Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-07-14
ro,, this +rst to this last, From creation

from this first to this last! From creation
to the coming, and then again onward to
the glory that shall yet be revealed! Only
by finding the way of God, and being
caught up in the mighty sweep Of His own
p porP0s snd the wind is Blowing favorabiy
above. But she does not move, she cannot
move till men shall run up the sails and
they shall catch the wind. And then the
shin that has lain like a lifeless thing be-
comes a thing of life and hurries on her
way. And so it seems that the time is
come when the crises of history are hinged
upon the work of man. The gospel, Tor
instance, has been committed to the hands
of men. And as I understand it,. the sec
ond text cannot be fulfilled till this gospel
OF the kingdom is preached in all the earth,
I dwell upon the subject of unfinished
things, because it gives to us an lnterpre
tation that enhances the value of life. One
thinks of his own life in comparison with
the circling orbs, and says it is an unim'
portant thing. 1t is not useful, 1t lnfiu
ences no one. Why keep. up this awful
struggle with heat and cold, and PAIN ana
privaton? Why strive to do better! why
not go with the tide that sweeps away ava to
the dark? The real danger is not that we
shall think too much of ourselves, but that
we shall count our lives as worthless
things. We cannot afford to lose sight OF
the place we hold in the purposes OF COD.
A mans life taken by itself is an lnsignln
cant thing But when we think of it as
part of great whole it becomes OF infinite
value. 1t is as vast as all the schemes oil
which it is the part: This is an instance
where the part is as large as theswhole.
In his college sermons DR.. Peabody uses
a beautiful illustration of this very
thought. He refers to the two hundred
and fiftieth anniversary of the founding OF
Harvard College. The students marched
in torchlight professions with Transparent
cies and banners. The freshman class.
then only one month old, had this for their
motto "The university has waited 25O
years for u.s." And that he says was
profound truth. All the institutional lite
had been slowly evolving for these light
hearted boys, and on their conduct nov
rested the destiny of the future. l wonder
if it is possible that this very world has
been waiting for us. And if there are
some things yet unfulfilled that are wait
ing for the way we use these days. Ii so
that makes life vastly insignificant. OF
course, it does not mean that we shall be
notable or great, or prominent. Not that
other generations shall know our names
But that our little lives are of eternal
Mr.. +. B. Meyer has said some beautiful
lHlHRS. IcIlltubSl hNuiihS Soy
time that we are Gods poem" Gods
workmanship; And you know that !; a
poem is something very different from al!
prose. 1t contains thought that could
not be put in prose. To paraphrase it is
to dull its beauty. 1t flashes the idea only
in that form, Just as diamond gives that
CLEAN only from that side. So we are
Gods poem! And a poem contains
thought. And to express that thought
has meant to the writer a great effort
And every syllable is of value. And so
with God g poem. He is working upon us
that in the ages to come He might show
forth the exceeding riches of His grace.
Can any life be insignificant?
Give no place, then. to Impotence. God
made this world in the beginning, and to
this present He has sustained it by we'll
formed plan. The present finds us here:
What place shall we take in this world of
unfinished things? For myself take a
place of JOY, and effort, and hope. ! reach
out lame hands of faith for the way of
God, and lift up voice that is half
PRAYER and half shout, Even so, come,
Lord Jesus