Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-03-14
THE END OF TINE"
Sunday Sermon By the Rev. DR.. David
James Burreil.
Discourses lrsfruc;iyeIy on Th:me That II
-. Less Eloquent Mouths Might Seem Thread
barc-Economize Fragments of Tine.


lifted up his hand TO heaven, and sware
by Him that liveth forever and ever. who
created heaven. and the things that therein
are, and the earth, and the things that
therein are, and the sea, and the things
which are therein, that there should be
time no longer"
Our theme is trifle threadbare, but per.
haps none the less profitable on that ac-
count. 1t is an easy matter to make a
homily on time, but not all homilies are as
much to the point as that of the court jes.
ter Jacques:
Good morrow. fool" quoth I.
''No, sir" quoth he;
Call me not fool till heaven hath sent me
fortune"
And then he drew dial from his poke,
And, looking on it with lack-luster eye,
Says very wisely, 1T is ten o'clock;
Thus may we see," quoth he, chow the
world wags;
lis but an hour ago since il was nine;
And after one hour more twill be eleven;
And so, from hour to hour, we ripe ano
ripe,
And then, from hour to hour, VIC rot and
rot;
And thereby hangs tale"
Let this melancholy tale" engage us fol-
while. The issues of interminable aeons
may depend upon the attention we give tc
the circling hands on the dial. He who
learns Alright the lessons of time is ready
to meet the responsibilities of eternity.
But what is time? Time is money!
they say. So far so good, if we would real.
ize 1t. A man went into Benjamin Frank.
Inns book store and inquired the price oil
volume. One dollar" was the clerks
answer. Call your employer" said the
asked the price OF the volume he answered.
"One dollar and a quarter why, your
clerk asked only a dollar" "To be sure
but You called me from my printing press
and 1 am charging You for my time" The
man argued and demonstrated in vain.
Presently he said, Now, Mr.. Franklin.
book" One dollar and half" Pre-.
posterous. You only asked me a dollar
and quarter" Yes. but my time is val.
uahle, and every minute sends the book
u This was sound philosophy and good
iness. Ii our days and hours were all
-ked with a price in plain figures we
s uld probably be less proiligate of them
A.le have no such scruple about wasting
time as we would have in throwing gold
eagles into the sea.
But time is more than money. 1t is "the
stuff that life Is made of Ii stands fol
privilege, opportunity. responsibility, iuds
ment, heaven or hell. You may throw
away a dollar and earn another. but nc
two moments overlap. The last one said
farewell forever: the next is-already gonei
Time is talent, talent of gold stamped
with the image and supersoription OF the
King. God made it. as He made the trees
and mountains, and He owns it. He has
entrusted IL TO us, to be put at usurv foi
Him. will a man rob God? Yet We have
robbed Me. saith the Lord of hosts" The
transportation or misuse of days anc
hours and moments is as really dishonest
~>as the tapping of an employers till. This
Is Il seffJ2s matter, and gives us sufficient
food for thought, II our question were
pushed no further. But we cannot stor
here.
asked an aged man with hoary hairs.
Wrinkled and curved with many worldly
thine is the warp of lifc," he said. 30 tell
The young: the fair, the brave to use ii
we'll"
asked the mighty angel and silvery
spheres.
Those bright chronometers of passing
years;
They answered, "Tine is but a meteor.
glare"
And bade me for eternity prepare.
! asked the mighty angel who shall stand
One foot on sea. the other on the land
Mortal" he cried, "the mystery is DER;
Time was. time is, but time shall be nc
more"
A step further brings us 10 the inquiry,
What is time for: or TO what end has this
momentous trust been reposed III us! Let
il be understood that time Is not for US to
live III. We are not ephemera; we live for.
ever. Time is given Us Tor preparation.
Tn 5 Is only the antechambcr OF life, where
we stand waiting until the door opens and
we pass IN. Death is the angel that opens
the door. The only reason why we fear
death is because we know that as ;ime
leaves US eternity finds. rs; Death ends
characters chrystalized: He that Is uni1ss,
let him be unjust still; he that is holy. lei
him be hoy still" These are our schoo,.
days; death Is commencement Here
we serve an apprenticeship; death is going
to work.
The other day 4 young newspaper re.
porter said 10 me, on my refusing an inter.
view: Il wish YOU would help me along.
I'm on probation, and whether | get au
engagement n not depends upon my sac
cess in this sort OF thing" | wonder how
some OF the people who are now wasting
their probation can expect To he taken
into service in the kingdom of God. What
can they do: Let the great Employer ask
them. What can you do:" How will i.
seem TO answer. Il can sell dress goods; l
can lead the german; / can make money or
spend it: / can drive a bargain; | can sail
n schooner or run an engine; L can re
ceive' ard entertain | can make money!"
4ut-e Aft EtNN 90 ts-t - tHtt ~. Uuts
in all soberness. how far do they go as A
preparation for the tasks of heaven? DO
sou know. friend. how 60 comfort the grief.
stricken and rescue, the wandering: How
to minister to the nced of the wounded
Traveller on the Jericho road? How to give
the cup of cod va e. to oac OF Gods little
ones? How 20 point pcntemt sinner to
the lamb OF God. How to speak the
praises Of the On. altogether lovely: How
10 sing Holy. How Hoy. Lord God AZ.
mighty" II not what hew:ider!ng sort
OF place hcave1 would be 10 YOU, What
are You iii io.: Heaven J. no place Tor
unslil ed l.Enr. " hat can You do? Time
is given you Tor this very purpose. to get
ready Tor the things farther on.
Bat how much time have we? Enough:
TO more, 10 less. 1t Is distributed ..tC
every one according TO his several ability. |
A short life Is long enough, and the lone.
est lie Is short enough for what must he /
done IN It" Seneca said. I'VE comnlaiu !
OF the shortness of time and vet we have
more than we know what to do with. Our /
lives are spent in doing nothing at ali /
nothing TO the purpose or nothing that We I
ought to do. We are ever complainira
that our days are few and acting As if thcy
were without end"
We have time enough for work. An
"eight-hour day" is a purely artificial ,
thing. God never made it. Are thers |
now twelve hours in the day." Gods day (
IN which imam goeth to his work" is fro,a
morning until evening, and there is not toe
much of it.
We have time enough for recreation. Nc |
mai Is at liberty To oVerwork or 10 ,vorl, |