The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-11-08
ALL SAINTS sERNON.
ssThou Hast Been EaithfuI Over Few
Things; ! Will Make Thee Ruler
Over Many Things."- Saint
Matthew, IS n.


YOU from this same text, calling 20 mind
The obligations connected with a life
which we did not choose, and perhaps
would have refused, If we could, and
the necessity Of faithfulness in this life,
full Of faith in God, who will make all
things right for His obedient children,
and faithful 70 others because we could
not be Gods dutiful children, unless we
were, We are not always TO judge life
by what we make Of It, Granting that
n comes 70 us biased, and tainted by an
evil or unfortunate heritage, may 1t not
be meant. as our noble work, 10 trans
init A better life than we have received!
Re NAV be q hard and disappointing
gtru0GJe. but is IL worth while 10 sur
render before we have fought, or TO take
to cowardly Fight before we have been
attacked7 II may be q noble thought
for the great ones Of earth TO believe
that the world is better because they
have lived. but it comes closer bone TO
ourselves 10 know that the human pulse
10 cleaner because 1t has come through
our veins. The one Is the opportunity
Of the few the other Is the privilege Of
all. This much we can do. II we look
no farther than the limits OF hu.
man life and is the privilege lessened
word, "eternity," conveying the state
ment of an incomprehensible fact? We
will pass through the years Of this life,
somehow, whether few or many they
leave US. They have been loaned to us,
and they will witness as 10 the use we
have made Of them. Perhaps we could
hear unmoVed the most damaging teBti
mOny, were IL not that more ~ involved
than the time we have wasted. We
have taken the years, bad and good, and
have made the bad worse, and weak
ened the good, and an unmeasured fu-
ture approaches US burdened with
fear, to which we gave little heed dur
ing life SO II Is worth while TO be
faithful for our own sake, that we may
enter into the Joy Of the Lord. We do
not know what that il. Human eyes,
caught up TO the third heaven, possibly
once saw some indication Of II, but IL
was neither possible nor lawful TO tell
what they witnessed. II is enough that
we can be assured Of a greater happi-
ness than we have yet experienced.
We would like to know in what II
consists, but could not understand If
we were told. One thought seems 10 be
definitely declared the thought of vic
tory. The magnificent declaration Of
st. Paul, Thanks be to God, which
giveth as the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ, must have meant more
than the physical conquest of death,
however great that is. Our Lords re-
ward, "Be thou ruler over many things"
presupposes q contest and a victory.
This single thought is incOmprehensible
TO us now. We, who seem to be the
sport Of circumstances, and the ser
wants Of conditions we, who are made
fearful by the future, moulded by the
present and influenced by the past, shall
come out Of all, cOnquerors at last, and
made more worthy OF the victory by the
very greatness Of the contest. Writers
are wont 10 describe the greatness Of
one who COnquerB self, so we need not
wait for victory until the great unknown
future. II will come through the daily
mOnOtOny OF petty contests by the
weary plOdding OF uncertain steps, by
which we seem TO make no progress at
ALL and which, altogether, would not be
worthy OF thought, were it not for the
faithful in "A few things" We are not
all faithful, but IL IL not for w TO say,
except 20 Judge ourselves. ls there any
lesseninR Of the victory? II IN due to
causes which we all knew before the
contest'was ended. Every year at All
Saints we can think Of battles strife az
Of victory's peace, as we speak once
more Ia the loving custom of remem-
bering those Of our own Church family
who are In Gods hands, ready for the
fruits OF victory, according 10 their
faithfulness
While I was at ChattahOOChee the
telegram come announcing the death Of
the Senior Warden. The end came sud
denly and painlessly, as he would have
wished. In every position held by him
his influence was always for harmony.
lie was for forty years a member Of
the .vestry, always regular and faithful
in the performance Of duty. As Senior
Warden, he was more than personal
friend, even a wise and cautious adviser,
upon whose judgment largely depend
ed What day more appropriate than
that Of the burial, for the sorrow Of
bereaved hearts liz hghtened by the
Thanksgiving that for him Is the enter
ing into the JOY Of tho Lord In mid
January we all sympathized with those
from whom a dear relative was taken.
She had lived long beyond tho allotted
term Of life, and every year was full Of
charity, In word and In deed. She had no
dread Of the enemy, az the slow approach
Of the natural closing Of long and
honorable life found her without fear.
The memory Of some of us will re-
call a physician who was a devout COM
rnnntnanI and IN ka found Vaoularl,,