Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-10-24
AIM AT PERFECTION.

AIM Al FGnf cS toN.
a Ouestion Ia Practical Christianity Liv-
ing Practically Considered.
Christians are commanded by their
Master to be perfect even as their Fa-
Their in Heaven is perfect. by this is
doubtless meant the attainment not of
faultlessness, or negative excellence,
but of all possible goodness. Pcrfec-
ton is to be the Christians mark, al
though no one has yet succeeded in
striking the golden center Christian
life has been happily compared to
those questions in mathematics which
can never be exactly answered. One
may labor for years--for life-he can
not reach, but only approximate to
the truth; yet 1.-THE labor is not in
vain. Every figure you add makes the
fraction nearer than the last to the
million millionth; and so it Is with
holiness" gBN0E HN@@
But how shall one best attain, so far
as is possible to human frailty. to per-
lection? Shall he try to cultivate all
the Christian virtues at once, striving
20 master them en- masse? 1t seems TO
as that here is a case where the mill
tary maxim, divide and conquer" APP
plies. How would you endeavor to
master the history of Europe? BY
studying general history of that en-
tire division of the globe? Not so, IL
you are wise. The effort to grasp 30
much at once can end only in distrac-
ton and confusion of mind--vague and
shadowy, instead of distinct and vivid
recollections of what you have read
On the contrary, you will select sim
gle great central nation like France,
which has had intimate relations
with all the others, and, IN
learning its history, you will
learn to great extent the
histories of all other European peo-
pies. So with the Christian virtues.
The area of holiness is very wide
area, and, by trying to till it all at
once, we shall probably overtax our
resources, waste our strength, and lose
all heart and hope.
tunately for him who strives
after perfection, there is n solidarity
in the Christian virtue and graccs, so
ton without acquiring all the Others.
Aristotle, in treating of the natural
virtues, long ago pointed out that
they are so linked together, SO closely
interviewer, that il man possesses
one virtue in absolute perfection he
must inevitably possess the rest. In
like manner, the Christian graces are
not disconnected and isolated, but hang
together, and one draws another in
it's train. 1t is related of Pambos, an
illiterate medieval saint, that, being
unabl to read, he came to some one to
be taught psalm. Having learned
the simple verse, II said, will take
heed to my ways, that j offend not
with my tongue" he went away, say
ing that was enough, ii it was prac-
tically acquired. Pambos was right.
Mark what is implied in the virtue OF
governing ones tongue. 1t neces-
states thoughtfulness, patience, self
control, courtesy and other virtues.
So with charity, or love. In PauPs
panegyric on it, he seems, in portray
ing it's features, to be describing sue
cessively nearly all the other leading
Christian graces; e. e., Charity is not
pulled up;' that is, it is humble, lit doth
not behave itself unseemly;" that is, ii
shows taste and tact-is courteous.
Perfect love involves not only freedom
from excessive self-estimation, but
perfect courtesy. Again: ''Cha rity is
not easily provoked" and "endureth
all things" that is, he who has it has
patience and self-control, governs his
temper and abstains from retaliating
evil for evil. 'Charity seeketh not
her own;" in other words, y is UNI
selfish; it "thinketh no evil" that is,
1t is free from jealousy and suspicion.
The secret OF success in the spiritual
life is concentration. Do not scatter
your efforts, but make one idea the
central point or nucleus OF the Chris
tian character, round which that
character shall form itself, and con-
centrate all your energies upon it.
The sure way to fail in spiritual
culture is to give equal attention at
one and the same time to every part
of the Divine law, letting the atten-
ton be distracted and the resolve en-
feebled by multiplicity OF detail. AL
most every Christian has besetting
sin, and upon the determination OF
this-which means the acquisition OF
the opposite virtue-he should con-
centrate for the time being all his
thought and effort. Let a continual
prayer and struggle against this sin be
the main tenor of his life, and he will
find that IN subduing 1t he has sub
dued host of others interlinked with
it, which, by attacking them all at
once, he could never have overcome
Watchmrp
COUPLING TEMPTATION.