The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-01-24
WHOLE NO. 1896.
The Pagan Virtues

After showing In one of his Yale lee.
lures how the diatinctivcly Christian vir.
tues Of mcekneaa forgiveness and pa.
tiencc ought 20 be preached, Mr. Daba.
reminded hit hearers that there were
other virtues recognized BY paganism
which must not BE- owe looked There
are men. be said. who are called very
good Christians Who would make very
poor parana Tie continues
To these virtues neither the teaching
nor what may be called the public opin-
ION Of the Church has given adequate
prominence and u 4 part n our duty 10
reasacTt their authority You viii 20.
mcmter tho account which Nc John
Stuart Mil gives In his autobiography %
the moral trimming which be received
from his father. ID was tho training of q
pagan liz fathers moral convictions.
AZ he tells us IN thc passage o. which !
am referring we're wholly discovered
from religion and were very much of tho
character Of those OF the Greek phiioso.
pliers Ny fathers moral inc ilcai oas.'
Eaya Mr Miii. 'ecFc at 40 tG,es mainly
those of the NHat-i sld- Justice ten.
perancc 60 which be gave We ! extend.
ed apPlicationl voracity per- evorance,
readiness 90 encounter pain. f1d csrsc.
tally labor regard iof The pub ic good
estima ION Of porsous according 20 a cir
meriir. and % things a. 'ordinE 90 their
uaciuluraa \ ltfo of exertion. Ia cortfa.
diciion TO ono Of aolfindulrcnt ease and
aloth
We have long thought that there ia
large class of Chriatians which would and.
for a change. some of Plato'a socratic a..
alogucs quite a. useful reading a. the
New Testament which would be beno.
fted quite a. much bY a course Of disci.
plinc in one of Crsars icgioua or Ia the
retnuo of Lucius Emilius or PuhliuB
Africanua. or in tho family of thc bil.4d
A Fpius. OF Ia the school Ia which the
elder Cyrus was educated. AZ by faithful
attendance AZ our ordinary prayer meet.
inss Mr. Mil was not exactly Chris
tan bat his training gave him some
wonderfully good traits Of character. A
good paran "a very admirable person.
But the Scriptures do not overlook
these pagan virtues. The old Tcaiamcut
docs not forget 10 say In msny forms s-
Quit yo like men be stronF And Ia
the New Testau-e % 81 Paul. ia whom
these pagan virtues prcdominatcd. took
a good pagan 70. his Illustration when he
began 10 exhoft his son Timothy Thou.
therefore. my aol. ha atronH
ThoI. therefore. 1du ee hardness a. q coed
aaifiar OF Jesus Christ" 10 was the pa
gan die ipline Of the Roman army which
Paul made the type Of tho patience. en-.
durnnce. aud doFred strength which was
10 charactcriEe the man who should BE-
his successos In the care Of the ca irchfs.
Considering the soitness and eflcminacy
OF civilization. IL is worth considering
whether We do not need 90 preach gen
ucness less aid tho gospel of cxertion
aud ol endurance Of pain and Labor more.
We uspoet that the Eve cent horae-car u
a Zoe 10 grace and that sun shades aud
umbrellas have not strengthened either
the physical or tho spiritual constitution
Of our people. Iron make better corso-
lct than velvet. The Countess Dc 0enlia
required her prince pupil 20 walk with
leadcn aoles on his shoes. II our men
are getting 10 dread the exposure Of labor
In sun aud rain aud 10 count an hour of
work AZ an hour iost or II our women are
getting 10 avoid the pain and toll Of
child bearing aud maternity. then 10 may
BE- time 10 SO back q little aud learn a
little pasanism.