain not to worry
But Sir Walter Scott toiltng to pay of
his debts by the use OF his pen, did not
have to work any harder than thousands
and hundreds OF thousands of men and
women have to work to meet the respon-
sibifit1es of the present time. Take, for
illustration. the ministers Of our genera
from so-called gentleman which polite
ly informed me that the preachers Of our
time. a rule, lead an idle and an I'M
occupied existence and that there Is
nothing for them to do" Nothing for
the average preacher to do? Why, the
average preacher today is working as
hard as ever beast OF burden worked I'M
der drivers lash He is working SO hard
that from Monday morning to Sunday
nj he Ia pfaI1 I1x
the strain all the time. I tell you that
the preparation OF two sermons and the
meeting of the many duties of the pastor
ate combine to make a herculean task, a
| task which gives but little time for the
| sleep and recreation that are necessary
for physical well-being. but the average
preacher has no more demands upon his
time than the average doctor, lawyer, ed
| itor. merchant, clerk, wife or mother. AL
most without exception all people are
working very hard. comparatively few
| break down from over-work- God gives
to all of us strength enough to meet the
duties of the present day, but God does
not give to any one strength enough to
meet the duties of the present day and
those of tomorrow at the same time. So
most people when they break down do
not break down from over-worl but, like
Sir Walter Scott, from worry, and from
worry alone.
Carrying the Cares Of Tomorrow.
People who are untitled themselves for
the duties of everyday life by worry re-
mind me Of an old story that is told
about a traveller in the far east who was
trudging along a highway under what he
regarded as a grievously heavy load.
| Along that highway came a king driving
! In his chariot. He refined in his horses
and asked the tired pedestrian If he
would not like to ride. The weary trav-
eler gladly assented and climbed into the
rear of the chariot. After awhile the
king looked back and to his surprise, saw
the traveller sitting crouched in the rear
of the chariot with his heavy pack still
strapped to his back. Stranger" said
the king, why are thou still holding thy
pack?' Because answered the. man,
Il did not feel that thou wouldst like 1t
| If placed It in thy chariot 1 thought
II thou vert willing to carry me 1 ought
at least to be willing to carry my pack
oh foolish man." answered the king. IF
l am willing to carry thee am I not will
ing to carry thy pack also?" So God
| promises that he will help us carry the
duties Of the present day. But instead of
| trusting him as to the future most people
| go and pile upon their own backs all the
| cares and the anxieties of the morrow
| They sit in the Divine Kings chariot
! like the tired traveller of old, weighed
down with a pack of tomorrow's cares
which they ought to be willing to lay at
| their Masters feet
| AS worry racks the physical frame so
| that the tired mind Is unable to think
clearly; as 1t overtaxes the nervous sys-
| tenn until the ganglia or nerve centers
| have imperfect connection. or complete
| disconnection, like the telephone when
| the wires have become crossed as wor-
| ry paralyzes the digestive organs until
| they refuse properly to assimilate the
food upon which the human body is de-
pendent for the sustenance of life; as 1,
is the forerunner of all the fatal diseases
by which the human race Is invaded
and destroyed, so 1t Is an awful sin for
you to fret and worry about the future
and destroy your life's usefulness and In
fuence. Can you not as true Christian
men and women go forth to meet the du-
ties of the present day and leave the Wis
ionary future in Gods hands? Worry is
not harmless gadfy. an insectile annoy
ance. a buzzing irritant a haphazard
| playful habit. 1t is a sin which has de-
stroyed more victims than have ever been
slain upon the field of battle or ground
into pieces between the upper and neither
millstones of persecution and Islander.
Beware how you allow its fatal poison to
enter your sinful heart
Anticipating trouble is a form of intel
lectual and spiritual sin by which some
men are blinded to the appreciation or
enjoyment of present blessings Because
of this sin they cannot thank God for
their loving wives and devoted children.
| ay,lr (xr1d for 49,