The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-31
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
sELF-DENIAL A CHARACTERISTIC,
NOT A RELIGIOUS EXERCISE.
Sermon by the Rev. Geo. II. Van De
Episcopal Church, New York City.

XIV ..
1 do not regard self-denial as a religious
! exercise so much as a natural characteris-
tic. 1t is the law of existence-a law to
which every man hourly submits whether
he knows it not; law to which every
man gladly submits, if he gives it mo-
ment's thought.
Think of mutual dependence. There
is absolutely nothing that you can do alone.
| If you were the only man living, there
would soon be no man living. Even a HORSE
| apart from companionship with his kind,
will grow lonely then weary then pine
away and go to his grave. We must live
with others, and for others. and they for
us, if we are to live at all.
But self-denial has also to do with re-
ligion. Every man living is your brother.
since all men living have one common
| Father. Let this idea take possession OF
you, and you will have new and a nobler
conception of your life. its duties. its re-
| sponsibilities.
If rising to a higher plane be the purpose
| in view, the lower nature must always be
denied. OF all sorts of earthly good the price
| is self-denial, and the apostle but expressed
truism of nature when he declared. AS
| dying, and behold we live" The lower
must be sacrificed for the greater, and the
| coarser give place to the finer, If there is to
be any such thing as development, or prog
ress. Every step of the way to success is
| by sacrifice We gain by losing. we grow
| by dwindling, we live by dying. We have
| by giving. We crafty self by denying self.
1t is the law of life, natural, moral or spir-
| itual life.
| That which especially marks a superior
! grade of man. which constitutes nobility
| philanthropy, greatness of character is self
.,,f "a a<,o
personal indulgence personal advantage.
remote or present. because some other line
of conduct is more right. Self-denial is first
discrimination to see what is the highest
| good, wherein lies the supreme duty, then
a calm, deliberate, invincible attachment to
| this conduct, whatever betide.
This belongs only to Hottest characters.
| Weak men cannot know its blessings. The
best kinds of it must come from religious
convictions, as the best example OF ethics
must arise from the profoundest faith In
God. The best men we know have been
made such by the practice of this virtue OF
self-denial. The sturdiest stock is most
blown about and has most to resist The
more you trample upon palm the loftier It
lifts its head, and the palm is the symbol
of victory. In the race for honor to have
is a handicap to want is stimulus. Our
greatest men have acquired both name and
fame place and power. chiefly because be-
ginning life poor they have early learned
the lesson of self-denial.
Poverty is often one of the greatest bles-
sings a man can have in beginning his
career. 1t hinders self-indulgence. 1 have
| seen so many rich young men enter life to
| the dancing jingle of gold, and go through
| life playing an insignificant role, amounts
| ing to nothing, fettered by fashion, circum-
| scribed by conventional usages Of society,
| with ambition for nothing but to shines
keeping far from danger and farther from
| honor, hands tied, ambition crushed, SYM
| pathies narrowed-that have almost come
to consider opulence for a baby curse
The easiest thing in the world is never the
best thing The greatest thing in the world
| is charity, and charity looks not on the
things of self, but regards the concerns OF
| others. Charity teaches the duty of self
| denial.
| Make up you mind voluntarily to do with
| out some things. If you are poor. accept
| your enforced abstinence cheerfully. IL
| you are rich institute enforced abstinence. =
| Always keep this side of having all you
want. If you do not occasionally say mo-
| to yourself you will not long be your own
| master. Hate life Of ease. Love work.
| Covet opportunities for self-denial. Court
sacrifice. Cheerfully labor for others. Do
| not be looking out for self all the while.
| Make your presence in your home a bles-
| sing. Have the little ones there love you,
| not dread your coming. Be a comfort to
| your parents and an example to your chill
dren. You never can do as much for your
parents as they have done for YOU You
never can give them what they have given
you
Even in trade or the pursuit Of your pro-
fession establish a reputation not only for
fair, but for generous dealing. Avoid mean
ness 1t is not necessary to initiate the pig
at trough in order to be commercial
success. Be alert, be resolute. be even
logged in your powers Of perseverance, be
strenuous in effort, unyieding in principles.
sharp, If you please, in striking a bargain,
but with all these be willing to think OF
others thoughts, care for others cares,
put yourself in their place." and deny
yourself that they may live and be happy
as we'll as you. 1t isn't worth while to be-
come rich, if, in doing 1t, you lose the love
and respect of your neighbors. 1 would
rather die pauper with friends and honor
than be a pampered, selfish, worldly Dives,
despised by my servants and dishonored in
the community. One cannot have the love
and respect Of his fellows who never de-
MES himself. To be something and some-
body, one must not only work, but work
somewhat for others.
The thoughts of self-denlal and unselish-
ness run parallel. What we have hitherto
said of the one will answer very well for
the other. Men of the noblest dispositions
consider themselves the happiest when 9TH
ers share their happiness with them. Self
denial is the noblest act of gentleman. It
comes not from high birth. but good breed
ing A poor man Is very likely 10 exercise
it; a common man, rich or poor, is not like
ly to. All happy men must. He who never
practices this virtue dies unblest.
Salf-denial is superior to generosity, for
it is not only giving of what we have, but
it is doing without something ones self to
let others have. 1t is generosity UP to the
pinch point 1t is real charity. Bunyan tells
us Of "a man there was, men called him
mad" And 1 have read somewhere OF an
| old epitaph that seems to TO express
| the whole thing in nutshell, so to speak.
It reads thus: What / gave l have; what
l spent had; what 1 kept lost" Unless
| you really deny yourself something in order
to give, never dare take credit for your
generosity.
For bodily health. for mental training, for
spiritual development. self-denial is good
thing. Encourage it, practice 1t. Expand