The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-10-03
Sunday Services.

am resolved what to do. that, when 1 am but out
of the stewardship. they may receive me into
Their houses" The parable. of VIII CHI these words
form part. was briefly related to us; and. al
though the steward was a dishonest one. and his
resolution wicked one. yet our Chaplain drew
powerful lesson from this text He said:
THE first thing this unjust steward did was to
take into account his circumstances and look the
situation squarely in the face. 1t is for
man to say that he would do this or that. if he
were rich. but he must say that he will make the
very best of his present circumstances. The not
doing this is the cause Of many failures Take
any successful man of to-day, and if you examine
into his early life you will find that he took into
account his circumstances and made the most of
them. Thomas Scott began life as a roustabout
Jay Gould peddled maps and pushed his stock be-
fore him a wheelbarrOw Garfield canal
boy. In taking account of your circumstances do
not make them any better or worse than they are
but do not hesitate to find exactly what they are
Having fully considered his the steward
resolved what to do. This is the second step in
the philosophy of life. Resolve what to do
There are men who have never made a downright
earnest resolve. They say that they will think
it over. Here is the whole difference between
success and failure: l resolve, means success, 1
will think it over. means failure. What want
to do to-day is to bring ourselves up to the point
when we can say: L will do this to-day Gen
eral Grant once said that the characteristic of u
great general was in the ability to sweep the bat
tie field with his glass and at once resolve what
to do. Somebody has said that Hannibal would
have been the greatest general the world ever
produced if he had only been able to come
promptly to a resolution.
Having fully considered his situation and re-
solved what to do, the steward carried that reso-
hut on into effect. This the third and last step
in the philosophy of life. When resolution is
made, put it into practice ght away and keep at
it day after day until you accomplish your object.
In coming to your resolution. consider your own
case very carefully. Advice is good thing in it's
place and there is any quantity around, but you
know your own needs best ami should stand on
your own resolut though the heavens fall.
The same thing holds good in morals and religion.
Resolve to do right, and do it, Men will not look
sin in the face. Suppose man about to tell
a lie would he say to himself that is lie and l
am going to tell iii? No. he would 60 far around
it AS possible and cajole himself into the belief
that it was hardly e after all. If he t.
consider it squarely nine times in ten he would
not lie.
Your future and my future depend these
three things: To take into account to resolve
what to do, and to do it. wish we could get into
our m inds the immortal words of Alexander: For
my part recognize no linn t. to the achievements
of high spirited man but the fa lure of adequate
Objects and in our hearts the words of greater
than Alexander: He that believeth on me, the
works that do shall he do also; and greater than
these shall he do. because L 60 unto my Father
With these promises you and can make fail
ures; but with our hearts relying upon God our
success will be sure