The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1905-07-08
TOO MUCH OF OUR FAULTS
why Should We Increase Their
Power over Us by Too Con-
slant Dwelling Upon ThemP

Carlyle was undoubtedly right when
he made the statement: "On the whole
we make too much of faults Faults?
The greatest of faults, / should say, Is
to have none" A greater than Carlyle
declared that If we deny our sins and
sins are faults-if we say we have none,
the truth is not in us. The Master con-
-ceded the presence of grave faults in
His followers, yet they were powerless
to prevent Him from loving them.
After all did not Carlyle merely voice
the Masters thought expressed in Paul's
admonition to forget" the things that
disturb our peace, that shadow the joy
we hunger for? The things that dis
courage us and cause us to feel
ashamed of our record, the depressing
things we try to put out of our minds
and out of our lives but which by long
brooding over we have woven into our
very being SO it seems impossible to for
get, Christ knew, and He gave Paul to
understand that to be relieved from the
dominion of any fault we must never
consider it too great to be overcome, or
of so fixed character that we cannot
put it from us and forget it ever held
sway over our lives. The human mind
is strangely tenacious. 1t clings to the
things that have impressed it until they
seem to leave their impress too deeply
marked ever to be wholly erased.
It may be that it is because in spite
of certain beliefs-the heart naturally
longs for and delights in the higher and
nobler things of life, and the failure to
reach them is so disheartening that we
give too much anxious thought to our
failings, Strengthening their power by
believing in them and recognizing their
hold upon us.
We always expect much from that
which possesses our firm faith, and if it
has power to harm us, our faith in that
power takes away our strength to re-
Sist, and soon we are dominated by the
very conditions against which we have
been striving.
Make too much of our faults" Yes,
when we allow them to weaken and dis
courage u.s. When we remember that
to be human means that we are shot
through and through with tendencies
that invite, if they do not in reality
bring upon us, some stain of sin, why
should we increase their power over us
by too constant dwelling upon them?
Why grow SO disheartened that we lose
our faith, not only in ourselves, but in
the Fathers love, and His eagerness to
lift us out of the depths into which we
have fallen and start us anew on the
right road? To live hopefully, to have
faith in the final outcome of our efforts,
says the Burlington Hawkeye, we must
recognize the fact that we are not alone
i'll the struggle; others are finding it just
as impossible to rid themselves of their
faults, and if we can have faith for them
why not for ourselves? If we can ex-
cuse them and think it not impossible
that they should win eventually, why
make so much" of our own failings
that we lose heart and declare it useless
to try to overcome? Rather, forget
ting the things that are behind" we
should press little closer to the Mas
ter's side where He can more readily
reach out and steady US when we Stun
BILE.
Each sin 1 cast away shall make
My soul more strong to soar