The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-05-21
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Theme: To-day.

Text, Psalm s5:7. Today In
that entertaining and stimulating
volume Orthodoxy" Mr.. Gilbert
Chesterton delivers himself OF this
pungent remark: All Christianity
concentrates on the man at the cross
roads" For, says he. THE true phi
losophy is concerned with the in
stant. The instant is really awful"
Nothing is truer, nothing more VI
tai.
What a multitude Of sermons are
preached TO the theme, Where willy you
spend eternity?" What a host there
is looking toward the hereafter. How
many there are who are hoping for
tomorrow and planning for the years
TO come. Far be IL from me 10 mini
miZe the value or the need for
thought and talk about the life OF
that undiscovered country from
whose bourne the traveller no more,
entering, returns. We can not too
much direct the attention OF men
and the times TO eternity. Would
that we might be as strenuously alb
stract and spiritual and forethought-
full in our thinking and preaching as
we are coldly practical. The king
dom OF heaven truly is here or no.
where, but for us IL is more there
than here. This life is but a seq
ment Of that wonderful and illimit-
able eternity to which God ever calls
US on. AS Keats so beautifully sings:
The One remains, the many change and
pass;
Heavens light forever shines. earth's
shadows fly;
Life, like dome of many colored glass,
Stains the white radiance of eternity,
Until death tramples 1t TO fragments"
Longer shall we live there than
here. Here we sojourn, there in the
providence OF God We shall abide.
To-day is important none the less.
The measure of our living here con-
ditions our living there. Our talent
using In this life indicates our value
in the next. How we see God here
determines our vision Of Him in the
heavenly abodes. To-day Is impor-
tant. The instant is impressive.
NOW" is indeed noteworthy. "To-
day." says the Psalmist. "if ye will,
hear His voice"
BE wise to-day; it's madness TO defer;
Next day the fatal precedent will plead;
Thus on, till wisdom is pushed out of life.
Procrastination Is the thief of time;
Year after year at steals, till all are fed,
And TO tire mercies of moment leaves
The vast concerns of an eternal scene"
May we, as Edward Young, per-
ceive the wonder and the awfulness
OF the divine responsibility that rests
on us nomentarily to be careful to-
ward the concerns of the ages.
The future depends on to-day.
sDefer not tillto-morrowt to be wise. I"
Eternity rests upon our present
choice. There can be no tomorrow
till there has been to-day. The char
acter of tomorrow lies helpless in
Nthe grasp OF to-day. The sins and
progress OF the men who are alive
will mar or make the future Of the
generations yet unborn.
The day that Esau sold his BIRTH
right to assuage the gnawing of his
hunger that day he marked his char
acter forever, and Jacob left an ever
lasting explanation to be made.
When Moses set his face steadfastly
away from the leeks and garlics and
the honors OF an alien court In that
changed. When Abraham Lincoln
the slave was free.
Every choice Is decisive. Each
moment Is momentous.
Happy the man, and happy he alone.
He who can call to-day his own;
He who, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow, do thy worst, for / have lived
to-day"
God and the thoughtful know the
value OF to-day. Its use is fine
art. It's value is immeasurable. It's
possibilities are infinite. It's appeal
is heart-searching. It's misuse is a
crime and a grievous sin.
We ought to utilize to-day with
care. It means much how we face
Satan and stand firm for God. Weak
and unimportant as We may Judge
ourselves TO be alone, yet our aggre-
gated decisions are impelling and our
compounded use OF time has an ever.
lasting bearing. Perchance the ac-
tions OF one OF us may determine the
course Of the onward march Of men.
Most important is to-day in the
life Of the soul. To-day alone ia
ours. The future, as the past, is with
God. Let US say with Wesley:
~Loi on a narrow neck Of land.
Twixt two unbounded seas stand"
Let us decide for eternity. Let Us
use to-day for the good OF the days
that are TO be, for the happiness OF
our hearts forever.
When to BE Most Glad.
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