The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-05-31

a robust manhood, developed accord
ing to the highest model, to whom all
these other things shall be accessories.
He shall be a prepared agent for use
in the crises of tomorrow.
H. There must be worthy cause.
The power that has been wrought in
him must be brought into action by a
cause that shall move the depths Of
the soul. Colonial independence
aroused Washington. The blot OF hui
man slavery impelled Phillips, CARR
son, Sumner and their co-adjutors.
Threatened rebellion and its awful
reality reused the deep natures of
Lincoln, Grant, Sherman and many
others, and in small way there have
been hosts who prepared in character
have proved true in crises of great
moment to themselves and their
corners of the world. We may practi-
cally ask what are the causes today
that ask for helpers? Look at the
field; certainly they shall grow out of
the needs of the race, and the race
may be described by three words. 1t
is ignorant, degraded, lost. These
three words reveal three mighty causes
that may we'll thrill the heart of any
man or woman-they are, education,
reformation, salvation, and this CLASH
fication opens up three callings repre-
sented by the teacher, the reformer
and the saver. Into one at least OF
these should every member of the
working force of the world go, not to
the exclusion of business life, but in
connection with that which he must
do for his daily bread. The ignorance,
the degradation, the lost condition OF
the race are enough to stir US to pity
and move US to compassion they
waken us to our duties and opportuni-
ties. The teacher will seek to help to
Danish ignorance, the reformer to bet
ter human conditions, the saver to fol-
low in the footsteps OF the Saviour
and apply the divine remedies to a
sin-cursed world.
III. There is need of an espouSal
by the man of the cause. Given the
man in the fulness of his manhood,
the cause in the greatness of its needs,
then there must come an espousal
with something of the same holy
fervor that is in the heart Of the bride
groom for the bride whom he espOuses
till death does them part. In this
espousal blossoms the heroism that
glorifes human action and purpose.
1t is not so much that we see a need,
and that we are prepared in sense to
do the work that needs to be done, but
it is vital necessity that we give
ourselves to the meeting of that need,
tonsecrating to the cause all our
power. Given this espousal by the
man, of the cause then the exhOfta=
tion of the text rings out it's strong
command. Stand fast! Be forever
true to the cause you have espoused.
Obedience to this will not be easy.
You will find at least three enemies
who shall try to turn you from your
purpose. They are, weakness, fear
and pain. Weakness is something the
world never forgives; indeed to nature
herself it is all objectionable sin.
Jesus stated a general law that
touched this question very closely
when he said, "For whatsoever hath to
him shall be given, and he shall have
more abundance; but whosOever hath
not, from him shall be taken even
that which he hath, Matt. 1872. The
weak can only hope for victory by first
becoming strong. We refer Of course
to strength of character Physical
weakness is in part an accident to be
deplored, but moral weakness is sin,
or to keep up the figure it is an enemy
within that must be doWned. This
kind of a weak man is described in the
following words by James: "He that
wavereth is like wave of the sea
driven with the wind and tossed, for
let not that man think that he shall
have anything of the Lord" Jas. 1:6,
Z; neither shall he have anything of
the world. Today he may cry, great
is Diana of the Ephesians; tomorrow,
down with Diana and up with the
cross, and again tomorrow, like Demas,
he may forsake his cause for love of
this presant world.
Fear is spectre that haunts every
heart. 1t hovers in the front line of
all battles; hurls forth warnings
from all thunder clouds; seeks by
inspiring dread to slow the step
of all marches, and advises the
hauling down of the flags from
all fortresses and turns, by trans
forming courage into cowardice,
splendid charges into disastrous de-
featS. Fear makes towards, and to
be a coward is a despicable thing.
Physical fear may be question of
pnrvnc h11f moral oouar6ico lie q die