The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-11-09
THE Sc CON D MIL f.
SERM On DELIVERED BY
DR.. BRUCE B RO v \ AT
Gil RI TITAN CHU RICH

First Christian church
The following is his sermon in
full;
Many centuries ago there lived
great teacher. One day, group
of disciples gathered around him on
q hill side He taught them many
words that still shine as stars above
the mountain tops. One of his strang-
est sayings was this. IF man
compel thee to go a mile, go with
MIN two
You have heard this read from the
time you were little children at
your mothers knee, but perhaps ii
has only been as the sound of so
many worcs hope that you will
find in Il today more of the extent,
intent and content; more Of the
riches and beauty of human life and
conduct. than in any other message
ever spoken.
In order 10 understand its meaning,
we must transport ourselves, in i'm
agination, back into the far distant
past and see conditions through the
eyes OF the one who spoke these
matchlsss words.
His people were in bondage to the
Roman empire-and no people ever
resented more bitterly on alien rule.
The most hated thing was mill
rary regulation, that company of
Roman soldiers could command the
services Of any man al any time and
place, and he had TO go, without
excuse, to be their guide. He might
be on his way to his fathers
funeral or his own marriage. He
had TO leave his father TO be buried
by strangers, or the bride at the mar
riage altar, and go.
No doubt, around the great Teach
er were men who had been passing
through experiences Of this kind
and they were muttering and growl-
ing and scowling He lays down
for them the simplest imaginable phil
osophy OF life. If these foreign
soldiers compel you to guide them
for mile volunteer TO go with them
the second mile"
You are thinking. 81 can see that
these words had a meaning 1000
years ago, but what can they teach
ness OF life's Obligations and blessings
While Il is true that no soldiers
are prodding US into submission, it is
,iro true that all around us are ten
;cousand, unseen forces impelllng us
compelling us 10 many disagree
tasks, Life is full of compul-
rs, Of necessities as definite and
.,ins as an armed phalanx. Look
ck over the past week-month--
ir-and you will agree that ninety
: out Of every one hundreds things
! have done, you have been forced
do. AS an illustration, we are COM
..slled TO work and this is not very
pleasant or agreeable. Perhaps many
of you are SO fortunate or unfortu-
nate) thai you can live without
labor. Buc 10 many Of US. three
months without job brings us to the
bread line. The old centurion OF
hunger commands US to work The
good book says: III a man will not
work, neither shall he eat and that
is scriptural authority for you wo-
nssn TO refuse TO cook for lazy men.
In this wcrld OF friendship the same
law hSlds. III, IN days TO come, hands
snail be outstre;ched 10 lift your
burden, you must now stoop to ease
The lead that bends and breaks It
IS true in the home One oi the
mQst amusing episodes OF life is 10
meet q young gentleman contemplat-
in. matrimony He usually talks
Ike this:-"Now, when am mar
a har
wife must understand see what
otner men put UP with, but there are
some things that my wife must do
Poor little boy! IL is mighty little
ne knows about getting married He
VIII lind out that there are many
things ns will have 10 do Every
man who has i home, and not u
hQs pen, mas put into ii time and
Iol!, weary hours and sleepless nights
a woman who cares more for the
e!up than The kitchen, more for the
loage than The nursery more for .
poodle dog Than baby will soon
have no home. She is at home
everywhere except at home.
1t is also true that to live among
decent people compels US TO be decent.
Anything else means a rope around
tins neck or The striped suit This is
= universal, catholic, cosmopolitan,
eternal law. We are compelled to gc
the first mile. for the road OF life
is only two miles long We can do
as We please about the second.
The philosophy OF the Great Teach
er is that since the first mile is
compulsory We should get all the
possible good and happiness out Of II.
We should make The best Of the in
evitsb!e, and the uninvitng
The starting and the wild canary
act very differently when put into
cages. The startling has never been
tanned. II flutt.rs, ana beats i;s
wings, and refuses 10 eat, until az
last 1t droops and dies The little
canary is just as frightened at first.
but 1t seems at lasi To understand
the door will never be opened; that
IL will never De out IN the fields
among the flowers again. Then 10
swells its throat with melody. 1t fills
the air with music. IL makes the
best VI its prison. Sooner Or later
we will all find ourselves In jail and
We will stand peering through It's
bars. III could only trayel--be
r!eh-have books-get my health back '
There are some conditions that will
never change. Some prisons are seal.
ed by destiny. You can be startling
and break your heart and hope against
the bars Of fate. or you can be q
canary and learn to sing IN your
psnitsntiary. II there Is music IL
the soul. there is many song In tn,