Sunday at Home.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 30, 28 October 1893, Page 10

Sunday at Home.

THE TRUE AIM OF LIFE. (Summary of sermon preached by the Ker. J. Anderson Gardiner, of Bluff Presbyterian Church, in First Church, Invercargill, on Sunday evening, Oct. 22.) Ponder the path of thy feet, and let thy ways Tje established.”—Proverbs iv, 26. Youth is not generally regarded as the proper season for reflection, and 'as looked upon rather as the safest period of life in which time may he wasted and opportunities neglected. To go thoughtlessly wherever passion impels or pleasure allures seems to he a special privilege, as it is the natural bent, of the young. Their impatience to taste the fruits and rewards of existence before they have earned or are even able to appreciate them, not unfrequently impairs those faculties which should have been used in cultivating ideas for reflection in the future. Life has often been compared to a journey, and, as with all journeys, if it is to be a successful one, the destination and the course must be decided upon at the outset, otherwise manhood will he a failure, with no other prospect in view than a miserable old age. Youth ever sees a pleasant road before it leading to the dreamland of prosperity and pleasure ; whilst, after its hopes are exhausted, old age, miserable with regret and discontentment, looking behind, sees the pathway cheerless, lone, and wild. Life, again, has been likened unto a web that is being woven. Each one takes his share in the manufacture of character. No one can isolate himself from his past life, and begin again unencumbered by it. Although be may not understand God’s voice whispering within him, he cannot avoid conscience thundering within him—‘‘Thou fool.” Better lessons of wisdom they may learn later in life, but looking hack upon the coloured weh of life they see a garment with many a rent and tear, many a patch and mend in the texture —now red with anger, pale with fear, vile with uncleanness, weak with folly, tom with passion, and the sight of it makes them dread the time when, if they do not accept a new garment, they will have no other covering. Life, further, has been thought to resemble a story that is being told. As the Psalmist says —“We spend our yeai-s as a tale,” and the narrative of our history in respect to which we occupy the position of author and hero, is being slowly but surely unfolded every hour of our lives. However small their natural abilities, or obscxxi’e their social position, everyone is not only acting but publishing a story which God shall read, and the character and denouement of which, at present concealed, all men at last shall know. There is nothing of greater importance, nor anything which calls for more immediate decision from the young 1 , than that they should discover -what are the good things for which they ought to live. Outward conditions of existence, social position, early training, and probably even •our tx-ade or business have been largely determined by others, and they may be unalterable by us ; but with respect to the growth of our character and well being-, and the direction of oux- aims, the choice lies with oux\selves, the determination with our f. • -will. ;; What is that earthly position which we should hold to be the most honorable, and look upon as the highest reward of his labours is a point which every young man should decide Surely to be beloved by one’s fellowmen is .the only enviable state of humanity in this world. Money is easier- got than love, and the soul needs sympathy more than the hand needs gold. 'So to live as to gain the esteem and regard of those around us, is a worthy aim in life. The W'ay to gain affection is first to exhibit love; the heart of man can lesist anything hut that. Bat how can we, being men, have our regards drawn out ? Ah ! this is a secret of God revealed

to the world in Christ. When we love Him we cannot help loving man and we love Him because He first loved us. The only way of testing the truth of Christianity is by living it in this life. Do you know where else you can go for-a doctrine of such faith and hope and sustaining power ? As for me I can find the supply of my necessities nowhere except in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.