The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-09-12
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Lar -onse-so5cS cSeS1-~c-r>S<N&
,ou, A SERMON %SsSE'& "a
ossY Tfin REV MxAFs&
Ks2AM MHENDERS0NvS.a'
HUI
''ve a Subject. Life.
Subject. +. Life.

Brooklyn. N. Y.-Preachiug at the
f Ihving Square Presbyterian Church,
"a tnvv nburG avenue and VERIFIED
Lat, on the above theme, the pas
DeN Rev Ira Wemmell Henderson,
q ok as his text John Ia. He said:
- - Last Lords Day we discussed in
cuts iuie measure and manner the fact
death To-day we shall discuss
~ ~ ethe moments that we are together
Sold al fact OF life The reality with
we have more presently and
Miss Niately to deal.
*Wadnesd Is among the mightiest reali-
a h which humanity Is familiar.
|friendS.ls and suffuses every living
One Gus. II energies all that is
Hu We and moving and sentient
4 49, ind about u.s. 1t is at the source OF
that is; at the centre OF all crea-
Sa ION. Il is divine. for It is of God and
-, nIparted from Him. It Is real and
4 y le one thing In all the world of
-hich we are conscious. For we see
~ 0dtworking itself into the pulsat-
der ng, throbbing universe about It.
4 III nature sings the praise and mani
! ae bd'ts the force of life as 1t chants the
the - Y and the might of God. In 1t
1--WE and move and have our being.
al is at the centre of humanity's ex-
tence.
All of which is trite and obvious
Is and old. There is not much that is
4
W ing life. For the primal man knew
whlife In its fullness and its beauty as
10 we. He heard the songs of the
Aeits host and witnessed the
nifestations of the majesty of Je-
" ovah as He revealed 1t in the heav-
1ly galaxies and expressed 1t in the
= aried forms and the diverse beauties
{ nature. The primal man may not
Sh, ave been so familiar with so many
- the actual laws operated in life
HlSl we are. He may not have been so
slice lscious OF the subtler forms of life
1t modern scientific investigation
\ he revealed to the world of to-
wv ay. But taking in the broad we
w. lay safely say that there is not much
Sin lat is new that we can say about
,fe.
town In fact. life is so intangible that it
. reality properly indefinable. We
mot define life exactly. We may
kldnJpropriate a definition, but we can
compass in the forms of finite
coi sech the fullness of life itself. For
IL fe is divine and limitless. Language
IS finite and circumscribed in its
d. cope and possibilities. Life knows
pr no bounds. Language is confined.
life is the creation of God and is CO.
"nixtensive with Him. Language is
brine method of human intercommuni-
ion, and as such it is hemmed
sbord' in the horizons of humanity.
mo per Sc is intangible II Is as in
sgible as it is ultimately indetin-
Jle. We may touch mans hand
at Is sentient with life; we may
hee ok into his eye that is alive with
Cha fe: we may hear the sound of his
ce and witness the exhibition of
ira IS strength; we may see the various
f,, IMPRESSIONS of the life that vitalizes
i'm But we do not see his life. We
III ay roam the fields and sail the seas
av.I al an and no noe
lures till God calls us home. We may
frs zee the evidences of life, but life it.
a., elf we do not see. Life is intangible.
I'VE may know it in its manifestations
L nd though them. But we shall not
!, know 'life-that mysterious. wonder
working energy that enlivens us
until we enter into the presence of
iyinity hereafter. For life is as in
W. tngible as God.
Life is indefnable. We may de-
~ ne life in the terms of lifes express
tes ms. Whether We see life in cloud
tree or drop or bud, this is ever So
r the beauty of the cloud Is not the
va life that brings the beauty into being
., The grace and dignity and charm that
on Is manifest In humanity is not the
WI life that animates humanity. We
r. nay define human life in the terms
X life's self-expression. through the
E medium OF humanity as we may de-
scribe llS manifestations III llt ndN
3ral world about us. But when all
. said and done, to define life in the
q rms OF It's manifestations is not en-
tlrely to define life. For life is more
than its manifestations, as is God.
Life is more than what we see and
know Of the expressions OF life.
And yet for the sake of definition
and in the interest of the culture
of the moral and spiritual life of man,
- ig
shall be able 10 do more to-day than
define life in the terms of its express
sioDs and relations For II is not
necessary to know all about the con-
stitution of the world in order to
live happily within IT, II Is not need
I'i full that we shall know all about the
inner and hidden laws of electricity
in order 70 ride on an electric car or
to enjoy the Illuminating power of
the electric light. 1t Is not necessary
that we shall be able to define God
with comprehension and hnality In
lrder to draw near to Him and TO
njoy th' pleasures OF communion
with Him or enter into the realization
of the potency of His love. Not 9th
erwise Is 1t with life. We may not
understand 1t all, we may not be able
= define 1t with finality, we may not
competent TO penetrate its mys.
cry, but we know that II Is, that II
ociety; we are aware that we are in
le midst of It; we view It's mani
stations and experience its express
ans. We may state our experiences
nd the results of our Investigations
and observations In the terms of hu-
manly understandable speech. And
PSS' - enough. We shall know more
ch iree, 'at Is enough for now.
3lst. W. may. therefore, define life II
.erms OF opportunity, responsible
pastQ possibility, divinity
nlf Life is dehnable and 20 be graspet
N the terms OF opportunity. To b.
u alive to have a chance. chance
4 TO be a man. to do mans work, Z
follow in the footmarks Of the Al
mighty as we tread through life, q
be kind, to be gentle TO be noble an'
pune and holy. Existence correiate
Opportunity To be live man Is Il
be man diyinely gifted. For tn
whole world Is the field OF livini