Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-10-19
Defeats and Their lessons.

We usually think of defeat as dis
honorable. Sometimes 1t is. 1t is dis
honorable when it comes through cow
ardice or lack of effort. We ought to
train ourselves to be overcomers. But
when one has bravely done his best,
and, after all, has gone down in the
struggle, there is no disgrace in his
failure. A twofold battle is going on
whenever a man is fighting with hard
conditions or adverse circumstances,
and 1t Is possible for him to fail in
one and be victorious in the other. Too
often man succeeds in his battle with
the world at the cost of truth and
right. That is defeat. indeed, over
whose dishonor heaven grieyes. But
when man fails in his struggle with
circumstances, and yet comes out with
his manhood untarnished, he is con-
queror indeed, and his victory gives
joy to the heart OF Christ. In such
failure there is glorious success, and no
dishonoring of the life in heavens
sight.
Defeat is the school in which most
of us have to be trained. In all kinds
of work men learn by making mis-
takes. The successful business man
did not begin with success. He learned
by experience, and the experience was
very costly. The true science of liv-
ing is not to make no mistakes, but
not to repeat ones mistakes Defeat,
xy,h
when one takes lesson from his de-
feat, is not something to be ashamed
OF, but something to be glad for, since
it sets ones feet on a little higher
plane. Defeat which makes us wiser
and better is blessing to us. We owe
more to our defeats, with the hum
blings Of the old nature, the cleansing
of motive and affection, and the deep
ening OF trust in God, than we owe to
the prouder experiences which we call
our successes. 1t would be easy to fill
pages with the names Of those who
have gone down in defeat, and who in
their very failure have started infu-
ences which have enriched the world
In the center of this great host is Je-
sus Christ. The story OF his blessed
life is the history of failure and de-
feat according to the worlds estimate
But did the cross leave a blot on
Christ's name? Is it not the very
glory of his life that he died thus in
the darkness that day? Was his ca
reer failure? Christianity is the an
swer. He is the captain, also, of a
great host who, like him, have been
defeated and have failed, but have
made the world richer by their sacri-
flee. Let no man speak of such de-
feats as blots on fair names; rather,
they are adornings of glory. There is
another application Of the same truth.
The world regards adversely and sor-
row of every kind as misfortune. 1t
would never call man blessed or hap
ply whose life is full of trial and tears
But the gospel turns new light-the
light from heaven-upon earthly life,
and in this wonderful light az
Fiction and sorrow appear beautiful
One of our Lords beatitude5 is for the
troubled life, Blessed are they that
mourn" In the light of the gospel, it
is not favor to be without trial;
rather, it is a token of Gods love
when we are called to endure chasten-
ing. In this darkest of all blots on
life, as men would say, there is beauty.
These are suggestions of beauty in i'm
perfection. We may be sure that the
eye Of God sees more to commend In
the things we grieve over, which to
human thought are marred and broken,
than in the things of which we are
proud. The Lord seeth not as man
seeth.-S. S. Times.