The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-08-11
Sunday Sermon.
AN UNsELFISH LIFE.


Who went about doing good Il
for God was with him.-The Acts, x, 3S.
We are living in a beautiful world but
1t must be admitted hat it is a selfish
world. We have not yet learned that
supreme happiness is the result of sac
rif1ce for the good of others. 1t is even
probable that many will declare that /
am mistaken when l make this state
ment.
l take it that the noblest illustration
of the best work that can be done is
to be found in the short and painful career
of the Christ. We admire, but we cam
not persuade ourselves to follow. The
philosophy which assures us that there
is peace and comfort and satisfaction in
doing good. in lending a hand to the fall
len, in giving word of encouragement
to the respondent and in healing the
wounds of the Borrowing is almost with |
out followers. We are dazed and amazed
when We contemplate it. 1t does not |
seem to contain the cause OF the eff |
feet which we seek, and We are apt |
to say Of the Master that His theory of
life is simply impossible in our present
environment. He dreamed a beautiful
dream, but in these competitive times, |
when the strong get all there is and the
weak are neglected and ignored, His
thoughts are impracticable and His de-
mands are unreasonable
At the same time we do not get out
of life all there is in it. We spend our
selves in the acquisition of wealth under |
the illusion that money will make us
happy, and in this we are almost always
disappointed. One cannot say of the rich
that they are the happiest class in the
community, and it would be a curious |
comment on the providence Of God if it
were true. Peace of mind is quite indie
pendent of a bank account. 1t depends
more on the mental and spiritual atti
tude of the soul than on well filled
pocket book. There are miserable rich !
men and there are enviable poor men. In
the last analysis that something which we
call religion, with its uplifting thoughts
and it's aspiring hopes, is the only source
of contentment and strength.
II l could persuade young man on
the threshold of grand achievements that
the greatest thing in the world is to
be Of use to the world, that money get
ting is not worth half as much as money
giving. should put into his heart the
secret of true success. You do better
when you leave a noble character to
your heirs than when you leave mag
nificent fortune
j had two friends, both of whom have
said goodby The one was a gentle soul
who somehow ,cver his kind He once
said to me, This is not my world, but
Gods, and must make it better for my
stay here. l cannot forget the poor or
the struggling, or the tempted, and IL they
need my help they shall have it." He
lived in an atmosphere Of charity, of
kindness toward the faulty and even
the criminal. His presence was bene-
diction. The sky was always blue to him.
and the stars always shone. He was
like a thread of silver in a dark fabric
and when he died the whole village
heaved sigh, the river murmured in an
undertone, the trees Of the nearby for
est moaned in the breeze, and half u
dozen brawny laborers asked the privi-
lege of bearing his coffin On their should
ers to the churchyard.
The other won fame and fortune, by
what means ] may not say. That is be-
tween his Maker and himself, but when
get on the other side / shall know ALL
Death did not respect his wealth, and he
too, passed away. Men shook their heads
said, "Ah, indeed!' to one another, and
his heirs were reconciled to his loss. His
death was their gain. 1t was a splendid
and costly funeral, but what he left
behind was something to be avoided, q
memory not to be treasured an example
dangerous to follow.
The two are in the other world, one
at home there, the other a stranger. for
good deeds go through the gate with the
password while mere shrewdness is chal-
lenged. l came away from the one SER
vice saying, ut is quite worth while to
live and from the other with feeling
that such a struggle for such an object
is a mistake.
mo day without line" said the
poet. No day without word of cheer to
some one is a better motto still Our
lives are great only when they are good
and a really noble soul is the best thing
in the universe Live your life do as
well as you can in your circumstances
but see to it that you give both heart
and thought to those who are travelling
your way. What you do fer others is
more comforting than what you do for
yourself l know it is a strange doctrine
but the hand that saves a naighhor is
better than the hand which erasps for
self. There is peace in unselfishness, in
cheerfulness, in resignation, and it is a
acquire.
GEORGE Fl. HEPWORTH.