The Newtown bee., 1898-01-07

into the love of Christ; "the Spirit also
! helpeth our inf1rmities - and still it Is
often hard for us to believe that all things
do really work together for our good.
We think it may be so in general, or in
some exceptional cases through the
Lords personal favor; but 1t is difficult
to understand how disappointments can
do us any good.
HAVING DONE THE BEST
we know we find it hard to accept our
failure as being any proof of Gods love
for US. And still it must be true from
| the divine point of view that our dissp-
pointments are best for US, and that our
| failure to attain what we count success
must WORK in the long run for our great
est good.
Let US reflect upon the great spiritual
principles involved In the common expe-
riences of life. How is moral character
| developed in us? How do any Of the
Christian virtues come to their birth and
perfection? How do we become strong
for righteousness and truth? How are
we made perfect in love?
We are developed, made strong and
perfect by the proper exercise and exer-
| ton OF all our powers. The body grows
strong by means of physical exertion
the hand and eye become skilled by prac-
tice; the mind is keen and vigorous be-
eau of the training it gets in school, In
business and by contact with the world;
the conscience becomes quick and power
full to judge between right and wrong
because of duty and the responsibility
laid upon it; the will is firm and leliable
| because it is forced to resist evil and to
stand up for the right. And so all the
moral virtues and Christian graces are
evolved and perfected by the vigorous
and persistent exercise of faith, hope and
love in the midst of this life of evil mixed
with good, Or as it may be more truly
expressed, this life Of good which has
the great mystery OF evil working in it.
The education of the soul is the draw
ing out and drilling of all it's faculties
under the culture of the Spirit of God
after the divine plan Of life. Trial, diff
Guilty, disappointment, sorrow, and all
the ills of this temporary state of exist
ence under God are incidental to our
earthly probation. We are subjected to
the schooling of this world In the hope
that we shall
ATTAIN TO THE PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS
and holiness Of God that we may inherit
the things Of the eternal world. Moral
goodness implies moral evil. The test of
life ia the choice of good in the presence
of evil. The great spiritual victory of
the soul is the overcoming of evil with
good. Life cannot be failure lie we but
learn to love righteousness and to hate
iniquity; it cannot be truly successful,
! whatever else we may gain, Ii we do not
learn to love God.
The highest form of goodness comes
. by the resisting of evil and repairing the
, injury it has done. Suffering for the
sake Of others brings out the noblest,
I sweetest qualities of character. 1t is the
, sacrifice of self for the sake of others
that makes us most like unto the glori.
: fed Son of God. It ia love to God that
i makes us most like God, and the more
I like Him we are the more surely wills'all
] things work together for good" In us,
and through us to our fellowmen.
Faith, to be pure and strong muat be
!, tried. We must learn to walk by it in
! the dark. We must trust In God when
we cannot see. II we walk only by sight
, we shall have little use OF faith, and
faith becomes strong with God only az
we lean on His word.
| And 80 again, ''hope that is seen is NOT
hope.o We no longer hope for the things
| we already see and realize and under.
stand, we should fix orr hearts and
minds ON the unseen things eternal, the
precious things OF God, and hope, and