The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-02-02
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
!, CHAPLAIN CLARK. CT THE
NAVAL. ACADEMY.

=. NAVAL ACADEMY.
Subject: The Unlooked-For Increment
Baltimore. Md.-The following bril-
liant sermon was contributed to the
Sunday Sun by the Rev. Fl. H. Clark,
D. D., chaplain of the United States
Naval Academy, at Annapolis. 1t is
entitled The Unlooked-For 1ncre-
lnent," and was preached from the
text:
Behold, I have done according to
Thy words; 10! have given thee Il
wise and understanding heart. And l
have also given thee that which thou
hast not asked."'-II Kings. ill.,, 1918.
Solomon's request is surprise.
Left to the promptings Of ambition it
is not characteristic of men to ask for
simple gifts or few. The natural re-
quest would have been for the things
the King did not ask-long life. riches.
honor, victory over enemies. Instead
the request was simple an6 unseifish.
It was made with most becoming
humility. 1t was for wise and under
standing heart. This would be enough.
Then came the Jehovah's answer: Il
have given thee wise and understand
ing heart. And I have also given thee
that which thou hast not asked" This
was increment, increase, that Solomon
had not countedSon.,
How much is involved in doing the
right thing at the outset! Somehow
first things take hold on last things.
The energy of the first block the child
pushes over in the row is not expended
il the last block is down. The first
branches. you bend and tie into shape
make way for the beauty and SYM
mery Of the full grown tree. The
shipbuilder can tell from, the keel that
Isl laiifsthe sort OF ;shipethat is going to
be built. From the dimensions Of
growing columns the architect can
quickly estimate the weight of arches
or dome. So God gees in some simple,
honest prayer we may offer the be-
ginning of all we may ever achieve OF
knowledge, goodness, service; sees in
it all our life shall ever mean to our
selves and other fellow-men. Wonder
fui are the connections be -ween first
things and last!
It is, too, an immeaSurable satisfac-
ton that when we have done the right
act, said the right word, offered the
right prayer, put ourselves in the right
attitude in anything our responsibility
ceases. Then the way of Divine Provi-
dence is opened in our lives. Solomon
made just the right prayer; then God
gaYe him what he had not asked
How this .simplifies life: We Fave
only to do the right thing at the right
time; the rest takes care Of itself. In
ordinary circumstances we all know
well enough what the right thing is.
In the Old Testament well-known
character said: 81, being in the way.
the Lord led me-" The secret of it
was that Ehezer started on the right
road; then, the, Lord led him to the
wen. The happy outcome we all know.
When our PRAYER is: MAKE me, true
to this work, this demand, this occa,
sion, this duty" using the light we get,
we need give ourselves no further trou-
bic. Results are not in our hands.
s The disciples all began their careers
by the use Of this method. Without
thought of what was to come. they
simply obeyed the Masters call. His
command was: "Fo,low Mer' and
2straightway Simon and, Andrew left
the net they were casting into the
.laAe, and JamesSnnd John the net they
we're mending in the boat, and followed
Him. So with all the others. They
left what they were doing to do what
Christ told them to do. They had no
more conception of what was to follow
than the child Shakespeare or the child
Milton had Of what was to follow his
learning of the alphabet. In the SIM
plest, shonestest manner the disciples
put themselves in right relations to
Christ, and their act changed the
course of history.
Admiral Farragut touched this truth
on another siee. In the darkest days
of the Civil War the President called
him to Washington for consultation.
The people were finding fault with this
General and that General, with the
President. with pretty much every
thing. One evening in large COM
pany sthe Admiral sat listening to the
complaints Of the hearthstone warriors.
AT length he said in quiet tones. but
with the strength Of moving fleets in
them: II have one great advantage
I have only to go where I am sent"
The thing in hand occupied him alb
sorbingly, wholly. What he sought
was the wise and understanding heart
for the present duty; the rest was in
the Almighty's hands.
Great men for the most part have
been as simple-hearted as Solomon in
his prayer. They placed the emphasis
not on what they wanted to do, but on
what they wanted to be: not on dreams
Of life., but on fitness for life. They
took the same ship, so to say, lin the
beginning from which they disem-
barked in the end, though they were as
ignorant of the voyage before them as
Solomon was Of the coming events of
his reign.
There are many things we desire
about which we need not much concern
ourselves if we make use Of this prin-
eiple. Solomon, for example, did not
ask for a long life; yet long life was
invoked i'm wise and understanding
heart. The man who sets cut to do his
duty in all respects should not trouble