The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-04-06
Soul Growth.

IL mas been Satu that tine manufacture
OF souls OF good quality is the first bust
ness Of a great republic" Now, souls of a
good quality are not manufactured, but
grown says Newell Dwight Hills. If we
should distinguish between souls of bad
quality and souls of good quality. we would
say that these latter are wise, just, happy,
selfsufiicing and Christian.
The man is wise-toward all truth in
books, in nature and in life. The man s
just-his feet run along those highways of
law that God has set up for the souls
progress. He is happy-that is, he is in
harmony with his own record his con.
science and his God. He is selfsacrifcing
that is he is equal to all the emergen.
cies OF life, and with a surplus of strength
he thrusts his broad shoulders under an.
others burden and carries that in add.
tion to his own. But all these signal qual.
tiles are growths; they are not suddenly
thrust upon men. Indeed, Christ's every
parable regarding the Christian life is one
that interprets 1t as growth.
The kingdom of character is seed. But
the wild grass grows into the rich barley.
The wild thorn becomes the red rose. that
is doubled The wild orange, bitter and
acid, becomes the orange that is seedless
and full of sugar. And the kingdom of
heaven is planted in the soul as a seed
and slowly grows and expands to its full
size and fruitage.
Another figure that was used to inter.
pret the growth of character is architec-
tural. Character is a noble building; it is
based on the body. indeed, as marble
palace has foundations that rest in the
mud and 90 down to the rock. How beau.
tiful is the figurei What a hall is rea.
son! What gallery full of pictures OF
the past is memory! What decorated
walls are to be found in the chambers OF
imagery! How do housewives fill their
ba Ntsttl oil
ner of cast-off furniture and old garments!
But the upper story OF the soul Is like
glass observatory. Often faith stands
in its tower of observation and hope fore.
casts far-off and future things.
No marble mansion was ever erected
in night save in fairy stories. Little
by little the materials for n great building
are brought together. Slowly grows the
soul. Each thought is nail, each habit
is a pillar each noble memory OF friends
beloved is the face OF an angel found in
the frescoes OH the wall. Slowly the souls
house is furnished and adorned and oft
the Stranger Divine Is guest welcomed
and knocking at the door. To this rich
figure Christ adds third, when He lik.
ems the Christian life to an education. 1t
was as if He had said THE church is Ny
school, YOU are My pupils. Life is n
great lecture room, JOY, sorrow, love,
work, victory, defeat. temptation, books,
ueatn-these are the NE teachers.
To make the soul great-this Is the pur.
pose and aim OF tine Christian life, ion in.
dividual worth is the very genius OF Chris.
tianity. One great Houl is more inhuen-
tial for inspiration and encouragement
than million lesser ones, Just as one
Shakespeare can do more for the world
than million penny-a.hners. God saves
by few. He raises up one Mary Ware
as the far off founder of the Red Cross
movement, and theu innumeraDie women
go up to her level. He raises up one Paul
or ose Luther and nations climb to the
heights where these exalted spirits dwell
In the Paris Worlds Fair the treasures
OF the world were brought together What
pictures. What architecture, What
arches and columns! What bridges, What
marvellous tools and looms and ships But
great character buided by thirty years
OF life is an achievement incomparably
richer
What treasure in a hero. in whom all
heroism, all disinterested love, all wisdom,
all patience and self-sacritce are united.
Ii it takes a long time to grow tree, to
ripen a scholar, to construct a cathedral,
how much more to grow a man INTO the
full stature OF one who resembles Jesus
Christ You have inaugurated great
enterprise in your youth, and the building
OF your character Is worthy of all thought
and ambition and treless toling.