Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-06-25

shall of necessity hinder our efficiency as SER
wants Of God We shall lose IN questioning
many an hour and opportunity for effort, and
shall ind energy and activity checked in our
lives, as they are under such circumstances in
all lines by the incoming of doubt.
The unsuitahleness of such self judgment,
and by Implication, the Improperly in still
greater degree of such Judgment on the part of
others, is indicated by the apostle in the
words: 81 know nothing against myself; yet
am not hereby justified. y The consciousness
which he had Of his incapaeity to penetrate all
the depths and intertwinings of his own
thoughts and motives, and to understand him
self fully as God understood him, led him to
appreciate his position. The Justification of
his conduct as q faithful servant wss not in
himself or the men about him. What was the
lesson of this fact to his uainda It was one
that inspired him to action. The very posi-
bility that he might oyerestimate the measure
Of his faithfulness tended to make him conse-
crate his energies to the discharge Of all the
manifold duties of his Office. It was more
fitting for him, as he felt, to be doing right
thanlto ask whether he wgs doing 30; and If
the question should be presented by himself
or Others he would answer 1t by the renewed
consecr stion Of his energies and the increased
efficiency of his service. This is nebfe living
TO press forward with SO much earnestuess and
devotion to the duty which lies before us that
questioning as to the duty which lies behind
us. Faithfulness in the diyinely appointed
stewardship is ever sensitive to the call for eff
fort and working, but 1T is so intent on being
Itself that it hesitates TO ask whether it is it
self Itleaves the master to ask this, and to
answer the question as he only can answer it
with no possibility of mistake.
Christian manhood, thus, is at the outset
the recognition of what we truly are. Our
life belongs not to ourselves, but to God.
Our life neither begins nor ends in self, and
this has no greatness pertaining to self In
which we may glory, one of us as against
another. It is a service in which, in the
truest meaning Of the words, we are all on
an equality, and by reason of which the
question may ever be ae dressed, with even
divine emphasis, to everyone who would
proudly exalt himself: What hast thou that
thou didst not receive, and If thou didst
receive 1t, why dost thou glory, as II thou
hadst not received it? Christian manhood,
again, is the recognition ofwhat is demanded
of us in our ife:-not great ability, not
great results manifest to all men, not great
work in the ordinary human acceptance of
that word; but the effort and purpose to do
well that which is laid upon us as our service
for God. The progress of the seryics-Weu
doing; the end of the service-well done:
this is the inscription which may be placed
upon every life of Christian faithfulness as
setting forth its distinguishing characteristic
in the light of our present thought, and as
indicating its grandeur and its glory. And
still again Christian. manhood IL the reco2u1-
ton of the fact of its own dependence and
Independence. So dependent is it that it
feels itself always to be subject to divine
inquiry and judgment; and thus with quick
sensibility, and awakened conscience, and
intensity of earnestness and a sense OF the
most continuous and sacred obligation, II
presses forward from duty to duty and
from present service to future service, by
any means it may fll up the measure of
that one all comprehensive demand which
comes from God. Yet SO independent Is it
that it has not fear of the world or of itself.
1t moves forward with consideration for all
and respect for all; with a full understanding
Of it's own liability to mistake and readi-
ness to receive counsel and help; with no
proud boldness or sel6shness, thinking only
of personal ends in honor or success. But It
moves forward with noble self-reliance In
the very center of the soul, and with that
fndepeno re of human criticism and con-
domination which ia q part of the sense of our
responsibility to God.
For which Christian manhood, the apostle
opens q vision of the future. He assures us
that there will be a divine judgment and
decision, and he tells somewhat of its
character and its results. If the true view
of life is that-of stewardship in the service
of God and of Christ, and the consequent
requirement is that q man be found faithful,
it is almost as we may say necessity of the
case that, at the end of the Stewardship, a
Judicial inquiry respecting it should be in
stituted. Independently of our common be-
lief in the rewards and penalties of the
future life, we may not doubt that, in the
plan of God for human existence, there will
be some decision As to the manner in which
men have fulfilled the duties of the station
assigned to them in the time Of their earthly
ItwSN T1a oil M aorpto ~ aaPwina
highest sphere must, as 1t would seem, de-
pend on the fitness manifested in the lowest
one. 1t is in accordance with all the laws
of our being and not only declaration of
what he would have Us believe, when Christ
says in the parable that the servant who
shall be ruler over many things Is the who
has been faithful in the few things. Other
wise there could be no continuity of life in
the two stages of our existence, and the law
of continuous development would cease
at death. We must be ready, therefore,
to accept the apostles statement that there
is to be q season for such Judgment, and
that if We are Christ's servants here he will
determine the question of our faithfulness
hereafter.
What will pertain to his judicial examina-
tionf The apostle assures us that he viii
bring to light the hidden things of darkness,
and make manifest the counsels of the heart.
It Is evident that, in this passage, these
in other eases in the scriptures, suggesting
the idea of secret evil amid sin, but, on the
contrary, that of hidden good within the
soul. The faithful steward in Gods service
viii have all the unseen excellenees made
manifest. The purposes of this heart win be
considered in the investigation of his past
life and not only the results which he has
accomplished. The efforts which he put
forth and the plans whick, with wisdom and
q consecrated spirit, he formed viii be esti-
mated "a of greater significance than the
success which attended them. What was
was without. Faithfulness is q stewards
past, according to the divine judgment, and
while to human view faithfulness is proved
by its manifestations in action or success,
to the omniscient mind it il in the innost
thoughts. / can scarcely think of anything
more encouraging and strengthening to us
in our outlook upon life, my friends, than
the suggestion and teaching of these words.
In the limitations which beset US, We are con-
stantly liable to disappointment and defeat.
"Man proposes, but God dispoees," is the
law Of the world; and in the ordering
Of events for greater and more distant
ends than we have within our vision.
The providential purpose. overtarns or sets
aside the human ONE. The plan of the world
is not . completeness of the individual life,
but only that completeness, in some manner
beyond our present understanding, IL gradu-
ally brought to its realization through long
succession of incompleteness. As we look
for results, therefore, there 10 but little In
our personal living which can even seem to
rs to meet the demands Of the worlds life,
or to serve as a foundation for greater work
in another sphere. But the thoughts within
us may be always right. They may always
move in the line of Ged's plan and service,
and may reach out beyond earth's imperfec-
ton unto the perfectness of heaven. As the
thoughts, therefore, inspire us to action and
effort, they seem to impart something of
themselves, to what they move as to do in
our service of the divine master, and wheth-
er success awaits our working or not, they
move onward towards the judgment at the
end, bearing within themselves the promise
of the reward. The life according to the
Christian ideal moves even from within OUT
ward. If the SOURCES are pure and sweet and
living with the true life powers, the stream
flows on forever. The bringing to light the
hidden things, in the case of the faithful
steward, viii discover the purity Of the
sources.
And then shall each man have his praise
from God, says the apostle. Of the results
which follow the decision he gives us only
what Is suggested in these words. But how
much they involves The commentator of