Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-11-02
Caln1aQe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee. d. d.

Los Angeles. Cal. Oct. 2s.-1n this
sermon the preacher shows the folly OF
trusting In continuance of material
blessings as means Of happiness.
The text is Proverbs xvii, 1, Boast
not myself OF tomorrow, for thou
knowcst not what day may bring
FORTH
One OF the most impressive pictures
] have ever seen was one entitled 1.-THE
Journey of Life" 1t depicted a row.
boat being pulled out TO a ship In the
ofiing. 4 large family with their
household goods We're in the boat. In
the stern were the gray haired grand
father and grandmother Like the
great picture OF Napoleon leaying
France. these two old folks were ear
nestly scanning the receding shore.
Their lives were nearly ended. and
their thoughts were In the past. They
We're living entirely in the sweet mem
cries OF the days that were gone. At
the feet Of the old folks their grand
children were playing with their toys
Like two little kittens, they did not
seem TO care what was happening.
Their thought world had not yet been
entered. Just beyond two young low
ers were plighting their troth. They
We're walking for little while in the
cloudlands. They were slipping for a
short time the sweet nectar from the
flowers which bloom only for q day
during the mating of the birds. But
at the PROV of the boat stood the
strong man Of the world. with his wife
by his side. His eye had an eagle
glance. His brow rested on his hand.
He seemed to be looking into the dim
future. at his home which was yet to
be built In foreign land, at the vision
airy fields which were yet to be TILED
and at the fortune which he was yet
to make. The picture was suggestive
to my mind OF that momentous Jour.
ney which we call the voyage OF life.
Not all of US reach the stage typiied
by the grandparents. Some come to
the end OF the journey in the period OF
childhood. some In youth, some In ma
ture life. 1t is very uncertain, but II is
well in our early years IL we plan care
fully for the future instead OF spending
the time in idle dreaming or IN pleas
ure. The foundations of our career
are laid earlier than some OF us i'm
agine. and. whether that career be long
or short, those foundations should be
laid well.
These plans are very different from
the presumptuous Boosting condemned
in my text. Here King Solomon de-
scribes the lazy man. the indolent man.
the procrastinating man, the man who
is giving free license to his evil pas
sions, che man who is binding his eyes
to all the magnificent opportunities OF
the glorious present as he says to him.
self: II know l am not doing as /
ought 10 do. But what is the differ
ence1 Rome was not built In day.
A life Is not spanned by the short
bridge OF twentyfour hours. This day
l will eat and drink and be merry.
and tomorrow will do as / ought to
do" All" says the great king, to-day
is thine. This coming twilight may
be thy last eventide. Perhaps the
moon which will arise tonight will
shine through the open window and
touch thine ashen cheek as the at
tendants are preparing thy body for
the burial. Tomorrow may come TO
thy neighbor. but this day may usher
in for thee an endless and unchanging
eternity" Let me read for you again
the sentence, Boast not thyself OF to-
morrow, for thou knowest not what
day may bring FORTH
A Timely warming.
These words are timely warning to
those who are slowly, yet surely, al
lowing the fatal coils OF an evil habit
TO intwine about them timely be.
cause these poor deluded victims seem
TO be going to their destruction with
wide open eyes. as an OK to the slaugh.
ter. But somehow they feel that, no
matter how deep their feet may be
sinking into the Quicksands or how
thick the Shiny seaweeds may be wrap.
ping themselves about the swimmers
body, yet they can come safe TO land
and break loose from their evil habits
whenever they will. Now. my friend.
/ would tell you that an evil habit IN.
stead OF growing weaker with age
grows stronger. II an evil habit has
You In tight clutch today 1t will have
YOU In tighter wise tomorrow. 1t Is
folly for man TO say, "I will break
away from this evil habit tomorrow
If you cannot break away from that
evil habit today you cannot tomorrow
IL you are not willing to break away
from an evil habit today. In all proba
billty you will be weaker still tomor
row. The law OF the increasing moral
weakness OF the wrongdoer and the
increasing strength OF an evil habit Is
irreyocable.
Habits Like Quicksand.
A man becomes more and more help.
less In the grip Of an evil habit. lust
as Id the clutch OF the quicksand. /
am glad I used that illustration. II Is
one that you will feel If you have ever
been caught In those treacEerous
depths ] remember some time ago
when driving through the western
country we came to a rather wide
creek. / was about to drive through
IL when the gentleman with whom J.
was riding said. ''wait: let me test st."
lie took of his shoes and stockings
and started for the other side Come
orr he cried. "It Is shallow all
through" | shook the reins as signal
10 tho horse. and he started He went
only few steps and then stopped
frightened. No sooner did he sto,
than the wheels of the wagon began
to sink. Come on! Come onr' cried
my companion. The quicksands are
catching you. Come on" But come
ON | could not. In minute or two
the wheels had sunk a third of the
way to the hubs The horse could not
pull the load. 1t was no time for ar
Sument. We ieaped out of the wagon
and plunged into the water. clothes
and all. Then every hand took hold
or wheel and began to lift and push.