The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-04-24

OhiOoSO, duu Slduc6S lIOm Guo pave
ment to the cornice work at the top
of the structure, he will not only
think: GLOW highp' but he will think
also of the weight of those massive
structures and of the firm founda-
tons upon which they rest. Think,
for moment, of the consequence of
weak foundations for such buildingsl
Cracked, tottering walls, and finally
piles of ruins where once stood mon
uments to architectural skill.
The weight of human responsible
ity, springing out of our great oppor-
tunities for improvement and for
usefulness, is greater moral weight
than the physical weight of the larg-
est pyramid or colosseum ever built.
The small and weak foundations of
men for the great weight of their re-
sponsibilities are the causes of so
many ruined lives. Let us build
stronger foundations, place more pa
thence under our moral structure
character.
Again,-patience gives us the abil-
ity to carry heavy loads without dis
turbing ourselves. Most of you have
seen a heavily loaded train cross a
weak tressle. The creaBing and
cracking and straining must have
made you anxious for the safety of
its burden and caused you to breathe
sigh of relief when the train had
reached the other bank. On the
other hand,-w have seen great
Mogul engines and heavy palace
trains run at full speed across some
massive iron bridge and have not felt
the slightest fear. The merry clank,
clank, of the great iron rods seemed
cheerily to beat time to the hurrying
flight of the railway monster, and to
bid him good bye as he speeds on
his way. The lack of patience makes
one chafe and fret and groan under
care. The possession of patience
makes one reliable, and makes him
carry his burdens with delight. You
and have seen both these persons;
the one continually fretting about
triaes and making much ado about
nothing; the other carrying heavy
burdens without apparent effort. You
never would know from the appear
ance or speech of the latter that he
had done, or is doing, any great
thing, albeit he may be reforming a
world.
Besides making weakness strong
and strength weak, placing life upon
a firm foundation and making us re-
liable and modest, patience sweetens
character. The impatient man grows
more testy and irascible with every
passing year. But patience tones
down our aggressiveness; it rounds
the sharp edges of our dispositions
and makes us persuade with love in
stead of rule with the rod of iron.
Each passing year makes us more
amiable and attractive, and as age sill :,
vers our locks, the peaceful influence
that proceeds from our lives is as
sweet as an evening benediction to
the care-worn toilers about US.
But patience does still more for us.
1t makes us at peace with ourselves.
Every life has its great crisis, times
in which a temptation, task or a re-
sponsibility call forth our every
energy. We need to concentrate all
our force upon one thing. Impa-
thence will dissipate our forces and
permit us to apply only part of our
strength to do what is to be done.
When the work is done and we have
not done it right, or failed to do it all,
we will surely feel that we have not
done our best. Under the same cir
cumstances, the patient man has
been calm and collected. He has
bent all his energies upon doing one
thing. When the task is done, he
looks upon it with pride because it is
his best.
Patience is a cornerstone of every
moral structure, giving it firmness
and endurance, and the keystone in
the arch of every responsibility, link
ing endeavor with success. So i'm
portant has patience seemed to some
that they have framed the phrase:
BLESSED are the patient, for they shall
be called the co-workers of Cod" and
named it the Unwritten Beatitude.
In truth, the words, BLESSED are
the patient, for they shall be called
the co-workers of God," would not
look out of place beside the beati-
tude, BLESSED are the meek. for they
shall inherit the EARTH" or, BLESSED
are the peacemakers, for they shall be
called the children of God"
If patience does indeed rise to the
dignity of beatitude, and aids so
materially in working out our own
let us lose no time in equip