Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-05-26
REV. A. J. |REYS
ABLE DISCOURSE

in the First Baptist church Sunday.
A large congregation was present,
the school board attending in body.
The large class, for which space had
been reserved in the front part of the
church, was the center of attraction.
The sermon was masterpiece, bear
ing the stamp of originality; eloquent
and forceful throughout.
A very inspiring feature of the SER
vices was the music by the Orpheus
Glee club, which rendered two selec-
tions, one being, My Faith Looks up
to Thee" and the other, praise the
Lord, o My Soul" In the latter Miss
Margaret zimmerman sang the soprano
obligato.
The sermon was founded on Luke
1O:28: "This do and thou shalt live,
the theme being 1.-THE Making of
Ones Life. " Following is synopsis:
The fact of self determination con-
fronts every one. Those in youth,
middle life, the aged. And not only
because this life is made by the one
living it primarily, but it is ever in
the process of making. Here none can
retire, and the man or the woman who
does, in the broad sense, simply con-
fesses that now they have begun to
make their life over bad pattern,
that they have largely ceased to live,
and have consented to merely exist
The physical of US, through a kind
ly ordering of the Creator, does, in
deed, reach the summit, the acme, of
its vigor and usefulness; and then be.
gins to glide down that slope whose
end for it is the tomb. But the spirit,
the immortal self, of us, never Here
the process of making goes forward
even while the earthly casket weak
ems; oftimes finding this very decay
the inspiration, the means for the more
rapid development of the immortal
life.
The opportunities for the successful
makiagrof one's life were -.pexer. so.
numerous, SO great as now. Think of
the aids ever at hand. Think of the
broadened and ever widening sphere
of endeavor and conquest. Think of
the spirit altruistic, the spirit which
reaches servingly outward to human
ity and upward to Gods throne, as OBJ
tanning today as never before in the
! hearts of men. Earth and the air and
| the seas have to a remarkable degree
placed themselves under tribute to
! humanity.
How may we make, model our lives
after the best possible fashion? Swing
your will, your life into line with the
will and plan of God for it and keep
it there, would you know greatest sue
cess and pleasure in life-building.
Rightness here is basal Life build
| ing may go forward without this
affiliation with the Deity, but though
the superstructure may assume gig
antic proportions and though its beauty
and splendor may command the Won
der ana admiration of men yet there
is present in its every part the element
of fatal weakness; its foundation is
| the sand and in the day of the final
testing it shall topple and fall with
crash.
The recognition of and surrender to
all natural and PROPER relationships is
another potent factor in life making
Be yourself; live your own life, but
do not push your individualism to the
offensive, injurious extreme of either
the recluse or the tyrant.
| AS we can not live without others
we must make ourselves most essenti-
al to others by dealing fairly, kindly,
generously, helpfully.
The front we present to life will de-
! termine largely our influence over 9th.
er lives. Confidence, cheeriness, are
contagious; so also are doubt, fear,
cowardice and complaining What right
has any one to be continually injecting
in other lives the spirit of doubt and
| discouragement?
! Never by droop of form and drag
ging step and queIulous tone take the
position of one that is down and
out"
1t is ones lofty estimate of the
round of life's daily duty which pre-
serves it from the dull, dead level of
monotony and drudgery.
If you would make your life worth
the while, avoid the temper which
seeks the easy job, the place congenial.
We are not in the world to keep it
just about as good as it is but to make
it much better world. We do not
any longer live in relation only to self,
family, community. We are in elbow,
heart touch with mankind. The great
er part of the human family are on
levels lower than our own. The low
er levels have heard of us 'and our
more fortunate estate. They are look
ing to us of the higher levels for help.
Relate your life to the good of the
whole world in a determined purpose
to make it sweeter, purer, more god
ly world.
| Constitute your life a refreshing
outpouring fountain rather than a
parching devouring qiucksand. Be-
| lieve in the reality and forcefulness of