The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-12
A LIFE LESSON
FROM CARNlY AL
Rabbi calisch breaches On Timely
Topic.
THE EDlFlcE OF THE RACE,
Vhe Physical Body is But the Tempo
rary Platform Roundabout the
Truers Inner Spiritual
Life.
THE EDlFlcE OF THE RACE.

Rev DR.. e. n. Callscn -ciiose ~ 80
subject last night, "a Life Lesson From
the Carnival Or. Calisch drew many
lessons for the governing of daily IYes'
and said In part:
...r,, the average mortal who walked the
streets of our city during this week theie
must have come the impression OF eic
decided activity among the clti2ehs.
3ssnccial.y on Broad Street do we see
rnen busilv at work. building booths.
stands. temporary houses, shelters, plat
forms and dozen other controvances OIL
similar nature. The men were al sh-
d,,striously engaged in erecting suuc-
.t,res that are destined 10 serve their
#,,urpose for a very short period OF time,
and then to be torn down.
..as contemplated this work going on
there came to my mind the passage from
Deuteronomy that may be translated. e
are builders unto the Lord your Coo
Mans whole life consists of the up
building of structures which shall serve
its purpose. Compared to the aeons OF
ages through which the material stfuc-
iure Of the universe had endured, our
lives are indeed but as temporary booths,
raised for an inch of time, and then
buried out of sight and memory.
But every single human life is in Its
turn component element Of that in
,nanify. and which like the universe
has held its place through the nlyriads
of the c!rcling centuries. The individual
lies. but the race is eternal 1t is the
edifice of the race that we are aiding 70
construct, even though We are here but
\ moment even as the booths of the
Carnival. though but thing OF week
are expected to aid the city enduring
welfare and prosperity.
lxi. nf
cation which we are building should like
every building. rise higher as II pro-
crosses. And so IL will as long as we
us4S:s-a proper plans and material. The
psalmist has well said that unless the
Lord build. they labor in vain who toll
thereon 1t is the thought Of God that
will render the value and the beauty Of
our building available. Every pure and
splendid thought, every noble End holy
ideal will rise upward. every selfish and
sensual and sordid effort will drag down
ward.
WHAT THE i,sAGEs TAUGHT.
The ancient sages Taught that the
primal difference between man and
beas, is that the beast, by the very for
NATION of his body, must look down
upon the ground, whereas man is so
contrived that ibis head is held high
In the air, that he may lift his eyes up
liiD-'N
ihings that viii 'upbear TO the star
studded heights that stretch Ger his
head. In this very act, every deed.
every effort. every Lnspoken Thought
even every unrealized aspiration may be
an impulse that e,evates him with gradual
growth His very life is as a building
being built.
..Our physical body is but the temporary
platform roundabout our Tuer, inner life,
tl,,>
For short period ahdes. We are the
builders. standing on the scaffolding of our
physical existence. and constructing the
edifice of our individual lines. The body
and its needs are not the real life: they
IRE the tools and the scaffoldinS by means
of which the house of character is built
THE workman cannot work without the
scaffoldinE. but he would be foolish
builder indeed who would spend al. his
skill and energy upon the scaffoldng and
give but little attention to the building
within. So too in life. is he foolish who
would give all his time and energy to the
care Of the body. 1t is true the body must
needs be cared for. 1t has its wants and
Its appetites that must be provided for.
And II is further true that God, in His
mercy, has ordained that there shall be a
certain crude pleasure in thus answering
the needs of the body, but it must never
be forgotten that this is but means to
an end, and not the end in itself. That is
the life within for which should be the
greatest and the highest care, and which
only is the lasting structure
THE WORK OF MAN.
I'm one thing does our life differ from
the work of the artisan, and that is in the
knowledge of the hour Of its completion
We never know when our life task is go
ing to be finished and when the scaffolding
body will be taken down. The workman
knows thai when a certain number OF
stories is built and a certain number Of
rooms arranged, the work is done. But
life IS. for some. not completed in three
score years and ten. and for some In less
than two score If a workman thought that
when he laid his work done at night he
might not ever be permitted to work at il
again. he would try TO leave his task in
as workn,an,;ks and creditable shape as
possible. This possibility IS present every
day of our lives. We do not know how
long we may have to work yet; we do not
know how soon we may be called upon to
lay down our tools and our task. Let us
tben see TO it that each hours labor is
such that if we are called upon to leave.
we can DO so with the thought that it is
a credtable and conlmendable piece of
work-for the workman works according
to the plans which the architect has pre-
pared and laid before him. We are work
ing according to the plans OF the great
universal Architect. whose details and
specifications are hidden from our eyes.
Nor should be murmur when NE see
what we consider some of our best efforts
defeated and overthrowu. The workman
IS sometimes compelled to undo some of his
work and do 1t over again. 1t was defec-
tive. and If permitted TO remain, would
have weakened the whole structure. The
master said that. aud not the workman.
So when we find ourselves defeated in our
most ambitious plans, and our most ardent
hopes disappointed. we must not murmur.
Doubtless they We're defects. to which our
eyes were blind. but which the Master
saw, and If permitted TO remain would
nave impaired the structure.
Thus often, in the vain contemplation of
our own handworlS. ne become unn,indfui of
the moral dangers and nerils that accom-
1any them, We're 1t not that some event,
seeming to destroy our work. yet saves us
from harm, '.