Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-04-30
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- A Preacher
- Among the People. =
DIsCoURAGEMENTs AS AN INCEN-
TIVE TO WORK.

ten meet men VINO seem 10 Inlnk the
world is moving in the wrong direction
A friend once formulated the senti-
ment o. those who take hopeless
view of human life on the earth, and
the probable outcome as they see it in
the following characteristic manner:
I'VE are going down grade and the
brakes are out Of wack."
That expression suggestsat once fear
full and increasing speed, followed by
an awful plunge and irremediablt
wreck.
That there are many things in the
life of man to deplore must be evident
to anyone who goes about the world
with his eyes and ears open; but that
the tendency of humanity is down
grade l do not believe. A careful sur
vey of the history of man leads to the
conclusion that Eden has not been
lost but is yet to be attained and that
the general tendency, instead of indi-
eating complete wreck, is upward to-
ward brighter light and more abund-
ant life.
1t is sometimes affirmed that our civ
lization is only a thin veneer covering
a real savagery that needs but slight
provoeation to bring it to the light;
but even if that were true, the veneer
indicates a forward move.
There was cine when savagery was
bare and our ancestors fought like
dogs over bone for food. War,which
was then ubiquitous and chronic, "
has been somewhat limited both in
time and space. Humanity is little
more humane now than it was then.
The fact that we see the sins of our
age so clearly should source of
hopefulness and not despair, and the
very thing that begets so much dis
couragement in the hearts Of certain
of our fellowmen, should constitute
one of the chief incentives to contin-
ued and heroic work
On a bleak day in December, 1920,
a small handful of weatherbeaten peo-
pie landed on the bleak New England
shore in the dead of winter, and hav-
ing but a limited food supply, the
houseless immigrants fell a dying of
hunger and cold" As one studies that
scene, it seems that more trying and
discouragaing conditions men and
women were never called upon to face.
They had just ended long and peril
Gus voyage. Landing on that frozen
coast, they found themselvse without
homes, threatened with starvation, and
subject to all the real and imaginary
terrors of a wilderness land. A few
shrank from the fearful prospect, but
in the great discouragements that con-
fronted them, the heroes and heroines
in that little band found their greatest
incentive to work. Instead of re-em
barking and beating hasty retreat or
sitting down to starve and freeze, with
most commendable courage and in
domitable wills, they set out to make
real in the objective world, the homes
and coveted privileges which then eX-
listed only in their manly and woman
ly breasts. And they did not fail.
Now / believe one of the greatest
needs of the present day is larger de-
gree of that same answering faith in
God and human possibilities that char
acterized them. Occasionally We hear
one who has grown weary in well do
ing, complaining of the fearful condi-
ton and extent of the field the scare
ity of earnest laborers, and intimating
the possibility of failure in the end.
But if there is integrity in the universe
a cause that contains the germs OF a
better society, a nobler world, if back
ed by unfaltering hands and heroic
hearts will not fail. The past offers
abundant proof in support of this
statement. 1t is true, no matter how
faithful he has been, Moses himself
may die before the people reach the
promised land; but because of his he
roic work, Israel will be nearer that land
on the day of his death than at the
time he was born. The principles for
which he contended live on and they
will be realized in the life of the
wor.u sooner than they would had he
been less loyal to them than he was
Had Moses made the mistake of living
for present day and petty achieve
ments, he would have condemned him
self to ultimate failure and humilia-
tion; but resolving to live for a great
and fundamental principle and for all
ages, the gates of hell could not pre-
vail against him and turn him back.
Sometimes he wavered for a moment; I;
but for the most part, the facts that
would have resulted in hopeless dis
couragement to one of weaker resolves
simply intensified his zeal and strength
ened his resolution. And it is thus all
worthy and lasting victories are won.
The man whose faith in ais cause is
completely overthrown by few de-
feats, which must in the very nature of
things be temporary If his cause is just
will never lead the way to any promis-
ed land. But when one is made out of
that sluff out of which heroes are made
his faith will be more and more clear
lV ma N fast in nrnDnrtiOn m tha dar