The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-05-27

greater tAAn We NAV ever AHNNt W IN N@A
estimate the regulations taat have been
wrecked, the lives of promise that have
been crippled, the usefulness for good IN
the word that has been checked hy the
retailing 0t evil SANDER throughout tae
twelve hours OF the days
Once more. think ol the hours consumed
m the pursuit oi merely se.nsL pleasure.
Indifferent 20 the bitter cry %; outcast hu.
man.tv. cailous 20 the great moral needs ot
the hour that come knocking az our doors,
how many %. " use up the twelve hours
IN me pursuit of schemes whose one pur-
pose is Tor sell and sell alone BJsv we
may be. but - busy with the Affairs ~ self
that we have no time 10 spend Tor the com-
mon good. for the needs oi man, or the
glory OF God. Twelve hours and all ot
them strdug.ed upon the altar ot selt-not
one given up 20 Cod 70 WING rs way up,
ward like incense aefore the eternal throne.
Look back upo~ the week lat - gone,
with its treasury o, hours, ami what record
have they lett upon the tablets o, the SOU =
Fow many hours OF last week WI messed
YOU on vour knees before God How MAN.
hours did YOU give 20 PRAYER How many
hours dii YOU give to studying t2e bh,e'
How many 10 thinking thoughts OF love
and tvans,ating them into deeds OF kind
ness How many 10 cruci.Nlng self and
euthronng Christ? How mtny9 Perhaps
not even one. And yet on these hours we
are building character for eternity, out OF
these hours Is growing that immortal self
with which at last we must stand before
the judgment scat OF God. Twelve hours
IN the day 20 work out your salvation, aud
how many men are using these twelve
hours IN working out their pegdluon
How, then, are We gong 10 redeem our
Gays, make the most ot those twelve hours,
so that az last no upbraidlng memory shall
recall them with sorrow End shame
| would not be so foolish as 20 say that
this power TO use time srlglt means that
we are TO fill up each separate hour with
some determined, conscious effort. That
would be impossible, and, even II u were
possible, it would turn Va into sclt.con-
scious prigs anG moral pedants Nou can.
not detach every hour and say, as Franklin
sand m his diary. that this hour Will be de.
voted 10 such an such duty, that he
10 some other duty, and 50 on. That would
destroy a great deal OF the inspiration OF
lie and would turn existence INTO a grind
ing macl me. No, the hours =" 90 be re-
deemed, not SO much by what we do IN
them as oy the spirit we bring % them, hy
the temper IN which we 60 them. Let
every day be begun with its season of spe'
Clal PRAYER. Let n have lts moments shut
of for communion with God. And then
these moments. however brief. OF cousc-
Grated prayer, will give a tome 20 the rest
of the day -hch Will make Impossible that
tlippant dissipation OF time which Is SD
ruinous 10 character
There are two things that this spirit Of
prayer VIII produce IN our use of the
twelve hours IN the day FIRST, prayer
produces a sense OF urgency, a spirit of
haste, # YOU like, but not a spirit OF hurry.
IL iutcnslhcs the thought that time h short
and yet enough for each one Of Us 90 do
something for God. 1t Is that feeling OF
urgency IN regard 20 each day ls 10 comes
that u should leave the record OF some.
thing attempted, something given tor God
and our fellow men, that gives richness %
hie, a beauty TO character, a sunny ra'
dance to the soul, that makes earth the
threshold of heaven Nothing X more dls
gusting than 10 meet people who SIMPLY
loaf through hie, without any sense OF ur
gcncy As the saying goes, they do not
care whether school keeps OF not. They
are not worried about the orids nccessl
ties. What wc want Is this sense of ur'
gency Time Is short and yet long enough
with prayer 10 do something hat will
abide when we have passed away. That ~
the first thing that prayer brings 10 the
twelve hours OF the day
The second thing Is A sense OF calmness,
spirit Of serenity. How often we lrct
and worry beneath .he pressure OF HE!
The friction OF care reduces the effective
ness OF our energy MANY men are Ntdl ing
themselves out before their time, simply
because they have this hlllucinltion that
there is not time enough They get into A
fever OF worry because the days are too
short. But prayer brings 20 us the thought
that God has gwen US time enough, and all
He asks from US Is 10 live and work by the
day. In His service we are onl'' day labor
crs. With tomorrow we have nothing &c
do, The command ~, Go, work to-day
4 Al 60
a day" Gods wages are paid, not by the
month nor the week, but by the day. Each
day brings its duty, but each day brings
ITS grace and strength and blessing Ia we'll:
Build little fence Of trust
Around to-day.
Fill the pace with loving work,
And therein stay
Look not through the shcitcring bars
Upon tomorrow,
God will help thee tear what comes
OF JOY or sorrow
With some Of US here this evening the
day Of life ~ young. The morning light
still lends freshness 20 your youthful ar.
dor. But with othe-s OF js u u already
the eleventh how, the eleventh hour IN
life's busy day. Although we know 10 not,
the dusk OF time = falling "A D.. The twI.
light OF our years = deepening and nigh up
IN the beifiy OF the soul
"The curfcw tolls the knciI Of passing day"
And yet through the silence OF this eey.
enth hour, throug. the shadowcd market
place of your hfcs activities you may hear
tonight the voice OF infinite love and ten
dcrness calling, and calling vet aglin:
Why stand sc here a.! he day IDLE" II
il the eleventh hour and Christ claims that
eleventh hour Redeem the time IN lIIs
service. Consecratc n 20 IT'S glory, and
YOU will IA nowlse lose your reward To.
day II yc will hca. ls yO.cc-lni rcmcm'
Der, There are twelve hours IN the day.