Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-10-26
no.


Human life is sometimes represented in
the gospel as a race, Of which there are two
/ opposite kinds as TO moral quality, as to
| their nature aud fruits. One is right and
the other is wrong The first is Christian.
and its fruits are of the best kinds and the
most abundant in the eternal gain of hu-
man happiness 1t is race open to every
real disciple of Christ and is run success b
/ fully 10y all such in the chosen service Of
/ God in accordance with the organic law of
| Gods moral government, the law of love
| 1. e., the law Of impartial, universal benev-
oence, obedience TO which makes all the
movements Of the runner harmonize with
every known right of God and of his chill
dren and thus, in practice, obey the Gold
en- Rule. Each person may thus so run as
to gain the greatest amount of happiness to
him possible, for in this way only will he
acquire the ever enlarging capacity to de-
rive enjoyment from every innocent source
OF enjoyment in the possession of others as
well as from that in his own possession
| Thus all selfish competition is excluded
from this race each gains a rich reward
each helps the other, and rejoioes in his
success In this race, the success of one
does not prevent the success Of any other.
But each that runs according to rule gains
the promised reward There are no blanks
in this race. This is called the Christian
race. The other and opposite race of life
is called worldly and selfish, and is run out
side of Gods service, in disobedience to the
organic and specific laws of Gods govern
ment without any benevolent regard or in
opposition to the rights of others, either of
God or his children. If such person is re-
strained from invading the rights of others
outwardly, as he may be and in many cas-.
es is, it is not from regard TO principle, but
simply from the force of circumstances.
For there is a morality which is the sole
product of circumstances, as well as that
produced by principle Only the last has
any holiness in it,
All sorts of races, except that which is
run in the chosen service of God in accord
ance with the Golden Rule, are destitute of
all the essential elements of holiness They
are selfish, antagonistic, wherein if one
gain prize, the many who enter the race
list must fail to gain prize. The number
and amount of blank tickets which draw
no prizes must be very much greater than
the tickets that do, otherwise the mana
gers who offer and pay the prizes would
themselves be great losers. This holds true
concerning all kinds and forms of races
gotten up and run on the selfish principle,
where prizes are offered and paid. No
matter what the form is, whether it be
horse race, a human foot race, ball a boat,
or an intellectual or a wrestling race. or a
boxing match, under the influence of offer
ed prizes for winners All such races and
struggles result in great amount of loss
to the many and of gain only to the few,
which generates pride on the part of the
few winners and great hatred and envy on
the part of the many losers.
In the varied forms of the Christian holy
races Of life in the service of God it is diff
ferent in principle, character, and results
from the selfish, worldly, unholy forms of
life races. In the first a rich reward is Of
fered and given, not to the few only who
run, but to each and all who run according
TO right principle. The success of no one
prevents or grows out Of the failure of any
other The greater the number who run,
the better, not the worse for each one.
But each may help and encourage every
other, and increase his own happiness in so
doing. Pride, envy, and antagonism are
excluded from this race, and the strongest
friendships grow up among all who engage
in the Christian races of life. No part of
such life is empty or petty, but it has all
the elements of everlasting growth and
happiness. .-Rer. l. S. Lincoln, Wilton, ~ H.