Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-04-03
SERMON DELIVERED BY REV. r..
L. SHEAFF, MARCH 26.

in these columns. We take pleasure
in presenting the same. Mr.. Sheaff
took for his text Prov. 1852: "He
that ruleth his spirit is better than he
that taketh a city, Mr.. Sheaff said:
The thought of this proverb is wor-
thy of the carefullest consideration.
1t deals with that great question of
self mastery. A comparison is here
drawn which would make this one of
the highest and noblest atta1nments
of man. The thought is that the tru
est heroism consists in ruling one's
own spirit.
1t would often appear that we are a
race of hero worshippers. We de-
light in marvellous alta uments. No
men are ever more h0nored than
those who by strategic skill and mil
itary daring take cities, overthrow
armies and destroy navies. We have
recently witnessed and participated in
this hero worship. The people of the
United States have been at war with
one of the military powers of Europe.
No war of so short duration has ever
brought out such heroic men as this.
We honor them. This heroism is al
mos t contagious. Men have not been
wanting to arm themselves in the
cause of liberty and humanity. Had
our heroes been slain in battle or de-
stroyed by disease, others would have
arisen to take their places. We hon.
or all such men because of the ability
and sacrifice they show in conquerjng
the forces of evil and oppression.
But it is no more here than in other
nations. The great general whose
forces are invincible, commands the
nations reverence. Go back into an
tiquity and among "the few the i'm
mortal names which were not born to
de-" are those whose armies have ex-
tended the bounds of empire and de-
stroyed oppression. When we think
of the honor that is heaped upon
such we begin to get the full meaning
of the Proverb: "He that ruleth his
spirit is better than he that taketh a
city" One reason for this is that the
greater includes the less. No man
has ever been able to control large
bodies of men in way TO make them
a great power in the world Of affairs
who has not first learned TO rule his
own spirit.
Faith in any moral enterprise,
whether in church or state, can be
carried forward after a leader has
come to trust in his own powers, with
a confidence born Of experience. How
can any person believe in an ideal
state of liberty and righteousness
enough to put his life into the work Of
securing it who has not seen that ideal
life from his own exalted height of
personal attainment? The vision is
in the soul because the force of evil
has been put under foot and risen
above these things the soul dwells at
liberty. That power which has
wrought so effectively in that one
soul is now turned to the good of hu
mainly. In time of peace it controls |
affairs of state for iberty's sake rath
er than oppression, or manages bust |
ness affairs in the way that will add |
to the sum of human well being. In
times of war the men whose self mas
tering has brought to them visions of
liberty and freedom for the yoke of
oppression become our Deweys on |
the sea and Roosevelts on the land. !
1t all then comes down to this: Ex- |
Ero Ia 5ri%
never hope to control others for any
real good. Our faith in humanity, |
our dreams of free and righteous
world grows out of the mastery of |
self as our dreams in sleep come from
the chief interests and affairs of ev-
eryday life.
Conquer yourself! Rule the spirit
that dwells in your own heart and you
will then be a hero, because then you
will have the inclination to conquer
the world, not the whole of it, but as
much as Providence has assigned you.
''He that taketh city" must first rule
his spirit. The Proverb reveals to US
a wonderful insight into the philoso-
ply of character. A TRUTHS declared
which is fundamental to success. To
be sure, successes of kind may come
apart from adherance to this gospel
principle. There may be personal ad-
but we should count that
only success that is a blessing we
share with those about US. Then we
are laying up treasure in heaven
''where moth and rust doth not cor
rupt nor thieves break through and
steal" But the question comes to us:
Can any one of Us rule his own spirit?
Many of Us have tried and failed