The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-02-02

N ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
CHAPLAIN CLARK. OF The
!: NAVAL ACADEMY.

S1z41& SkLkuOu "uS W thS
Sanday Sun by the Rev. Fl. H. Clark,
b D., chaPtain Of the United States
Naval Academyyaat Annapolis. 1t is
essItied 1.-The unlocked. For, " Iirrfe.
nsant," and was preached from the
tr1t-
BEHOLD. I have done according to
Tny words; 10! I have gwen thee Il
wfse and understanding heart. And
hare also given thee that which thou
fast not asked."-II Kings. ill.,. 1918.
Solomon's request is surprise.
left to the promptings of ambition il
Is not characteristic Of men to ask for
sinfyle gifts or few. The natural re-
sylueSt would have been for the things
2 The King did not ask-lons life. riches
kare-, victory over enemies. Instead
thy request was simple and unselfish.
II was made with 4 most becoming
'sagmility. 1t was for wise and under
Stauding heart. This would be enough.
'Rhen came the Jehovah's answer: 81
have given thee wise and understand
Ing heart. And have also given thee
that which thou hast not asked This
Was Increment, increase, that Solomon
lad not counted on.
How much is involved in doing the
ciyht thing at the outset! Somehow
sSrxt things take hold on lask things.
The energy Of the first block Ne child
fssszaes over in the row is not extended
TIL the last block is down. TIN first
Mxnches you bend and tie into shape
znNke way for the beauty and SYM
x1ssssry of the full grown tree. The
shipbullder can tell from the keel that
as k,id the sort of ship that is going to
De built From the dimensions OF
growing columns the architect can
quickly estimate the weight Of arches
or dome. So God sees in some simple,
honest prayer we may offer the be-
sxaRlng of all we may ever achieve or
knowledge. go' dness. service; sees in
Et aN our life hall ever mean to our
: sefves and OF er fellow-men. Wonder
sEse are the connections be.ween first
things and last!
IL is, too, an immeasurable satiSfac-
Niam that when we have done the right
-1es, said the right word, offered the
right prayer, put ourselves in the right
5t1apsde in anything our responsibility
.Scxnses. Then the way of Divine Provi-
,tlence is opened in our lives. Solomon
ssxrAsae Just the right prayer; then God
,S1ve him what he had not asked.
How this simplif1es life! We have
esnly to do the right thing Mt the right
ssae; the rest takes care Of itself. In
veil enough what the right thing is.
I'm the Old Testament a weil-known
character said: II, being in.the way.
the Lord led me-" The secret Of 1t
was that Eliezer started on the right
road; then the Lord led him to the
vvil The happy outcome we all know.
when our prayer is: make me true
ts this work, this demand. this occa-
ssoE, this duty" using the light we get,
we need give ourselves no further trou-
be. Results are not in our hands.
The disciples all began their careers
by the use Of this method. Without
Ehought of what was to come. they
ssSnply obeyed the Masters coll. His
xoumand was: Follow Mer' and
Stralghtway Simon and Andrew left
the net they were casting into the
lake. and James and John the net they
srere mending in the boat, and followed
Hin. So with all the others. They
left what they were doing to do what
Christ told them to do. They had no
sncsre conception Of what was to follow
than the child Shakespeare or the child
Milton had of what was to follow his
iearnlng of the alphabet. In the SIM
nlest, honestest manner the disciples
yut themselves in right relations to
Christ, and their act changed the
" course OF history.
Admiral Farragut touched this truth
tsa another side. In the darkest days
af the Civil War the President called
laim to Washington for consultation.
'yAe people were finding fault with this
General and that General. with the
6axesitent, with pretty much every
5.kinr One evening in large COM
sauny the Admiral sat listening to the
a,unplaints 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
81 have only to 60 where I am sent"
THE thing in hand occupied him alb
sorbingly, wholly. What he sought
sx:as the wise and understanding heart
. tsnr the present duty; the rest was IN
the Almighty's hands.
Great men for the most part have
teen rs simple-hearted as Solomon in
lla prayer. They placed the emphasis
Kr3f on what. they wanted to do. but on
7ruflzat they wanted to be: not on dreams
>ot life. but on fitness for life. They
susk the same ship. so to say, in the
lxginning from which they disem-
Aar&ed in the end, though they were rs
Tg,norant of the voyage before them as
Sss1emon was Of the coming events Of
1d< reign.
There are many things we desire
rnbout which we need not much concern
surselves IL we make use Of this prin-
cSple. Solomon. for example, did not
ask for long life: yet long life was
Involved in wise and understanding
heart. The man who sets out to do his
~GNasy in all respects should not trouble
hSmself about the number Of his days.
Vet him live the life, and. whether 1t
De long or short, it is life. But the
x;haaces are that 1t will be long. It has