Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-11-09
Bearing Our Own Bprdens.

There are burdens which we must
bear for ourselves, or they never can
be borne. There are things which no
other one can do for us. If we do not
do them, they never will be done. Even
God, with his omnipotence, will not do
them for us. No other can make our
choices, do our duty, meet our respon
sibility, answer to God for us. No other
can pray our Father for us, can be-
lieve on Christ for us, can get our sins
forgiven, can receive divine strength
for our weakness. Every individual
life exists as separate and distinct
entity, filling its own place in the uni
verse, and running its own career.
There is something awe-inspiring in
the thought of human personality in
its isolation, Its individuality, its re-
sponsibility, its independence of other
personalities while touched by them on
all sides. Thousands of other people
may be close about us, sharing their
life with ours in many ways, yet in a
deep sense each one of us really dwells
apart and alone. The heart nearest
to ours in love cannot live for US, can
not take our place before God or among
men, cannot enter into the inner ex-
periences of our life. Each one must
bear his own burdens. This truth is
not q mere theoretical one, without
practical bearing. 1t lies at the basis
of the only true philosophy of living.
No one can make anything of young
mans life but himself. His Intellectual
powers may be great, but as yet they
are only bundle OF possibilities, fold
ed away in his brain, as stately oak
is hidden in the acorn you hold in your
hand. These powers must be devel-
oped and this can be done only through
a long course of education. In this
the young man himself must bear his
own burden. He may be sent to the
best school, but no school nor teacher
can bring out the powers that are in
his brain save through his own faith
full application and diligent self-disci-
pine. No most affectionate and inter
ested friend can do 1t. No one can
study his lessons for him. No one can
struggle with great problems for him.
No one can relieve him of the burden
and toll of the task work necessary
in mastering this science or that art.
The price of education each one must
pay for himself. There is no easy way
Of attaining it. A rich man can buy
many things, but his gold will not pur-
chase for him a trained mind and treas
ures of knowledge and culture. He can
get these only as the poor man must
by long, patient, unwearying study.
The same is true of character. No one
can give us the qualities of truth, cour-
age. strength, meekness, gentleness, pa
tience, which belong to the worthy life.
We must get them each for himself.
In experience, also. it Is true that no
one can transmit anything to another
We may learn something from what
others tell US about the way they have
passed over. but the actual lessons
each must get for himself. We cannot
acquire sympathy from another's suf-
fering. We cannot appropriate the
wisdom from another's mistakes and
failures as we can from our own. Every
man must bear his own burden en-
sist upon yourself" exhorts wise
writer The lesson is important. Most
of us depend too little upon ourselves
and lean too much on others. We do
not care to bear our own burdens. We
follow in others paths; we thresh over
and over again others straw; we
gather up the gold which others picks
have dug out OF the rock Few men
are original. 1t were better for us all
if we would insist upon ourselves-if
We would let the life that God hath
given US develop in its own normal
way, under the sunshine of divine love.
If God has thought for each life, he
will help us to know what this thought
is, and then will give us grace to be-
come what he would have US be-
While, then, we seek to bear one an
others burdens. and cast our own bur-
den upon God. let us each bravely and
confidently accept his own burden. and
bear it calmly and with faiths. s.
Times.