, 1886-06-06

that is an element; humility, that is an Gle
ment OF 1t; good nature. that is
an clement of it, called kindness
in the text of Scripture. Easiness to
be entreated; that is one of these elements of
growth. Forgiveness. loving ones enemies,
doing cool TO those that lain would injure
you; these are all OF them elements of
growth. G. owth in love is the mother of all
these o.her qualities, and that which makes
the beauty of Christ portrayed in the Bible
is love for tho center, and all this brood of
graces that spring out OF Him and make
Him the name above every name. Here Is
chiefly where growth is commended.
In regard to all these elements, the higher
Christian experiences. they are good for joy,
and that is commanded us. Men strive and
pray for high religious emotions because
they are so pleasing, that Is not forbidden
either. But while a man likes to sit athis tab g
and take his meat and his bread md whatso-
ever other things qualify it, and a healthy
hu ger makes it relishful, yet eating and
drinking are not merely because they taste
good. A man eats for his arms sake, for
thews, for strength, for bone, for muscle,
for activity. he eats to make a man of
his body. And so in regard to religious
food. We want joy, we want rapture, we
want a great many experiences; we want
peace passing understanding; but all those
yum Tics I uititi1 v tue SlrtnBbutiiihp VI
the man that Is in us-for the strengthening
of conscience, of faith, Of hope, for
loves sake. 1t is for grace that all
these vivid experiences are solicited.
or should be; it il TO make more perfect
spiritual men in Christ Jesus. And in re-
gard TO the higher manhood. this manhood
which springs from the activity of our
highest spiritual and moral functions; in
regard to this l must say that this
kind Of development, this eminent
Observation-Disclosures that men seek, it
does not belong to the cave nor
to the ~cloister. In tho whirl and dis
location OF society in ancient days, it very
likely was a good thing for men to resort to
exclusion for the sake of cultivating knowl-
edg, aud for the sake OF developing certain
elements and influences; but no cloistcr
ia big enough or numerous enough
for the human race, and it Is man
KIM, and not single men, that God
legislates for. And l affirm that the
wisdom that comes from the cleanest, purest
development of those higher spiritual affec-
tions is just as much superior to the wisdom
Of the world as it is more comedy and
more beautiful in the aspects which
it develops. Goodness Is profitable in
all things There are many of you
that would stand up and say not SO. When
you are among the Romans you must do as
the Romans do. When you are in
you have got to do as commercial men do.
/ admit that there are certain laws in every
science; none that confront or destroy the
fundamental laws OF morality; but that there
are customs and methods in all vocat ions
mud calIings; yet l hold in the administration,
whether of medicine. or OF law, or of mer-
chandise, or of enterprise in the produ ction
of material everywhere in this world, the
man that carries To these Snhpras the
highest form OF spiritual knowledge and
Intelligence will find that his Judgement
will he sound ,r, and his will and skill will
be finer. than If he went with the wisdom of
his lower nature. Men 90 into life and say,
III every man woull take care of himself,
everybod wonld be taken care off, They
say that No. l is 10 be your business; and if
Others do not know how 10 take care of them
selves, yol ought not to stop and
take care of them. In other words
gross exclusiveness, absolute selfish
n IS. This is the law OF a good deal of the
market. Men say: Property condones all
sins; n man may do pretty much as he has a
mind to il he owns 81 900, 600" say it is a
fiat lie. 1t is said that If a man would make
money he must exclusively attend to
it, in the stress and rivalries of life.
| say no. The wisdom from above is a
better wis lom in the conduct of earthly
enterprise than any other wisdom; and it Is
possible for a man to be n Christian in the
highest sense of that term and yet be a
wise admin s~trator. II wise commercial
man. II wise lawyer, n wise pro
fessional man. n wise day liborer; that the
serene WIS ION of love and the guidance OF
/ Coils presence with a man will prosper him
more in til, long run, in every relation OF
life, than the turbulent wisdom that springs
from vanity, from pride, from ~avarice, from
pass ION. And men adopt a lower form of
power when they undertake to carry out the
ends of lie by the seltishncss that prevails in
human society.
1t 7, qhlires more skill to WELD this In the
beginning, to learn the trade, hat is, of
piety in it, application to life. 1t requires
more time Tor reaping the fruit. Some har-
vests are sown in autumn and the sun
lea YES them, but they como to ripene
next summer Some things can be
sown in spring and reaped before mldsum-
mer. Now, IN regard to moral and spiritual
elements it takes more time to develop them
and procure their final res ults in secular wis
dom than 1t does 20 take the lower forms and
the superficial forms of success; but when
once they ar established they do not go back.
Wnen o.cs men are thus grown tney mrs not
in any DANGER whatever OF Te~trogradIng.
And | wou Il say TO every young man,
that Wills 1t is of very great incouveni-
ence 10 lie without capital in this world,
the capital VIII CHI in the long run viii
do YOU the most good Is the reputation.
well established and becoming character in
you, OF integrity, of absolute truth, OF un-
seinshnrs~, of loyalty, OF fidelity. Men
assume these things, and therefore men will
not willingly believe that you are super or
to the great Tucx of men; but If 1t be found
out til At "A man Is one whom you can
lean your whole weight on, why the wedge
OF gold from Ophir Is not more desired than
sIe a@. 40 10 rgf fAr NI-N
which is IN MN; not because he is afraid Of
CHAINS, not because he is aff aid OF prison,
lut because he has a wall Of honesty and
honor in hims II. a man that fears God a ID
loves God, and, therefore, stands intact under
the temptations OF life, men Will I've la g
premiums to get such. 1t Is ripen ny growth
that is demanded. In other words, 1t is not
enough for our religion that we have revivals
OF it. it is not enough for us that we have
flashes of any or | o tbese feelings and spirit
ual experiences. IL is, that they become stead
iy a part of us. and abide in us, so that they
constitute our character. Then growth in
grace amounts indeed to a sure victory. 1t
Is n good thing for a man under n touching
sermon to experience pie y;it Is n better thing
for n man never to be without It. 1t l. IA
good thing, under song and speech. for
men to be lifted up into the higher
regions Of ASPIRATION; II is a better thing for
a man to g there habitually, morning and
night. 1t is a good thing for n man to
have his heart touched with sympathy
for his fellow men; 1t $ a better thing for n
mans heart TO abound In that quality. 1t is n
cool thing for n man to have, IL he be
thir ty. water that requires a great
deal Of nbpr to pump from the deep well; II
is better that a man shouli have a spring
that Is 50 full thati gushes forth itse I, night
AMI day. out 81 the side OF the hills. Tne
piety Int comes and goes is Letter than
nothing: scarcely more than that; hut
the higher spiritual qualities OF n man =
nature that abide W tn him and that grow
stronger. throw their roots deeper, and takc
hold on fe with more multiplied hands;
l -alAl A-.-a Ia l.