The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-06-08

The steam engine had to be made and
YOU are an accident? A master me-
chanic and designer, he is a mere
chance? Do not think it. Where is
our reason? God is back of this adap-
tation. this mighty thing that we call
life. Our purposes are the service.
That is first.
And. second, your perfect steam en-
sine is made with a purpose. The
railroad company owns it. They en-
| ploy an engineer to run it. Now in a
sense it is his; it is his to use and con-
troll, but it is not his to sell. It is his
to take care of and to get as much as
he can out Of. but in no other way. But
if he takes notion that he can run
the whole road and ignore schedules
and orders then very soon from him
will be taken even that which he
seemed to have. Now, we do not own
our bodies-these engines. We are the
engineers, but not the owners. My
body is mine only in relative sense.
I am to give account for it. You say,
May not man do what he will with
his own:" Certainly. if you own any
thing. What is the engine for? To
look at? No, for use. Is it made to
be destroyed? If so it might just as
we'll be made Of wood and paint or a
chrome engine. Some men are such
they look like the real thing, but they
do not act like it. You have seen a
model engine under a glass case; that
you wind up. The wheels so. but the
engine does not. The wheels work
easily because they don't touch the
track. / have seen some men and I
suppose there are some women, who
are wound up with keys. The wheels
buzz, but there is nothing done. There.
are people who sit in theatre, and the
tears run down their cheeks, and they
think they are good because they can
cry. They pay $3.50 for the privilege
Of weeping. We all know how we
smooth ourselves when tear comes.
We feel penitent and say, 1--WE are
not so bad as we thought" It is a toy.
engine, the wheels so, but it does not
advance. A perfect engine is meant
to do something in the world. and so
are we if coupled to the task that God:
gives US. Some people don't want to,
pull, they want to be pulled. You
always see dead engine in the middle
Of a train. Which end Of the train
do you like, the front or somewhere
in the middle? God give US the front.
with all its dangers and perils and
joys.
Perfect engines get hold Of the track.
Orders come with lightning rapidity
to the engineer, and they must be
obeyed without question. The respon-
sibility for the orders is not with him,
his responsibility is to execute them.
God can run this world, but he has
put it into your hands to run your
self. When you stop at the end Of the
road you can be perfectly certain that
if the passengers are too busy to take
notice of you, you will not be forgotten
by the manager. Well, I have mixed
it. The engineer and the engine to-
gether-that is the way We are. We
are the engines? Yes. We are engi-
neers? Yes. I said at the outset, "1ou
preach the sermon" I think there is
great analogy in it. I think there
is living parable for those who have
eyes and ears. Responsibility? Yes,
lots of it. But, then. who will shirk
that? Danger? Plenty, but you are
man. Work? Yes, but that is all you
are for. We are not made for nothing.
Covet the place. Ride with hand on
the throttle, making the best time,
within safety, that man can make.
Ride right over the driving wheel.
There is where the best men have al
ways sat. Then, by and by, when this
engine is worn out, you will get q
better one.