The Tupelo journal., 1903-11-20
THINKING ON THESE THINGS.
High Thinking Often the Progenitor
of High Purpose and NobIe
Deed-The First Step.

Wnen We are DldQen TO De perfect even
as our Father In Heaven is perfect, the
strongest soul among us is likely to be
dismayed at the task set before 1t. 1t
seems like an INDUCTION to reach Heaven
at a bound. That it merely seems 80
may be true, because surely God does not
anticipate sudden perfection on the part
OF His people. He intends them to grow
in grace, and knows that only by His
own infinite patience, car we be nodded
into Divine similarity. Happily, Paul
comes to the rescue of those of us who
have looked at the ideal Christian state.
and, discouraged, have cried out: 1t is
high, oh, so high, | cannot attain to it.
h apostle seems to break up the SOL
emn and ~stupendous injunction of his
Master. and ours, into parts, and to
seek 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 are pure, whatsoever
thlngs are lovely, whatsoever things are
OF good report; If there be any virtue,
and If there be any praise, think on these
things"
Inc 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
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 he treasures Paul so heartily COM
mends. This was presumably the case
in Pauls 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 refuset 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 it 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. The
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
a result in view. To give thought room
to 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 oon find his thoughts CEN
tered upon that which is false. The mind
Will company either with the honest or
the dishonest. TT. 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
doing so. He is a thinking machine.
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.
If we cannot induce a soul to turn ont
it's evil tenants and to put good ones 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 wa 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 or,
will lead to the doing of these things.
He who ponders on them may haply learn
to praise them, and from bordering and
praising it will not be a far cry to prac-
ticing.-Alexander Williams, in N. Y.
Observer.