The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-07

position of "eminence" was King Ed
ward. The late President was also re-
ferred to as one who had enjoyed a
position of "eminence."
1t Is clear from this what the
preacher meant by "eminence."
He argued that the best aids to "em-
inence" were discipline, discrimination
in the use of ones powers, friendship,
cooperation and Christianity.
1t was while proving that Christian
ity was the greatest aid to "eminence"
that he mentioned the English King
and the late President as examples of
those whom Christian traits had helped
to make eminent.
1t is plain from the foregoing that
the preachers idea of "eminence" is a
position that carries with it fame and
honor. That is certainly the popular
idea of Commence; but had expect
ed to find the leader of large church
with a more correct notion of what
"eminence' means, in the highest
sense.
A person is truly and lastingly emin-
ent exactly in proportion as he adds
to the sum of human happiness, or as
he endeavors to do so, and not as he
succeeds in raising himself above the
social and intellectual level of the ma
jority There have been many persons
who occupied the Hottest positions in
their country and whose names have
helped to make history, but they were
in no true sense eminent" because
their chief motive was personal glory
Napoleon the first, was one of these.
On the other hand, there have been
many who toiled in obscurity for the
public good and who passed away
without recognition, but the work they
Il - "a xunll- hpinO of the
world. They were eminent" in the
best sense.
The great and only rule for ever
lasting "eminence" is to make all ones
efforts converge toward one majestic
end-the welfare of ones fellow beings.
He who has discovered the true secret
of living sinks his own happiness in
that of his fellows. He does indeed
look out for his own interests but only
that he may be better fitted to con-
tribute to the prosperity of others, and
instead of seeking for social, political
or intellectual eminence he is perfectly
satisfied if only he be the originator of
the means whereby others are made
happy He is willing to give the credit
of a good thing to another provided
he knows that joy has been wrought
for others.
Men with the purest and best mo-
tives often seek positions of great re-
sponsibility, and desire fame, but they
do so that they may have the greater
influence IN matters that relate to the
good of others. Livingstone, the ex-
plorer earnestly desired the fame of
being the discoverer OF the sources Of
the Nile, not for the sake of renown,
but that he might have greater influ-
ence in putting an end to the African
slave trade.
Such sermons as I listened to are
based on false ethics and are calculat-
ed to breed a spurious sort of Chris
tianity. Sermons like this lead people
to believe that the chief aim of life
should be to look out for No. and to
use discipline, friendship and Chris
tianity for the express purpose of fur
thering our own individual welfare.
Since the world began men have
been trying to do this very thing, and
the purpose of Christ was to teach
them that their individual success
could only be achieved by efforts to
promote the prosperity Of others
Heather philosophers whom God had
endowed with great thinking powers,
arrived at the same grand conclusion.
It was said of one of these philoso-
piers that che believed that he was
born, not for himself, but for the
whole world" The man of whom this
was said may not have been a Chris
tian technically, but he was one in his
philosophy and doubtless in his life.
The reason why so few church peo-
pie are in politics and why ministers
know so little about the structure of
the social organism is that the church
breaches to the individual only and
impresses upon him that the chief aim
of life should be to act so that 'his"
soul may be saved.
The science of ethics and the great
utterance of the man of Nazareth are
wholly in accord-"He that saveth his
own life shall lose it." The laws of
mind make this certain
KIKUM KIKORUM.