The Portland daily press., 1896-11-16
PRESSING TOWARDS THE MARK.
Rev. Blanche Wright at the Church of the
Messiah.

1t was rallying gay at the Church OF
the Messiah yesterday and the children
OF the Sunday school were present at the
morning service. The sermon, which was
designed especially to young hearefs,was
on pressing Toward the Mark. and
was based on the words OF Paul ID Ph1l
iii-14. Paul likeus himself to a runner
on a race course. He stops not to grum-
bio at the roughness Of the course nor
to observe the eager facts OF the watch
ing throngs He is thinking only OF his
goal ana with all his might Is striving
to reach it. In his tireless efforts to &C
oomplish his purpose to reach his marx,
we discover the secret of Paul's success.
Every boy or girl should be pressing
towards mark. No life should be
without purpose. Somew here in the dis
lance should be well-defned picture
of what we hope to be, plan to be. All
living should be q striving to make the
ideal real in our own lives. NO artist
sits down with paint and brushes and
canvas to paint picture wlthont we'll
defined idea of what the finished product
shall be. He does not put in rock here,
tree there, and a cottage somewhere
else in q foolish belief that if the usual
objects are there they will somehow
resolve themselves into an artistic sketch.
No, thought suggests itself to him.
it grows into beautiful picture in his
mind, and what he paints upon the can-
vas is but poor reproduction OF his
minds ideal. Our lives are just that
the working out of our ideals. The real
lifo always falls short of our ideal. The
circumstances of life hinder us in realiz-
ing our ideal just as gravitation defects
an arrow from It's direct course. We
must make our ideal grand enough so
that the imperfect fulfillment of it shall
still be nobisr.
What shall our ideal be? Power and
influence are good things to strive for.
ence he has the better. II sou desire it,
strive for it. If you make yourself
worthy of it you will be almost sure to
attain it, Strive after 1t by all means
you can honorably employ. 1t is a
worthy good. Would you DO lawyer OF
rank, or statesman? Bit yourself to
fill the place, and by and by you will
reach it. 1t is a worthy goal. Would you
possess a cultured mind? Work for it.
II is within the reach Of every earnest
young man or woman. Poverty cannot
block the way. There is practically
nothing you cannot obtain by constant
striving.
These things are worthy OF entering
into ones ideal, but they should not be
the whole ideal. Wealth, honor and high
places are transient possessions. Life Is
short. Soon tina curtains OF our eyes
are drawn, our ears refuse TO hear, our
bodies grow infirm, then pass away.
Those who honored us, forget US. our
palaces crumble to dust, others fill our
places. How worthless our ideal be-
comes If these are it's only ingredients.
The cultured mind endures q priceless
possession. But something more Is need
ed to complete our ideal. The supreme
object of life is the attainment of char
acter. 1t is good thing to be a lawyer.
statesman, a philanthropist; it is u
vastly better thing to be a noble man or
noble woman. We might mention
many virtures to cultivate; many vices
tosshun, but we could not name them
all. Ii is safer to picture an ideal char
acteT. You may find someone you know
who may stand out MS an ideal in your
thought, but tho best Of us have our
faults and If we thought we we're regard
ed as ideals we would shudder at the
responsible ! can point you an ideal
without blsmish-.Jesus Christ. Follow
Him, and when earth's strivings are over
you snail receive the prize of the high
calling from the hands of God.
The graphophone will be exhibited at
O'Clock this evening in the church. The
entertainment is given under the auspi-
ces of the Junior Young Peoples Society.