The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-06-03
nv .TNO. n. WADDEI.L, ID. ID,
cnANcELLoR OF TIIE UNIVERSITY.


terms: !. The usage Of the best wrl
tiers; 2 The connection IN which thu
terms appear. IF we examine the wore
virttte by the first Of these canons Of in
terpretation, we shall discover the deci
sion Of the most iudicious commentator
to be, that this word might more properly
have been translated = Courage" and t
this decision they have been brought by
a careful examination of the word in the
original Latin and Greek. According t.
the usage of the best writers in these old
languages, it meant "all the mental and
corporal excellencies Of man." but es-
pecially vdlor But as we find on substi-
tuting ralor for uirtue in this passage,
that it evil not accord with the spirit OF
Christianity to have the Apostle exhort
us to add a military trait to a Christian
grace, we are forced to abandon this term
aaJor as a substitute for virtue, if taken
in literal sense Nor shall we be any
better satisfied to adopt as the true mean
ing ofvirtue here, that which is most com
monty assigned to it by modern lexicOg-
raphers, viz Moral Excellence for the
Apostle proceeds with his exhortation
that they should add other attainments
to this, and when those attainments arc
carefully examined, it will be found that
they are themselves the elements of Moral
Excellence, and this Interpretation makes
the Apostle utter the same thing twice
in the same breath, only in different
words: e. e. "Add to your faith, Nor
al Excellence, and to Moral Excellence,
add the things which make up Moral Ex
cellence !" So that we must adopt the
/. i cd
it, viz: Udt0r, while we give to it that fig
urative meaning which it has received un-
der the softening and eleyating influence
of Christianity, and consider that the
Apostle meant by the word Uirtte-loral
Courage; "Addto yoar faith, Moral Cour-
age" We may doubtless admit that these
words were addressed, primarily, to Chris
tians, but at the same time, hold that
there is in them powerful practical APP
peal to those who are ungodly. For
when the Apostle, in this exhortation,
places faith as the first link in the chain
lowest, deepest stone in the foundation
of the spiritual building-it requires lit
tie quickness of apprehension to perceive
that he means it to be understood that
there can be no true Courage apart from
Faith If this be true, and if this truth
could be accepted by all men, one of two
results would certainly follow: either men
would cease the universal and unqualified |
praise of the quality which passes current |
among us Us Courage, but which is really
not Courage; or, knowing and acknowl-
edging that the possession of the true
principle is of the last Importance to a
successful life here, and preparation for |
the life that is to come, they would rest /
not until they might lay, in the possession /
of saving faith, the only broad and relia-
bic foundation for this noblest ornament /
of human character-Moral Courage.
1t is this, then, that the Apostle exhorts
us to "add to our faith" We may ac-
quire a proper appreciation of the true |
nature Of this grand endowment, by con-
sidering two points:
/. In what cause should it be called IN
to action?
2. Against what kind of opposition is
it to be arrayed?
i. In reply to the first question, I re-
mark, that a wild, ill-regulated, and Ill
directed impulse, which prompts a man
to plunge recklessly into danger, under /
the influence of some sudden appeal, in
discriminatory, and without regard to the
cause in which we are called to engage
IS of no sort of kindred to the Moral
Courage we are considering. The Moral
Hero looks well into the character of the
cause which he is called to espouse, and
having convinced himself that it is one
which commends itself to a wise approval
lie concentrates every energy upon its ac-
having no regard to the
opposition he may encounter. This is
Moral Courage.
III. Again, in answer to the second of 4
hese inquiries; to go forth with the pre-
entation of courage, and determination,
n the face of opposition, that all may
zee, Mt a glance, is slight, and easily
to be calm and courageous,
when the sky of the soul is but slightly ;
overcast with shadows of coming evils, or ;
when the burden of care is light, and the {
-oke of bondage easy, requires no lofty
xercise, no imposing display, of Moral
courage. 1t is when the trials and sor-
ows of life press heavily upon the soul
Fhen the onward track of our earthly
narch is thickly crowded with a fierce and
array of troubles when the
arkness of affiiction casts its gloomy
hadows upon the bereaved habitation
7hen all that was bright, has faded I
Then all that was promising, has been !
lasted when, in the battle between
Tirtue and Vice, the friends of the for
her are well-nigh overthrown by the adj s
coates of the latter; when the world is I
rowning on religion, and smiling on {
lshionable folly, then true Moral I
Heroism-fnds fit {
ng time, and opportunity, to give forth /
5 brightest displays, in sustaining the
ruised spirit--nerving the tagging en- I
rgies-lighting up the gloom of the soul I
cheering the disappointed heart--Ciis-
aiming the baseness of trucking servilitv,
hich leads man to trim his sails with G
lie popular breeze, or TO steer his bark
ong the channel of public sentiment, |
owever corrupt, daring to be singular in |
IS principles of action, and in his course c
conduct. /
This, then, is the nature OF true Chris a
IN Courage. The cause in which it o
cages, must be the cause Oh Virtue a
e cause approved by the sanctions of Ii
eaven in Revelation, and the opposition il
,ainst which its acts must be such as is il
as Will yield to no ex4 h
lions save tnO>S OF the most CONTINUOUS l.
ID vigilant character. This, and moth $
z short of this, Is the Virtue which we
e enioined to add to our Faith. il
Let us carefully distinguish what the a
orld calls Stoicism, or Philosophy T
hich is nothing more than insensible- "
ess Of difficulties, and rccl1Iessness of a
anger-from true Moral Courage il
ow, Christian Hero viii haye-he Il
ast have, from the very nature of the a
,inciple OF his new ife-a perception Of W
myers and troubles, as acute as that of j.
~ other-even the most refined Nav. a