Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-05-05
"TRIALS AND TRIUMPH"
A Brilliant Sunday Discourse By Rev.
Robert Mackenzie.
The Outside and Inside Sources Of Strength
The Weakness Of This Present Day.

BROOKLYN, N. LIT. hopeIC MAJ
kenzie, pastor of the Rutgers rresbyter'an
The Trials and Triumph of Life" His
text was found in Acts xx:22-A: 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 | 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
IS 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
through many trials, temptations, difhcul'
ties. He is looking back upon thosc,
through which he has already come and
forward to those he saw he must yet meet
He knew that bonds and Affections await.
ed him if he pursued his present purpose
further. He saw his lite as very stormy
one. His friends sought to persuade HIM
to change his course, to compromise 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
Indifferent either to the dangers of the way
or to the kindly intcresi OF his friends;
but he answers: What mean We to weep
and to break mine heart? For 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, rncompromislnr stragnt.on
man in this book of great characters. Yet
there are ordinary human steps leading
to this level; all who will can rise,
These things of our text have not
passed away with Paul. Tria,s are behind,
bonds and Affections are before every man
that will make a worthy course across tins
Me. When YOU build a ..ip TOR the North
Atlantic YOU must take storms and ice
bergs into account and build accordingly
When YOU would build boy for business,
for honor. tor goodness, for Christian ser.
vice i'll this community, you must take
these things into account. last year :
icebergs have melted in summer seas, but
new ones have formed and will meet the
sailor OF this year. The North Atlantic Ii
ever the samoa scene OF storm and ice
The particular trials that overlook Paul
may not tall on any OF us, but Others Will
come, bearing other names, equally disturb
ing to our souls This world is ever the
samc-a scene OF many trials. Only 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 tins. but the
young people who can do it, or do do 1t,
are not to be envicd, but pitlcd. Most men
must 90 out and meet the storm OF 'thcs,
things opposition. competitions, diSap
pomtmentS. temptations meet them and
make then way through them. a 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 "A purpose to 90 tC
college, when the bonds Of mathematIc,
and Affections OF Cicero's orationS come be
tween them and their purpose these
things move them out ot their course
They compromise with their purpose ana
look for an easier way. Some men go iur
thcr, they finish their preparation, face
their profession, meet the difficulties Incl
dent to any such beginning. complain,
finch. fall out discouraged. deSpailng
scarcely living. drlitwood on the streets.
Some men. like Paul, are unduly moved
by these things, These are not spared
the storm nor does the storm beat les.
hard upon them. yet they keep Their face:
to 1t, keep to their purpose firmly. otter
bent like trees. but like trees well rooted
recover themselves; often like William Tel
gong through pass OF his native Alps on
narrow path cut III the face OF the prccI
plce, the mountain wind blowing gaze
against him; unable TO make progreS.
against 1t, unable to stand against IT. ht
lay down in the path, but he lay with IN
face to his goa and crawled to it. Mer
knowing their full share OF the trials q
lie are yet able to say, each III his OWE
measure, None of these things movcC
me- Most OF YOU here belong to that
number. Your life in youth was not cast
in easy places; your present itc is not
spent IN sheltered places. Most of you
were cast as young men INTO tins. or somt
similar stormy community to make Noui
own way. You have been met repeated,
by the storm of these things IN business,
III home and in your Christian lie; yet YOU
are here to-day with Your faces to youi
purpose, your purpose well IN hand, able Ia
say after as we'll as before the storm
None of these things move me-
How Is tins explained: Take the life o.
such men as Job. and Joseph and DAME.
and Paul-mcn who have SET before lis eX.
amples of how much the human heart can
bear and not break, what bond. and at
Elections it can endure and not be undul,
moved. Take the men and women of you
own acquaintance and observation OF
whom these things have broken with ful
force and yet they are cheerful. sunny
sympathetic people reaching a middle Iii,
OF high honor and an old age of chart,
and faith and hope-people whom it i.
good to know. people who show into what
rich coinage the rough ore OF human nature
can be mlnted. How is their triumph ac
counted for? BY the fact that il lie has
ITS scenes OF trial life has also it source:
OF strength IN which to endure and triumph
over the trials.
After all, if YOU will think about it. thi.
lie Is scene of compensations. On the
whole. these things" are balan,~l h>
other things. On the whole, life is not 50
bad as We were taught to expect it: the
tears OF pesSlmsm are not realized h,
healthy men; our Young fears were larger
than the experienced facts. ooh! Yes
sad colOred woman, Il have had great
many troubles in my life, most of Which
never happencd.' When they do happen
we find that there have been compromising
preparations in which to meet them. II
nature smites the Norway and the Oregon
pine trees with its north winds il law.
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 yor
more than Is common to man, no trial il
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 dis.
clpline for character in ourselves. for ser
vice for others; but neither God nor nature
has any pleasure in seeing our shoulders
stosp too soon, or our hearts break un
timely. 1t is possible for u to hear these
things, and not be moved. for God and ma.