Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-11-28
"AFTERWARD"
"A Brilliant Sunday Sermon By Rev.
j. II, Lockwood.
Declares that tn: Whole Enigma of Lie is
Solved at Once Wh:1 You Hold the
....... = Keyword.

wood, pastor of the Naugatuck Conn., NJ
Z. Church. preached Sunday morning i'll
Grace M: J.. Church in the absence of the
\ pastor, the Rev. DR.. John f. Adams. Mr.
lockwood is well and favorably known in
Brooklyn and on Long Island. where he
has Ted several pastorates. He was born
and educated in Brooklyn and studied law
before he entered the ministry. He had
the distinction of being last year the only
clerical member of the Connecticut Leg.
islature. He took for the subject of his
sermon, "Airerward." His text was from
the present seemeth to be joyous. but
grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yield
eth the peaceab!e fruit of righteousness
unto them which are exercised thereby
Mr.. Lockwood said:
Let us consider the single word "After--
ward. as our text. If you grasp that word
and its rich content of comfort You will
have caught the whole message of the SER
Lon, and you will possess a most valuable
solvent for life's perp!eNing, and often dis
tressing. problems.
Human life is mysterious enir a that
has successfully baficd the efforts persist.
ent.y made by, the profoandest; thinkers Ct e.
our race for its solution. "What is life!'
is the still puzz,ing question of questions.
As the biologists and their fellow scientists
have not succeeded in TELLING us just what
that elusive thing we call physical life is.
neither have poets, prophets, philosophers,
nor even philanthro' It's been abe to tell
us adequately what real life is.
Here is this strange thing we call life.
with its many and varied phenomena. and
the more profoundly and comprehensively
we study it the more conflsed it leaves lis.
There are experiences positively joyous and
experiences positively painful, and there
are experiences partially Joyous and par
italy painful, and we look at this great
e s. I,lo H.
baffied to know the meaning of it all: Still,
with our hearts. as well as with our heads,
we ask again the irrepressible interroga-
tive. "NVhat is life?"
Are we, indeed, only lot If animals
high class animals, to be Sill =. but oriv ami
mas nevertheless, sprung from the prime
val mud and risen to our present intellect.
painful step and slow. on'.- to hf p,owed
under shortly in the great cosmis agricul-
ture to serve as soil for some future crop.
little finer grained than we: From mud
to mud-that is the program of evolution.
Or, on the other hand, is it some splendid,
sweeping pan which we are in. working
out for US. the immortal participants. a far
more exceeding and eternal weight of CORY
that shall thrill the soul forever? Have
we been but blind and STUPID workers at
the loom Of time. weaving an imaginary
fabric that really had TO existence, even as
zone that beateth the air." or are we act
ually engaged in some real work of marvel
Gus design. whose pattern we see not Clear
IL and in a'l its comprehensive details. bnt
which our Master Workman knoweth well?
Let us look at the three proffered expla-
nations # ..fe. First, there is the doieful
and distressing answer of phi.osophic pes.
simism which assures US that things are
surely growing worse all the time, the
world is rolling down hill and there are no
hrnI Los fhof ha ssod hn
now is better than It will ever be hereafter.
If you like that view, accent it. No. we
must not say it so. Not. do Won like it,
but is it true? That is the way to p. it:
for, pleasant or repucnant. we must accept
what is true. But this view cannot possi-
bly, be true unless the proposition on which
it is based is a'so true, the proposiiion OF
the fool who said in his heart, "There is no
God"
And in the second Place we have the an.
swer of philosophic optimism, which as.
serts that things are steadily getting bet.
ter; that, whereas life to-day is far better
than it was 1000 or 10000 years ago, it will
be far better 1000 or 10000 years hence.
But this prevalent; theory is scarcely any
superficial thinker. for it makes no provi.
sion for the perpetuation of personality.
Where will you and l be when those far
off improvements OF orr race arrive? This
matera.istic philosophy offers lis of the
present no immortality. and hence no OPP
portnnity for the. adjustment of life's pres
ent glaring injustices.. ] am CAD to believe
that the race that shall he resident here
1000 wears from now will be a better race.
But would like to be in existence some.
where, too. when the better day dawns.
And even il l could rise to the superb UNI
selfshness like unto that which noets some.
times sing when, temporarily. they happen
IN no in CT haf nd I
was content to live and die and cease t.
exist here or anywhere else if only. al
result of my having lived a while. future
generations might be lifted little higher;
still. one must feel that that pretty and.
after all. rather morbidlv sentimental
mands of orr sous that wrongs shall be
adequately righted. that innocent sufferers
shall be COMPENSATED and that outraged
helpiessness shall he avenged
Now comes Christianity, with its ample
answer. It admits all the facts. the ap.
parent iniustices of the present. the pros.
perity of the unrighteous, the triumphing
suffering and the seeming defeats of Gods
heroes and saints in the fierce, hot contest
of life: and then it speaks one blessed
word, "Afterward!" and we can be pa
tient.
After We have herd that divine word
we can see the wicked spread himself like
a green hay tree, and still we crest in the
Lord and wait patiently for Him, and we
refuse to fret ourselves because of him
who prosrereth in his ways, because of the
man who bringeth wicked devices to pass"
The whole puzzing enigma of life is
solved at once when YOU hold the keyword,
and that word is the single word of the
text. "Afterward!"
That is to say, you can get no satisfac-
tory explanation Of this strange and some.
what feversh thing we call life, unless you
think of what is to follow. A noted Amer,
lean orator, in famous sentence of bis,
has told us that we have no lamp with
which to guide our feet in the future ex.
cept the experience of the past. He con.
tended. and rightly. too. that we cannot
properly estimate the future unless We
base our judgment on the experience Of
the past. Now we may go on and supple.
ment Patrick Henry's familiar dictum by
saying that we have no lamp to reveal the
meaning of the present. except the light of
the future. "Afterward' IS the word that
explains the mysterious discip!inings and
chastenings of the present. If you will
grasp that word with firn,, athletic grip, ii
will settle for you all these difficult prob
lens that SO frequently confront your soul
and disturb your heart.
When you come to some terrific eXper-
fence in life that all but skaters the very
foundations of faith-when YOUR soul falls
stricken and wounded on life's cruel bat.
tlefieid-a thousand arrows of temptai ion
piercing the spirit and many a sword Of
sorrow thrust through the heart-so that
all you can do is to cry in agoay and terror,
'sNfv God, nav God, hast Thou forsaken