The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-06-21

best that mind and soul can furnish
at is said of Hercules, the god of
force, that whether he stood, walked or
sat or whatever thing he did, he con-
quered. Now for one to be conquerer in
the arena of life in true sense he must
possess genuine qualities of character.
He who addresses us tonight in the
language of the text, speaks from his in
most soul from the deeper convictions of
his life. He was trained in the schools
of his day. His teachers were meu OF
devout learning and culture; it was his
to sit at the feet of Gamaliel, one of the
| learned and devout scholars of his time.
When discovered to christianity, he was
great thinker, and very soon became
an example of christian manliness, hav-
ing sat at the feet of the matchless one,
Jesus Christ, whose magic touch
strengthened his intellect and inspired
his soul. 1t is he who said, Let no man
despise thy youth AS stepping stone
to noble achievement, you will act wisely
if you keep before you high and worthy
ideals Our ideals, if followed, will bring
victory or defeat TO us; if the ideal is a
worthy one, victory; if not, defeat.
1T is well to remember that your life
and mine are part of Gods plan, as
much so as the universe. Revolving
worlds are not more part of Gods plan
than is your life and mine, than is the
life of each individual. 1t is more than a
passing interest for us to know that God
is in the world and is deeply concerned
about your life and mine. Our success,
present and future, is a matter of con-
Germ to Him. He says to us through his
servant, Whatsoever things are true,
if there be any virtue and ii
there be any praise, think on these
things
There is no intellectual excellence
without thought-thought directed into
proper channels. Thought is at the
basis of all worthy achievement. Man is
thinking being, and is only at his best
when his thoughts are pure, backed up
by worthy motives. Someone has de-
fined genius as the power of making eff
fort There are no born geniuses in the
best sense. Some may seem to have
|
ever remains true that 'Honors wait at
labor's gate, or as has been said, Labor
conquers ALL
paul said to the young man Timothy,
Let no man despise thy youth. tits as
! though he had said, live so nobly, so con-
sistently, so well that you may be an in
SEPARATION to those about you. Bring no
reproach to young manhood; be true TO
yourself, to God. Be worthy repre-
sentative in world where spotless char
acter is always at a premium. Every
young man or woman standing on the
threshold of life, looking out toward the
future, is under obligation to make the
best possible use of the powers which
God has given. At this point man l.
richly endowed with power of mind and
soul-these are not to lie dormant, but
are to he drawn out-developed, trained.
Not to see this is to mar, to disfigure, to
cause to shrivel up that which God has
designed for holy use.
The thoughts and purposes of the
young 90 a long way in determining
what the future has in store To be in
different now is to forfeit in no small
measure ones right to the best things of
the future. But this does not excuse
from obligation; responsibility remains
Just the same. 1t is not so much ques-
tion as to whether you have little or
much, but rather do you purpose to use
wisely what you have. No two persons
are just alike 10 all respects-it was not
designed they should be. Some with
splendid endowments and special gifts,
but with little or no purpose, or perhaps
with no proper conception of life, fail
while others with less of native talents
apparently, but with more of purpose
and larger and more adequate concep-
| ton Of life, achieve success. In order to
make the best possible use of the pow.
ers which God has given, one must have
right conceptions of life, its purpose, it's
end, otherwise life is a failure at once.
Life is a divine vocation-a divine gift
and its unreasonable value comes from
its very divineness. We ask not to lose
sight of the fact, however, that life from
its very inception is freighted with eter-
nal interests and is capable of marvellous
unfoldings. Standing as we do in the
presence of new discovery and invention,
who is ready to suggest anything under
God, that the human mind cannot work
out aided by past experience and present
developments? But it must be under
stood that he who uses wisely the pow
ers which God has given, cannot, must
not be faint hearted. Hear these simple
yet significant words, Be not weary in
well doing. Again, Quit yourselves
like men, be strong
"In the race of life, do not undervalue
the powers of your being Others may
seem to have the advantage, but what is
that to you? Think not to do another's
work, you have enough of your own
Desire not to stand in another's place
because it is larger. Your own is as large
as you will care to give an account of in
the day of final reckoning. Do not covet
Saul's armor, but, like David, wear
your own. If you can use sling better
and more effectively than a sword, use
that. But do your best, strive to excel