The Penn's Grove record., 1904-05-06
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN INTERESTING DISCOURSE BY THE
REV. ROBERT MACKENZIE.
Subject: "The Trials and Triumph OfLife'
The Outside and the Inside Sources of
Strength-The Weakness of This Pres
ent Day-Life a scene of Computations

The Outside and the Inside Sources of
Strength-The Weakness of This Pres
ent Day-Life a scene of Computations
BROOKLYN, n. Y.-Dr. Robert Mac
kenzie, pastor of the Rutgers Presbyterian
Church. Manhattan, preached Sunday on
"The Trials and Triumph of Life" His
text was found in Acts xx:22-24: "And
now, behold / go bound in the spirit into
Jerusalem, not knowing the things that
shall befall me there. Save that the Holy
Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying
that bonds and Affections abide me. But
none of these things move me, neither
count my life dear unto myself, so that l
might finish my course with JOY. and the
ministry which l have received of the
Lord Jesus. to testify the gospel Of the
grace of God" DR.. Mackenzie said:
Paul feels himself set to a definite pur-
pose in life, something appointed of God
and worthy of himself. He is determined
to finish his course successfully. Each of
us is called of God to live some definite
purpose. to add by our lives to the sum of
the good in this world. to do something and
to be something for God. To accomplish
this purpose Paul saw that he had to pass
through many trials, temptations. difficult
ties. He is looking back upon those
through which he has already come and
" W l. " llOSC uC saw HC iiuSb AGb uuCCAs
He knew that bonds and affections await
ed him if he pursued his present purpose
further. He saw his life as a very stormy
me-. His friends sought to persuade him
to change his course, to compromise a little
with his purpose, to adapt himself more
prudently to the WAYS of the world in
which he found himself, to be less straight
forward, and so escape those bonds and
affections that threatened. He was not
,n1iforarf a,+hnr - Eho Ao,ror- &c Az 20
or to the kindly interest," of his friends;
but he answers "What mean We to weep
and to break mine heart? For l am ready
not to be bound only. but also to die for
the name of the Lord Jesus" Then the
calm conclusion of our text: "None of
these things move / E." 1t is difficult to
get up to the level Of Paul. he is the most
determined, uncompromisinr straight-on
man in this book of great characters. Yet
to this level; all who will can rise.
'"These things" of our text nave not
passed away with Paul. Trials are behind,
bonds and Affections are before every man
that will make a worthy course across this
life. When you build a Zip for the North
Atlantic you must take storms and ice
bergs into account and build accordingly.
When you would build a boy for business,
for honor, for goodness, for Christian SER
vice in this community, you must take
these things" into account. Last years
icebergs nave melted in summer seas, but
new ones have formed and will meet the
sailor of this year. The North Atlantic is
ever the samoa scene Of storm and ice.
The particular trials that overlook Paul
may not fall on any of us, but others will
come, bearing other names, equally disturb
ing to our souls. This world is ever the
samoa scene of many trials. Only a few
are exempt, only a few are permitted to
stand with their hands at their back and
their backs to the fire looking out upon the
storm. There are such people. We are
glad when old people can do this, but the
young people who can do it, or do do it,
are not to be envied, but pitied. Most men
must go out and meet the storm of these
thlngs-opposltlon, competitions, disap-
p~ointments, temptations-meet them and
make their way through them, as best they
can, and become men, and all the better
men for meeting them.
'"These things move some men nightly;
they seek to edge their way out of the
storm, they change their course, compro-
mise with their original purpose, choose
some less strenuous way through life.
Some young men form q purpose to go to
college, when the bonds of mathematics
and Affections of Cicero's ~orations come be-
tween them and their purpose these
things" move them out OF their course.
They compromise with their purpose and
look for an easier way. Some men go fur
Their, they finish their preparation, face
their profession, meet the difficulties Incl
dent to any such beginning, complain,
finch, fall out discouraged, despaIring,
scarcely living, driftwood on the streets.
Some men, like Pau, are unduly moved
by these things. These are not spared
the storm nor does the storm beat less
hard Upon them; yet they keep their faces
to it, keep to their purpose firmly, often
bent like trees, but like trees well rooted,
recover themselves; often like William Tell
gong through a pass of his native Alps on
a narrow path cut in the face of the preci-
pice, the mountain wind blowing a gale
against him; unable to make progress
against it, unable to stand against it, he
lay dow IN the path, but he lay with his
face to his goal and crawled to it. Men
knowing their full share of the trials of
life are yet able to say, each in his own
measure, None of these things moved
me-" Most of you here belong to that
number. Your life in youth was not cast
IN easy places; you present life is not
spent in sheltered places. Most of you
were cast as young men into this, or some
similar stormy community to make your
own way. You have been met repeatedly
by the storm of "these things" in business,
In home and in your Christian life; yet you
are here to-day with your faces to your
purpose, our purpose well in hand, able to
say after as well as before the storm,
"None of these things move me-"
How is this explained? Take the life of
such men as Job, and Joseph and Daniel
and Paul-men who have set before us eX-
amples of how much the human heart can
bear and not break, what bonds and af-
Elections it can endure and not be unduly
moved. Take the men and women of your
own acquaintance and observation on
whom these things have broken with full
force and yet they are cheerful, sunny,
sympathetic people, reaching a middle life
OF high honor and an old age of charity
and faith n hop,e-people whom it Is
good to know, people who show INTO what
rich coinage the rough ore of human nature
can be minted. How is their triumph ac-
counted for? By the fact that if life has
its scenes of trial, life has also it sources
of strength in which to endure and triumph
over the trials.
After all, if you will think about it, this
life is a scene of compensations. On the
whole, "these things' are balanced by
other things. On the whole, life is not so
bad as we were taught to expect it; the
fears of pessimism are not realized by
healthy men; our young fears were larger
NAoA VIZ -SAPSAiCnGCO ldCtSs OU. les,
said a colored woman, Il have had a great
many troubles in my life, most of which
never happened" When they do happen
we find that there have been compensating
preparations in which to meet them. If
nature smites the Norway and the Oregon
pine trees with its north winds it laws
the protecting moss on that side of the
tree. If nature allures the animal to the
Arctic it wraps and haps it in furs. Man
is not neglected in this distribution of
compensation, no trial has overtaken you
more than is common to man, no trial is
put upon you more than you are able to
bear, with the trial there is some way of
escape, of compensation. Both God and
nature lay burdens on us, for life is a dis
eipline for character in ourselves, for ser
vice for others; but neither God nor nature
has any pleasure in seeing our shoulders
stoop too soon, or our hearts break un-
timely. 1t is possible for us to hear these
things and not be moved, for God and ma
ture have ordained sufficient sources of
strength to enable US to bear them.
There are outside sources: The Young
spear of wheat beginning to grow in the
bleak winds of November or March finds
itself supported by a little barrel of flour
n the grain out of which it springs. The
Young caterDlilar waking nm 70 hooin ;ts