The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-14


means course at college and a pew in
church; means healthy home, and
security, and advantages; so long we
shall believe that it is profitable to men
to strive for wealth, and to try and
gain, if not the whole world, at least
each one his share. And so long we
shall count it rational and proper feel
ing which looks with satisfaction on the
years gains ard deplores its osses,
even when they go no deeper than the
pocket.
Precisely the same things are to be
said of the struggle for power, the am
bition to be strong and influential
among men. 1t is just and laudable
thing to seek for the power which
comes of strong character, gifts, or
genius, ability to do, to plan, or to in
spire. And it is good for the world
and for individuals that some should
strive for and gain this power. 1t is
certainly profitable for man to have
raised himself to position in the COM
munity where he can WELD an in1u-
ence, impress his mind on the thought
of his neighbors and draw them after
him. That is the way the world moves.
1t must have leaders. 1t says to every
man-aye, and to every woman, too:
"If you have it in you, you may have
many at your beck. You may set the
thought of the multitude. You may
plan and others shall do" And when
that prize is held up, who will dare to
say that it is unworthy to try and win
it? On the other hand, who does not
know that out of the competitions
for this very prize come the greatest
boons to society? Was it not bless
ing to the world which led Abraham
Lincoln to enter into honorable compe-
tition for those positions of trust and
of influence which gave him a char
acter and his countrymen a man? Was
it not profitable thing, in the light of
subsequent events, when U. S. Grant
was led to apply for active service I'M
der government, prompted by the mod
est ambition which led him to
believe that he was equal to the COM
mand of a regiment? No! There is
no prize among those which life holds
out to us higher than the same one of
power, of influence over other men, of
leadership or of authority. And if any
one of you, looking over the years rec
ord, sees that he is stronger with his
neighbors, more influential, the object
of wider confidence than he had a
twelvemonth since, let him believe
that it hath profted him much.
Let us understand the same things to
be true concerning the other goods of
this world. 1t is a false sentiment
which deems it necessary to depreciate
these in order to put high value on
things spiritual. We do not perceive
the real worth of the moral gifts of
life, till, knowing how inexpressibly
rich and precious are its lower prizes
we understand that there are, neverthe-
less, things which quite outrank them
all. This is the true Interpretation of
our text. And it all grows clear by
moments meditation. If we have set
tied it in our own minds that there is
nothing intrinsically unworthy in all the
common objects of endeavor, and that
we do well and wisely to put our best
strength into the effort to achieve them,
we turn to ask, of what good they are
to US when we have won them ? We
work for them because they increase
our happiness, make life larger and
better and add to our sense of its val
ne. But now, if we should find chat
while we were acquiring these things
we had been at the same time losing in
any of the capacities for enjoyment,
which alone can give value to our pos
sessions, how should we rate the goods
we had in hand beside those we had
lost? Suppose the merchant in trying
to manage large business overworks
his brain till he loses his reason how
much now are his assets worth to him?
Suppose that young girl, in trying to
educate her mind overworks and ruins
her body; how much is her education
worth to her? Cut off from every
chance to use and enjoy what we have
acquired, we come to see how much
greater than the thing attained is that
which uses and enjoys it. A man pays
too high price for the lower prizes of
life, when he buys them with his vigor,
his health, his whole bodily capacity.
He makes Shylock bargain and for
feits his own flesh and blood. This IL
lustration serves to open to US the full
meaning of the second thought of our
text, viz: That all the profit of attain
ment vanishes if in the process we lose
the soul.
The sight IS no uncommon one in this
life of a man so eager and so reckless
in grasping for carnal pleasures that he
overreaches himself, and destroys his
own power to take any longer the very
eDjoyments which he holds almost in
his hand. Many times it happens that
man saws. "NOW / will have a good