Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-12-05

emn and stups 6ous Injunction OF his
Master. and ours. into parts, and to
geek to lead us step by step to the per-
feet life.
Finally. brethren" he says, "whatso-
ever things are true whatsoever things
are honest, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things a-e pure, whatsoever
things are lovely, whatsoever things are
Of good report; IL there be any virtue.
and If there be any praise. think on these
things"
The apostles category is a category OF
jewels. He who would declare these
things undesirable, would by the very
declaration, prove himself a debased
creature. He who would pronounce
them unattainable, would prove himself
a pessimist. without God and without
hope. And yet they who profess and
call themselves Christians, do not al
ways show a longing to possess and dis
play the treasures Paul so heartily COM
mencs. This was presumably the case
in Paul's time, and therefore the apostle
bids the Philippian Christians at least
to think on these things. This was not
much TO ask What reasonable soul
could refuse to give thought room to true
things and honest things. to the just and
the pure, TO the things that are lovely
and of good report?
TO merely think of these good things
would not be sufficient TO make any soul
what IL ought to be, but high thinking
is often the progenitor. of high purpose
and noble deed. Such purpose and such
doing are not matters of chance. TIE
field may be covered with weeds with
out any forethought or any effort on the
part Of the owner. The harvest of wheat
implies previous toll and effort with such
result in view. To give thought room
20 the things that are just and true and
honest and lovely, is TO invite good fell
lowship, to say the least. A mans
thoughts are his making or his unmak-
ing. They elevate him or degrade him
Bad or good as his thoughts may be, it
is true that as a man thinketh, so is he
He who does not think upon the true
things will soon find his thoughts CEN
tered upon that which is false. The mind
will company either with the honest or
the dishonest. The just or the unjust
will fill the inches of the chambers Of
thought The pure or the impure will be
pictured on the mental walls and hold
the affections. The lovely or the I'M
lovely is the guest Of every mans mind.
The things that are rightly praised will
be reflected upon. and inspire and slim
ulate. or else the things which are prop
erly condemned of God and good men,
will be the guests of the soul and color
, and control the life.
A man must think. He cannot helm
q ic ;pl
, He can control the helm Of his reflections
, if he will, and make a straight course
for. the haven of endless delight. But
; think he ever will. Thought is one of
the greatest endowments which God
has vouchsafed to man, and for all His
thoughts man will be held accountable.
Paul urged the Christians at Philippi to
: think upon good things so that there
might not be room in their hearts for
| evil thoughts, and that they might learn
/ to admire, to love. to follow after the
: things which in our reasonable moments
we all commend
III we cannot induce a. soul to turn out
its evil tenants and to put good ores in
their place, we may induce it TO consider
the advantages of so doing Reflection
, and consideration will often induce a
man to appreciate what seemed unat-
tractive before. Sober second thought
: has opened the door to many an angelic
visitor, who was at first refused admit
lance. The soul that thinks upon the
things that Paul commends, is apt to de-
sire further acquaintance with them
/ AS he learns to appreciate their true
worth, he will seek to live up to the ideal
life which they present Thinking on
will lead to the doing of these things
He who ponders on them may haply learr
, to praise them and from pondering and
praising II will not be far cry TO prac.
ticing.-Alexander Williams, in N. Y
/, Observer.