Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1903-02-25

1uIIIIIIrItIIIruIII n ) Rev. A. NJ. Gibbons of the Metho . dist Episcopal church, announced al the subject of his Sunday morning sermon. ''The Realities of Life us ing as text the words: ''What il your life?" James, 1 :14. The sermon
 in brief was as follows: "We may
 the better arrive at an estimate Oi what life really is by first considering some of the things that it is not. Life does not consist in mere earthly possessions. "A mans life consistent not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. One may be a millionaire and live the life of a brute. The Rich Fool said to his soul: "Eat, drink and be merry. " An OK is capable of such a philosophy as that 4 man may be a pauper in this world and own mansion in the next Lazarus, amid all his wretched poverty, could have sung: My Father is rich in houses and lands, He holdeth the wealth of the world in his hands! Tho exiled from home, yet still 1 may sing: All glory to God, I'm the child of kingr' The worlds redeemer was constrained | to say: "The Son of man hath not where to lay his head;'' the Apostle Paul had never a home. In the goods of this world they were poor. but in the realities of life they were infinite Iy rich. Hence earthly wealth is no essential part of true life.
 Life is not mere intellectual bril- liancy. There are brilliant villains. Poe, a man of most brilliant intel feet, died in a drunken debauch while on the way to his own wedding. De Quincy. another of the worlds most brilliant intellects, was ruined by the opium habit This, then. is not the real life. All may not be brilliant; but all, by the grace of God, may live grand and noble lives. Earthly wealth and intellectual power are good gifts, if properly used; but they do not constitute the real life of man, nor are they essential thereto.
 Again. your life is not necessarily what others think of you. With many people the question of supreme moment is: "What will others think? What will the people say? Such is never the utterance of a true man. With him there is but one question: "What is right?" That settled and his course is clear.
 Turn we now to some of the things that really do constitute life. And first of all your life is what you really are It is what God knows you to be, as distinguished from what man be- lieves you to be. It is character as distinguished from reputation. Men have false standards for measuring hu- man life. Your reputation is mans measure of you, your character is Gods measure-your true self.
 It is further true that, your life is what you make it. Christ has broken the power of sin, he has purchased de liverance for every captive soul. He has made possible the perfect restor- ation of Gods image-which sin had shattered-to every child of Adam. So that every one is responsible for the life he lives. The destiny of every man is in his own hands. Her edity and environments are mighty powers, but not invincible. By the grace of God every life may rise above them both to a plain of noble man hood or womanhood. Some one says: I should like to live my life over. Then begin today there are unbound ed possibilities before you. Give your life to Jesus. and he will make its every day happy and useful. He has all eternity in which to develop our souls wondrous powers. 6 A commonplace life, we say and 1.
 we sigh.
 But why should we sigh as we say? The commonplace sun in the common l
 place sky
 Makes the commonplace day. The moon and the stars are common
 place things, And the flower that blooms, and the
 bird that sings.
 But dark were the world, and sad our
 lot,
 If the flowers should fail and the sun
 shine not
 And God, who studies each separate
 soul,
 Out of commonplace lives makes his
 beautiful whole. '