The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-05-14

halls and council chambers does his
duty towards his people, and follows the
dictates of his conscience and the voice
| of God and will suffer for it in some
way. l say the good and virtuous are
not all dead vet. They are found in
all professions and in all walks OF life,
The consciousness of having done ones
duty regardless of results is worth more
to a man than riches or fame. 1t will
carry him through many woes and sor'
rows will uphold him in his final hour
and the peace of heaven will sweeten
his dying
Rev. W. S. Gilbert OF the Presby'
terian church is preaching a series OF
three sermons on The Arena" The
sermon of last evening was the second
of the series on the theme. Clearing
for Action" Heb. l2:l, "Let us lay
aside every weight and the sin which
doth so easily beset us and let us run
with patience the race that is set be-
| fore us. He said in part:
"Some men can't run much OF race
because of constitutional difficulties OF
some sort. A man weighing two hun
dred pounds or a man of a lazy tenn
perament or with dissipated energies
can't hope to win in real race. Train.
/ ing for a race begins seven generations
back. A horse is a thoroughbred when
, he has seven generations of racing blood
in his veins. Some men are not in the
Christian race today because they have
been born draft horses and not racers.
But most of us are not in the race be-
cause of weights we are carrying
handicaps. Often our very pleasures
hold us back. Sabbath dissipation often
is a weight hindering our Christian life
Sometimes our work is the hind
rance. Six days OF close work find:
men eager for outing on Sunday and
in time the Christian race is given up
There's many a reason why work ought
to cease on Saturday at 4 o'clock il
not all of Saturday afternoon. Then
MANY are not in the race because OF
simple laziness, sheer, Indifference. They
like the broad, easy unrestrained. Nay!
But the great hindrance is sin, which
so easily besets Us. The little boy asked
great question who wanted to know
WHY it was so easy to remember bad
things. The fact is that sin in us is
the great hindrance in the Christian
race. 1t isn't that men don't believe
in Christ. 1t is simply because Of the
sin of our life that we don't run a
better race. Not wickedness in overt
act, but sin.
"These hindrances we can lay aside il
We want to and we can get ready fol
| the race. Some have been so long get
ting ready that it is high time they be-
gin the race. Let us run. To start well
is half the victory. To start with a
fixed purpose, with prompt decision
and at a pace that we can sustain
Many a race is lost in the very start
In the youth of life in the setting OF
the pace. A little Of hesitancy or OF
diversion or Of carelessness then is
fatal.
"There were four divisions to the old
race course down the course to the
three pillars and back again on the
other side then down and back again
the goal always being at the starting
place Childhood. youth, middle age and
the home stretch. In a real race such
as is the Christian life each of these
periods is equally important; any in
difference in either quarter is to fail.
"The race we are to run is the one
that is set before us. We expend
energy enough to win the race but many
of us insist upon running when and
how and where we please. To reach the
goal we must run in a straight and mar.
row way"