The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-15
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
THREE DECISIONS WHICH MAKE OR
MAR THE FORTUNES OF MEN.
By the Rev. Thomas w. Grafton,
of Christ, Rock Island, Ill.

Thou hast girded me with strength unto
the battle."-Psalms xviii, 80.
Wars and rumors of wars" For weeks
our papers have teemed with war news: the
edition which prints these lines will perhaps
report another battle fought, another vic
tory won. We are in the midst Of what null
titudes regard as a righteous war, in hui
manity's interest, in the cause of the Prince
of Peace.
There are multitudes too, who believe this
is to be the final conflict of civilization;
that never again will nation rise up against
nation, that Manila gave the first eastern
CLEAN of the dawnlng day when men shall
know war no more.
But the reign of the Prince of Peace will
never render less essential the soldierly ele-
ment in character Though the thunder of
artillery and battle ships may cease forever
and the armies and navies of the world be-
come the expensive ornaments of nations
and kings, there will still remain battle
ground on which great issues must be
fought until the end of time There is nc
discharge in that war" we read.
This field Of ceaseless conflict is the hui
man heart. Within it's recesses truth and
falsehood will continue to contend for su-
premacy, and decisions must be rendered
which will make or unmake mems fortunes
Three of these points of decision bear so
vital relation to human happiness that
they deserve to be called decisive battles.
First-The choice of ones life work is an
important decision. Its moral bearing is
at once apparent; an occupation may be
either an aid or a hindrance to ones higher
development. No one ought, therefore, light
ly to answer the question, What shall
do?" which not only confrcnts our young
men, but young women also. A mistake
is often disastrous and the occasion of Bit
ter experiences and disappointments.
Some mistakes might often be avoided
If young people were to stop and con-
slider the question more seriously, study
ing especially their own qualifications
Every one is given natural endoWments
which ought to be considered in deciding
on a vocation. There is some one thing
that he can do better than anything else,
and which would afford him greater assur-
ance of success. The inclination and talent
of the boy sometimes point out the career
of the man. Whether or not these can al
ways be followed with safety, they should
at least be carefully studied, and choice
made only after careful review of ones
endowments.
A mistake might be avoided by cor
rect estimate of the dignity of labor. There
was time when all manual labor was re-
garded as fit only for slaves. In the palmy
days of the Roman empire. when Gibbon
estimates that 30,000,000 Of her population
were enslaved, the various trades were held
in contempt. THE tradesman or mechanic"
says Aristotle, the Greek philosopher. SIS
but a higher kind of slave. To do any work
that marks or curves the body. to live upon
daily pay, to be connected with sales in
the public market, degrades the freeman"
But our age, and especially our American
ism, does not SO regard it. Since the poor
carpenter of Nazareth has become the
worlds teacher he has exalted labor. He
has taught us to look for true grandeur of
manhood, not in the occupation, but in the
qualities of manhood with which the occu-
patton is adorned. He called fishermen and
tradesmen to be His disciples.
This is an industrial era. Cities are build
ing, railroads pushing out in every direction,
great manufacturing establishments spring
ing up. All offer openings to every young
man who is competent, upright, industrious
and any of them will reflect honor upon the
man who brings to his task the elements Of
success. But whatever the field of toll into
which young mans choice leads him. the
victory is his who will put his heart into his
work and do with his might what his hands
find to do
THE MARRIAGE RELATION.
Second-Having entered upon his life work
the young man is apt to think about home
around which the achievements of his life
can be gathered, and in which he can find
shelter from it's storms and disaprolntments.
Here another important decision awaits him.
Alone he cannot build home in any true
sense. Who shall share the responsibility
and honor with him?
No young person ought to contemplate
the marriage relation without lofty ideal.
How many promising lives have been blight
ed because marriage has been contracted
without any true conception of its aim or
responsibility! Let 1t be to build a happy
home, to get foretaste of heaven and never
lose sight of it. In this higher sense, mar
riage is a partnership in which each partner,
if the enterprise is to prosper, must invest
capital-and not only that, it is one in which
each partner must be an active partner,
diligent, forbearing, faithful. 1t is a mutual
arrangement in which. if either partner is
unfaithfu the dawnfall of the home is sure
The young man has a responsibility" and
ought never to think of marriage until he
has determined whether he can meet that
responsibility in an upright, manly way.
Let him take an inventory of his resources.
He has no right to ask any young woman
to share his lot without some visible means
of support. Competence is an element he
must bring into the home. 1 do not use the
term extravagantly. l mean by it a trade
or an occupation, with salary enough to sup
port two in modest comfort.
Another resource which he must bring
into the home is character. He must get
his temper under control. The home is a
republic and cannot endure the tyranny of
a selfish despot He must root out selfish
ness. The idea that the home is for the
comfort and enjoyment of just one person,
and that 1.-The lord Of creation who bestows
his name upon it is relic of barbarism.
The enslavement of womankind means the
enlightenment of mankind. He must leave
off bad habits. No man has the right to be
the husband of a drunkard's wife or the
father of drunkard's children. Unless he
can bring to the home pure, sober man.
hood, the sweet fruits of victory won at
the marriage altar will never be his.
Having determined to be true man,
and having set his heart on building the
happiest home heaven ever smiled upon, the
young man, in deciding on helpmate.
should seek the woman who can best assist
him in the realization of his ideals. One of
the qualifications which he will first seek
is intelligent womanhood. which means that