Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-11

KNDIYTDUAL 1CCOUNTABTLITT.
If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thy
self; but if thou soonest thou alone shalt bear
it.-Proverbs, KIP.
Human nature is most mysterious and
surprising compound. The ingredients
are much the same in every individual.
There is no perfect nature, and none utter
ly depraved. The same impulses sway all
men, the Same passions lead them captive.
The difference lies in the strength of these
passions and impulses. The miser
and the public benefactor diff
fer only in the impulse of gener-
osity, the passion of greed. The first
allows his selfshness and avarice to
smother whatever kindly feeling he pos
sesses, the other full of generosity and
sympathy, makes the hearts of the sorrow
full ''to sing with joy One man, gam
| bier, set apart from men, as devoid of
honor, will, like the st. Louis gambler,
give his life to save a stranger, while an
ordained minister. q teacher of divine
mercy, will refuse to pray for dying
Magdaline.
Who is responsible for this difference,
this contradiction among men? Who.is to
blame for the predominance of evil in the
world, that the basest and meanest i'm
pulses of the heart govern the
majority? Is it possible for
men to be better than they are; or are they
irresponsible beings in the power of evil
passions they cave no strengthto resist!
The Bible, experience and every ones
secret consciousness testify that every man
is lust the man he most desires to be, that
his character is his own work. He may
say. wish l were better or nobler, but the
wish is too weak to influence his acts. To
earnestly desire to be any thing is to strive
to become so. That men when they will,
can change their whole nature is illustrat
ed in the case of Samuel Drew, a writer
and editor of the "ELectic Re
vieov." He was in his youth
a scapegrace, orchard robber, and snug
gler, the terror of his neighborhood.
When about seventeen years old he nearly
lost his life, and from that hour he
changed the whole course of his life. He
turned his energy into a wise direction
and became as eminent in usefulness as
he had before been in wickedness.
A young man, who had aissipated
large fortune in riotous living and
among vile associates, heard some one re-
mark, she is going to the dogs; he won't
leave money enough to bury him." So
bered by this thought, he called
halt in his march to ruin,
turned about, and with invincible deter
mination retrieved his past and became
man to whom mighty people listened for
counsel and felt safe. Each one can call
up numberless instances where men by
their own will have turned from evil to
good, or have voluntarily become the thing
they once hated.
Men often seek to excuse their short
comings by placing their neighbors in the
pillory of public opinion. They plead, as
an extenuating circumstance, at the bar
of their own consciences, that they
are no worse than others; that profess
ing Christians commit the same sins. That
mon should so excuse themselves in
religious matters, is one of the mysteries
of human nature. In the affairs of this
world different rule prevails. A deserter
from the army, in time of war, would not
expect to escape his doom by the plea that
many others had deserted. The default
ing bank clerk would not hope for miti-
CATION of his sentence because he but
followed the example of other
bank clerks. If mankind be-
lieved themselves irresponsible would
they build penal institutions and work
houses? The law deals with human be-
ings as accountable creatures.
In the providence of God each one has
come into the world with his own peculiar
nature. In some it is calm and passionless;
placid neutral kind, and as fond friends
remark, they are born saints, too good to
live. To others life is one constant battle
with the world, the flesh and the devil.
Temptations without, fierce passions with
in, and a will eager to ride down ali obsta
clss, make living one intense trial.
The work of each one is to take his ma
turs, weak or strong and make it as perfect
a character as possible. Mentally or phys
ically the majority of men can not go be-
yond a certain limit, with their very best
endeavor they can not attain to great
mental power or herculean strength. But
in character they may grow to the"statute
of perfection in Jusus Christ" The voice,
which spoke to John from heaven, said:
"To him that overcometh, will I give to
eat of the tree of life which is in the midst
of the paradise of God" 1t is from
such fierce battles that heroes come, from
such intense trials is born the noblest
strength. When the final court is opened,
every one must give account of himself,
and of the talents committed unto him.
The question will be, "How much owest
thou thy Lord?" This truth makes living
solemn thing. There is no other safe
way for any individual but to do right al
ways. The actions of others must not en-
ter into the account. The claims of God,
the love of Christ, the hope of Immortality,
the crown of righteousness, all urge men
to be wise. ''If thou be wise, thou shalt be
wise for myself; but if thou soonest, thou
alone shalt bear it."
THE DECLINE OF THE MINISTRY