The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-01-26
Which Exhibits Our CONTRARY DIS
position to Regard Our Losses as Total.
AUsT MAKE THE MOST OF WHAT is LEFT
I'm Time of Grief We Say Nothing IL
sig LEFT Us Yet After the largest Loss
Something Rcmains-Thcre IL AL
BIS ways Something LEFT TO Young or
s MI GiA-Turn with Courage 10 Duty.
ECBy Francis b. Hornbrooke. Charming
Church. Newton. Mass)

~. StrenS tnen the tnlneS WHiSh iS"iai''
HIP.
.S9l we are all too much disposed TO re.
4 gard the loss of something as almost. u
slnot quite, the same as the loss OF every
thing. If very little remains Tor
4 church or u man to do. we think that q
& good reason for the one or the other 10
Sdo nothing. But the word of the spirit
I4:that speaks to the churches is. hstao-
4 lish the things that remain, or. 20 pul
aiit in the speech of our own day-"AlaKe
1.-The most of what is left"
az People sometimes say In times OF gflei
lover some loss Nothing is LETT me.
y but the fact Is, something always is
q left, even after the largest loss: w We
r may lose much light but II is never al
q together dark. There is always enough
SSof light to take Al least one step oF.
53Gi The church was never so bad that II
Y did not have few souls who were wor-
G thy to walk in white robes with 'heir
Il church seems to have SO little to do In
& the practical direction of affairs, there
g are those who think II has nothing TO
lido. But. at least, 1t stands in the world
Z as the only agency whose avowed pur-
pose Is to maintain those great prnci-
4 pies of faith and conduct on which the
nations welfare depends. At least 1t
/ can help TO keep alive those sentiments
a upon which the service of man to man
sGdepends. Whatever else of the work Of
Is the church has gone, that still remains.
~. So 1t sometimes seems TO men of re-
Il finement and culture that they are shut
,gout from oil contact with the affairs OF
81 business and political life. They have
II no part In the movement of the world.
but there is something just as import
h ant as action. and that Is sound think
u ing and gracious living y man who
n has the time to think and 10 read and
Ito do the things that make life sweetcr
& and brighter to those around him has
"a much needed work in this world TO
perform. The young man before whom
y NO present opportunity Of active life is
GppeninE may and does anXiously ask.
RttWhat remains 10 me?" But for him.
5fitoo, there is left the opportunity 10
II learn, while lie waits. all that Is in his
iSPover to learn; to keep his mind alive
end his heart true. II he does this. then
q how to use II. But what Is left 10 the
Il eick, the feeble, the old? One must
Y have had little experience OF life to ask
q such a question. For the best lessons
QEof faith and courage and hope ana pa
~ client endurance very often come from
FfShcie whose years are filed with mem
q, cries of WEAKNESS and pain. The body
Il fades away, but the loving disposition
Y Rrows day by day. No strength is left
1; to strike blow for any cause, hut the
4, spirit of resignation is there to teach
M us how 10 bear hard things which often
XXX So the vigor of youth and earlier man
II hood goes, but the garnercd wisdom of
{ the faithful years remains 10 help the
b world. a mans fortune is taken away
But all Is no; lost, nor is the best lost.
X Manhood remains, and with Il all the
I forces and virtues Of which wealth is
II only the faint reflection. So. too, the
& man or woman from whom the nearest
and dearest have been taken has not
4 lost all. The tender memories OF the
y past remain, the duty of loving service
to those who look up to them for light,
\ end guidance remain-and love remains.
'Tis better TO have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at ALL
Amid the criticism and skepticism OF
Il our time, timid souls cry out that faith
us no longer on the earth. But when we
Z hook more deeply into the movement of
y religious thought we shall find that
4 much remains Many objects of faith
1 are taken away but faith remains.
doubts of some systems OF theology are
n not evidences of spiritual blindness.
%Ffather are they indications that our
! spiritual vision Is too large to remain
3 contented with the explanation these
= nave given. Faith in the systems may
4 nave vanished but faith In the realities
AttneY tried In vain to explain may be
Il stronger than ever.
- ChlidllKe credence may have departed
Il but the intelligent faith of manhood is
more than ever with us.
.Ss5s3We may not be able TO rest orr foit,,
IN the goodness OF God on isolated and
y miraculous acts done at some past time
u but our faith in the goodness of tho
4 total order of the universe was never
& 30 deeply impressed upon the heart or
q man as 1t is to-day Faith in some
ssseXternal authority. such as Bible ~.
s church or creed, may he weak. and vet
me laith In the internal authority OF tho
%flsht anu trne may remain t-,nro i'm,
n pressiVe and more imperative than ever
- sometimes people become very much
.s!!1Rhtened over the modern criticien, ~
Ssxns Blnie. They think nothing vii, ha
sSleIt OF tne Eible when 1t has finished 10
nut am confident that when
t,&&InlS criticism has done al n con an -
zsyyili leave the parts of the Ribia ~, - =.
Al are most VHally related To orr birhn,,,
gsIsliglous ana Christian life as ruu ar
n cnaTn anh value as ever No r;tici.y,
ri cnn ever take away the essential ,.,,
sermon on the mount. or tho no,
y aple or the prohiEal son. or tho GO
sS5chapter of st. Paul on charity or ~
ssSssWeetest psalr's. or the noblcst uttnr-
ssli aaIiSts OF prophecv. These will ever 20
IS main TO us. to bless, to comfort ana q
&raise us up. anu 10
~ yes. something is always left IN -.
a,And nothing shows the real value ~ ~ "s,
u man or woman more than his or ber de-
ger nation to make tho rnost Of wha
ss1s left. The real difference between nao
pie consists In the ways in which tho,
sSTsggrd their losses, and the uses tboS
Sinake or their remainders II was oncs
siIhopght that when Il man had lost his
sssslsht or hearing that nothing con,d bs
tsooIles Tor MN or expected Of him m,
SnaP We take the other senses and do
a