The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-08-21
TIE POWER on GOOD MrN.

spreading, not so much by the work
of its skillful thinkers and strong
speakers as by the lives of its good
women and pure men. Paul's best
speeches and arguments have never
brought as many people to the higher
life as has the story of the 6 Prodigal
Son." or that of the Good Samaritan"
Here is the dear old father of the prod
igal-a man without a name, and, if
you choose to say so, without visible
existence. Here is the Samaritan
traveller, with his simple surgery, his
modest two-pence; but his heart large
enough for the exigency. These two
men, because their hearts are large, be-
cause they have no personal figures and
worriments, because they live for 9TH
ers and not for themselves, are the two
evangelists who have made the most
Christians. No hero of any parable,
except Lazarus, has any name. But
this personal power of goodness which
they represent has always been the
moving power Of Christianity. A true
person makes others true; just per-
son makes others just an honest per-
son makes others honest. Why should
not the bravest, the gentlest, the most
just, be selected for the honors of Chris
tendon, instead of Bernard the states
man, Luther the preacher, Wesley the
revivalist and Charming the thinker?
The same question Expresses the
writer of Ecclesiastes. Years after,
Cicero repeated it, One and another
low toned poet utters his wall of regret
because the real heroes are thus forgot
ten. But the people who do not care
about it, who do not complain and are
not low-toned, they are the very saints
themselves, whose virtues are not re-
corded and whose praises are not sung.
The Roman Church has taken the
trouble to make up lists of these peo-
pie. Some of you have Witnessed at
Rome the ceremony of sanctiication,
and good deal of interest was taken
in the ordinance by which Christopher
Columbus was advanced lately one step
in this calendar. The Academy of
France every year awards prizes for
virtue. The Queen of England dec
crates with medal, from time to time,
those who risk their lives for others.
Our humane societies give medals, TOO,
and the Government sometimes does
the same thing But l don't think
these exceptional rewards of merit af-
feet us much. All the churches of the
world might unite to call these people
saints; yet this would not change in
the least our regard for them. All the
churches in the world might fail to
honor them, yet that would not dimin-
ish our respect. They have, in fact,
been simply working as children Of
God, and you might as well undertake
to reward him for doing his work well
The world is not made much better by
essays and sermons on goodness, but
by the sight or story of acts of goodness.
And if these stories are rightly said or
rightly sung they do their work all the
same, whether the people concerned in
them were rewarded or not. Philip
Sidney, dying, gave cup OF water to
soldier, and in that communion service
he made thousand tbousa- d other
hearts beat tenderly and bravely. So
we scarcely speak of a bit of self for
getfulness by dying man without
thinking of Sidney, as if he were some
how a dear friend. The quarrel in
which he was fighting is forgotten; the
name Of the wretched battle might be
forgotten, but the one deed of kindness
lives forever, and in every generation
quickens thousand lives and makes a
thousand men die brayely. And what
when we have the story without Sid
ney's name? We read of some lifeboat
shattered off Hatteras that 80 many
brave men died in the performance of
their duty. We know nothing of their
names, nor in detail Of their motives,
but life is larger to us, duty is easier
and death change M )re simple.
e. e. Hale.