The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-28
FRUITS OF THE YEAR
BETTER THAN ITS PROMISES
Doctor f. w. Luce Says Values
should Be Measured by Results,
Not Plans.

At the Maple Avenue Methodist EplSco-
pal Church yesterday morning the pastor.
the Reverend Doctor Frank w. Luce.
preached on THE Superior Glory of Con-
ciusions," a sermon appropriate to the
closing of the year. His text was Ecclesi-
astes vii, S. Better is the end of a thing
than the beginning thereof" He said, in
part:
This clear statement of divinely in
spred wisdom excludes all from our con-
sideration save that which has within it
some good, If there are any such compost
tions of being or experience. The text
plainly implies that when beginnings are
good, endings are better, and there can be
no good ending that does not have some
good in the beginning. There can be no
good evolved unless there be first good in
rolved.
NO skill or diligence in culture can
evolve that which does not already exist
dormantly and under the mandates of
vitality. for whatever powers may be
credited to evolution, it can never become
creation. In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth and there is no
creator but God. save in the limited sense
of combining forces already created to the
manifestation of results existing in posi-
bility in that which is already created by
the power and wisdom of God EVIL is
only good perverted. Our text only takes
account of those things which have begin
ninss, and which, both the instruments
and powers, have in those beginnings
some good either expressed or in possibil-
fly.
Closing scenes are sometimes solemn,
even pathetic, usually disappointing, and
always more or less interesting, awaken
ing the reminiscent faculties OF the hhman
soul. Another year is nearly concluded.
] will not say past, for while time has
rolled by 1t has left its contribution to
coming time.
I'VE are sheltered to-day, in the provi-
dence Of God. beneath the stately arch be-
tween the broad. firm. quiverless certain
ties Of the past, stripped of all their gar
nishments of abnormal optimism, giIded
ideals and shimmering hopes. also their
COLLINS of despair. dark fears and direful
threatenings Of disaster. and we look for
ward from this dividing archway to the
tremuious, variegated. problematic future.
picturing q thousand things, both good
and bad. which will in due time appear.
We would be indeed thoughtless had
We no experiences of solemnity, emotion
less had We no pathetic heart tnrobs. Our
past ideals must have been low indeed
and our hopes dull and lansuid had We no
oisappointments, and passioniess indeed
must we be were not our souls tremulous
With keen and intense interest as we
NieT the varied. personal, social and re-
ligious experiences of the year just con-
Guiding.
What has the year for us in its dying
oays what its legacy as it passes into
e,ernity? Its beginning was bright with
lich promise, day dreams of victories TO
be achieved. tasks to be well done, lessons
10 he well learned. sins to be mastered and
virtues 10 be FURNISHED and enlarged.
But dreams have not all been realized
distractions have not been concreted, VIC
io.ies planned have sometimes resulted in
telsat, sin has sometimes become master
and the sweet flowers of ideal virtues
awe sometimes blighted and crushed. I'm
Planned and unthought of universities have
come In some instances, sickness and
t-ath nave intruded their unwelcome pres
eiice. Some friends have proven false
whom We supposed We're true. The year
1t its close would hardly be recognized as
rinC. But the end Is far better than the
beginning If the beginning had any good.
ana it did. for God was in those holy am
b Mons and ana exalted ideals. those gilded
As accomplishments are better than
mere hopes. as eoncretiOns are better than
than mere plans, as realities are better
than dreams, SO is the~end of the year
better than the beginning. True the hopes
may have been far greater than the ac-
complishment; abstract theories may have
been far in advance of that which is con-
creted, the realities may be far short of
the dreams. But the only real value of
hope is Its inspiration to realities, the
value of an ideal is in SO much as its
dreamer is able to concrete into actuality.
This by no means minifies hopes and
fdeals-there could be little human ac-
complishment without these soul-inspir-
ing exercises OF soul: but they are to
realities as is cause to effect. The real
tiles Of the years close are better than
the shimmering hopes of its beginning,
even though there are numerous disap-
pointments. findings are better than be-
what of solid actually there is. and by
the sanest tests of mind and by the best
authority of revelation results are the
true tests OF value. Wherefore by their
fruits We shall know them
Results, not plans. or hopes, or fears,
or day dreams projected into the future
capable of doing or communicating good
are rightly estimated by the kind and
volume of results achieved according to
the elements of their being. That is the
best rose bush which produces the most
and best roses. No matter what may be
its profusion of leaves in springtime, un-
less it produces roses. beautiful. fragrant
and abundant, its promises are of no
avail.
matched to the designs in the law of its
being. A peach tree is at its best when
Il bears most and best fruit. no matter
how Its rich foliage shades the earth, or
its flowers of rich fragrance arrest the
eye with their beauty. 1t is not enough
that the peach tree bloom beautifully; its
fruitage Is its glory. The fields do well
only when they bring forth good harvests.
The forests when they produce unbending
timbers for bridges and buildings, and
fine-grained woods fer houses and furnish,
ings Man in the image of God is good
only when he is good for something, in
intellectual and moral being.
The fruit gathering time with the peach
tree is better than its days OF blooming,
the fields look beautiful in springt1me, but
they are better for the purposes of their
existence when the music of the sickle
fells the ripened grain. The forests are
grand in their springtime glory and their
rich gold, emerald and Jasper in autumn
and when winters fingers ornament them
with ice jewels; but they are better when
the woodman's ak fells them 10 the
earth and the screaming saw mill rips and
manRies them. and the keen-bladed plane
smoothes and the mechanics skill frames
them into palaces.
Man IL at his best, not In infancy but in
age: not In youth but in the hour of his
departure The golden period of human
tSxtstence Ia not in time hut in eternity.
With battles fought. victories won. life
FINISHED and the time of departure at
haud-that Is the best period of a good
mans life With all that God does and
all with which he has to do. the last thing