The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-05
VOICE OF THE PULPIT
Discourse by Rev. r.. A. Horton, Pre-f-
dent Of the Benevolent Fraternity
OF Churches, Boston, Mass.
windows open toward Jerusalem.-Daniel

Windows open toward Jerusalem.-Daniel
vi, 10.
A pupil in the public schools wrote an es-
say. which began with the quotation from
one OF great American thinkers. Hitch
your wagon 10 a star" The teacher. 70
whom the composition was submitted.
verely criticised the writer for using this ex-
preston. claiming that It was slang The
error OF judgment showed not only q de-
ficiency on the part OF the educator with re-
gard to his reading, but also disclosed hi
lack OF good sense. There Is no bsttof
watchword than that injunction. The LAD
who used Il was on the right track He was
in touch with the noble man OF old, who Is
described as keeping the windows OF his
room open toward Jerusalem even while in
exile. What does this mean for US who are
meeting everyday duties? Can we hitch the
wagon OF our ordinary enterprises TO the
star of some high purpose? In other words
are there certain windows that we ought
to keep open. doing which We are helped 10
ways most practical? am very confident
that the great need for US all at the present
time is the open window condition OF mind
and heart. Let me specify what / mean.
In the first place, get what may call
horizon" Any toiler I'm the city who takes
his summer outing will understand what this
expression means at once. He passes out or
the narrow streets and high walls OF brick
10 uplands and hills and far-reaching fields.
There is a sense OF largeness, space for
thought and action. and feeling that one is
not hemmed in and crowded. Horizon is A
word that means for people at large a long
look and an inspiring one. The worker in me
world without sky and horizon in mis-
thoughts becomes mere slave. There are
various kinds OF bondage, Of which the
physical is not the worst. The slavery OF
habits and mind, whereby we become fet-
tered in dull. dreary ways OF performing
things, is about the direst calamity that
can befall human beings. We were made
to grow. No one can grow without horizon.
He must have incentive and see things
ahead. This brings to such person large
ness OF spirit which Is helpful OF the best re-
suits.
Another benefit from open-window condi-
ton OF character is the receipt OF courage
thereby. / mean by this, that looking
squarely at things as they are, one gets
valor which cannot come in any other way.
Little fires are built by small chips IL you
want sustained vigor i'm life you must draw
from a large source. The dynamo that will
run the everyday activity to its fullest and
best must be one OF no mean kind. Courage
is closely related TO hope. I'VE are saved by
| hope" IL we take little views. surface
| views, shut-in views, then we lack the In
| spirauon that comes from seeing all things
| together. He who has an open window over
history, and sees how mankind has struggled
and conquered, receives fresh instament OF
courage for his own personal battle. The
open window of biography is one OF the
finest. surest sources of fortitude and en-
DURANGO Biography tells US what our fellow
human beings have been doing who stood
on the peaks. They are greater than we. but
Of the same family. Their high achieve
n1ents lift In other words. if we close
| the windows OF our observation and darken
| ourselves, we shut out the sunshine which
| comes from heroes, reformers and saints.
This thought about courage through the open
window can be applied in many ways, ana
each one who is immersed in the NcissItudes
Of life can understand perfectly what this
means.
The simple matter is. we forget 20 forecast
some daily use OF this advantage. Let
renew our courage constantly by grand out
| looks of this kind
| There Is another gain by hitching our wag-
on to a star: it comes in an increase OF con-
| hdence. The usual pulpit name for this is
| faith. What / mean is well understood In
| the world large, namely. sense OF Sc
curity and willingness TO go forward. As
| when trust a bridge for the first time
or lean on friendships pledges. We believe
and act accordingly. No man can maintain
steadiness Of thought and action IN the world
| to-day. whether in business or in the pro-
| LESSONS, without the habit OF open-windOw
outlook He must be able TO look through
appearances into realities. He must have
the faculty OF comparing things. The infant
or the chsld-nan in history goes simply by
| disconnected facts. The OF to-day
| threads together an immense variety *
transactions. by some one guiding principle
| For instance, TO Illustrate: The patriot VINO
| fails to look through batteheids to the great
| principles OF our government, slowly getting
| into power, is easily discouraged. The re-
| former who takes only a few years the
| gauge OF what can be done will speedily
throw aside his faith in man.
Common sense tells US to-day to have I'M
| sight, ana insight means the habit OF accept
| ing this law and letting IL rule our conduct.
The law is that progress comes surely. though
| slowly That evolution is traceable All over
| the affairs Of this world That good VIII
] conquer evil when men and wamen band To-
| gethcr TO accomplish IL. Truth is steadily
| the gain, and the conditions Of life are I'M
proving. This cannot be enthusiastically ac-
cepted with the shut windows OF the mind
4 Neither can enthusiasm for humanity be kept
| up to its proper pitch with the shut windows
! OF the heart. There must be the constant
| outlook over humanity a whole and events
| In the mass. There are losses AMI sefbacks
/ In certain quarters. while TO the wide gaze
there appear significant marches OF advance,
A great deal OF what has been thus FAR
| stated turns the fact that when person
looks away from himself or herself and con-
templates affairs outside. there Is less chance
| for morbidness. This deserves our careful at
| tention. a distinguished man OF our age has
given the religious world some mott3es.
among them this: Look out and not IN" The
command from old times. Know thyself."
! IS OF drst value. So also is that saying OF
Alexander Pope's. The proper study OF man
| kind is man" But these and similar srov-
erbs. for such they grow 10 be, simply 80 10
| show that we must first get our bearings.
as the sailor says. aud then take course
| and pursue II. Time when il
thought highly desirable 10 look within. and
apply the microscope 10 all our feelings.
| There are still those who like 70 catalogue