The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-28
THE SUNDAY PULPIT


say of this intelligent age, but the plain
truth is that the average man does not
use his reasoning powers to any purpose.
Some good people tell us that it is dan
rerous to use our minds freely, especially
on religious subjects, and assure us tnat
il is destructive of faith. But my I'M
preston is that religion more than any
other subject demands the exercise OF
the intellect and that the faith when
will stand the test of life's strange expert
ences and burn with an undimmed hame
in the midst of them all must be based
on conviction Mere impulse is as hurt-
full in religious matters as 1t is III Dnsl-
ness or in scientific research. a pima
faith is worthless when compared with
open-eyed and open-minded faith. 1t is
sure to desert us in the pinch OF circum~
stances.
If we reasoned more about ourselves.
about our duty and our destiny, we
should be far stronger and nobler than
we are. 1t is because we do not reason
enough that we both fail and fan. Inc
same intellectual energy which makes
discoveries in astronomy or chemistry IL
applied to the conduct of life would form
a foundation on which to build an ideal
character.
Does the man who is addicted to vice
in any of its many phases use his brains!
On the contrary. he ignores them pushes
his logical faculty into Il corner, ana
foolishly allows his enjoyment of tenn
porary pleasure to interfere with his last
ing good. If he were to spend hair an
hour a day in examining himself, ana
could do it as impartlally as the natural
ist examines a weed or an insect, would
GOLF I'm
oned by an evil habit or would he eX-
pect to avoid the consequences g i'm
moral courses? His difficulty is that he
does not think half enough, or even
makes an effort not to think at all, know
ing. in a vague sort of way, that If he
thinks he will be forced to condemn
himself. If | could persuade men to
think more profoundly about their souls.
ahout consequences which are the eff
fects of cause, | should be a benefactor
to my race.
The man who has an aim is the man
who thinks. The man who accomplishes
something worth his while has Il clear
idea to work on The man who drifts
never thinks, for the moment he begah
TO do so he would put his hand on the
wheel and steer his craft into cleai
water. The worthless lives are lives
without fixed purpose and the great
multitude who yearly ruin themselves by
yielding to temptation and vice III the
guise of pleasure are men who were IN
tended to be archangels, and who have
the capacity to become archangcls, but
who do not recognize these facts, because
their intellects are under the influence of
morphine, self-administered.
A man and horse have some points
in common. In the stare of nature men
and horses are very much alike. Inc
wild horse has a prospective value only.
He must be caught and tanned and
trained. Some horses are gentle and will
take kindly to the snaffle, while others
need the strong curb bit. They must
learn that they have Il master, and that
the master is to be obeyed. a single
touch of the whip is sometimes enough,
and at other times the cruel spur has to
be applied In all these respects the
horse and the man resemble each other
But there is this marked difference.
The horse must be tanned by power
that is without, the man by power that
is within. The man must tame himself,
and therein lies his superiority. The
horse does not understand the meaning
of the discipline which tames him, but
the man does, because it is self-applied.
In order to fit himself Tor the best
uses a man must recognize several I'M
portant facts. When he begins to think
he begins to be godlike, and soon reaches
a level which the animal can never at
tain. lie keeps company with the brute
creation no longer, for he has caught Il
glimpse of heroism, of manhood. OF COO,
Of eternity. He is TRANSPORTED, his
-. IL Il 70 l. iet tn hn q
something to do, there is something for
him to become. his ambition is reused.
and nothing will satisfy him but heaven
and his own fitness to enter therein.
When he thinks of the Providence above
him. of the good God who will lend him
something of His own omnipotence III
time of need, will send His angels to
guide in hours of darkness and guard IN
time of danger, has asked him to weave
out of the pleasures and pains of life,
its tears and its joys, a wedding gar
ment with which to enter the portals of
eternity-when these thoughts fill his
mind and are his daily companions he
is like sir knight clothed in mail of
steel and able to vanquish any form OF
evil which may present itself.
Why did not Christ yield to tempta-
ton? Because He saw the reality of
things. Evil was evil to Ills eyes, ana
good was good BY us evil is preferred
to good, because it makes promises which
it can not keep as long as the world isI
governed by law, which it never intends
to keep, and which we would know it can
not keep if we gave the matter our calm,
deliberate attention.
A reasonable religion will alone suffice
for reasoning being. We must partake
of Gods wisdom before we can appre-
ciate Gods love. Find out what you
can do and ought to do, and yen will
become enamored of goodness. There isl
nothing that equals a conviction as a
basis of character. Christ had no doubts,
therefore He had no fears. Temptations
lose their power when Gods face Is Wis
ible to the seeking soul.
GEORGE Ii. HEPWORTH.
About one month ago my child which
is fifteen months old, had an attack of
diarrhoea accompanied by vomiting. i
gave it such remedies as are usually given
in cuch ca COS but a nothing gave ralipf