Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-11-17
A Sunday Sermon.


the information you can that will
help you in the path or life. But
sift what you read. Be sure of the
truth of what you hear. Lay up
all the information you can That is
reliable for future use. Then use
your judgment in regard to what
is right or wrong. Then with cOur-
age to follow your convictions and
zeal to give Enthusiasm you will
have started on the right road to
perfect manhood or womanhoOd.
You may not all attain perfection
but set your mark high and use all
the faculties God has given you and
with his help you vii occupy the
position for which you were created.
Perfection requires intelligent labor.
The physical and moral and mental
faculties should all be we'll cult
waited. With these elements of
power In your possession what is to
prevent your making great strides
toward perfection. Are the emOlu-
ments insufficient? Are you dubi-
Gus of the result? Are you unwill-
ing to put forth the requisite
amount of labor? Or are you so
astonished at the mighty achieve
ments of the past. that you stand
aghast supposing that all has been
Accomplished You need not fear
the latter. This is a progressive
age. Progression is stamped upon
everything. We have progressive
minds. We profit by the experience
of the past yet we halt not there
but to all eternity will new truths
be presented minds still grasp
ing, still comprehending and
strengthened by each acquisition
and slowly but surely advancing
towards perfection. We should not
sigh over the good old times. We
have only one life to live and we
should look forward and not back
except to correct mistakes.
We have not attained perfection.
But the great achievements of the
past should stimulate us to greater
exertion. With true industry we
make greater achievements. Man
has learned not to place such inn
plicit confidence in mere physical
strength. We must call in our in,
tellectuaI natures to our aid to- ac=
complish great results. knowledge
is power and to make the greatest
success in life we must add to
knowledge virtue and integrity and
patriotism. ALI the duties of life
which are made inGumben upon us
depend for their fulfllment upon
true industry. 1t never seems to
have been the intention of the
divine ruler of the universe that
man should lead a useless idle life.
Work is therefore truly essential to
the happiness of man. So it is
highly important that he be truly
industrious. True industry Is hahi-
tual activity in some useful pursuit
So not only inactivity but all eff
forts without design of usefulness
are of the nature of idleness and the
supine sluggard is no more indolent
than the bustling do nothing. If
we examine the records of the past
we find that all the mighty achieve
ments and those marvellous works
which stand out so prominently and
which seem to mark distinct per-
iods in the dim vista of the past and
have tended toward amellorating
and lettering the condition of man
have all been the result of severe
and patient toll which knew no dis
cOurag ement. AS true as this has
! been in the past so true will it be
in the future. If we do not improve
the talents that God has placed in
our care it will be our own fault.
We have the example and expert
ence of those who have gone before
to assist us IN the path of life and
we can see the shoals and breakers
which have wrecked their lives so
we can avoid their mistakes. These
! talents are capable of infinite i'm
provement. The more we exercise
our minds the more they are capable
of acquiring. We do not stand
still. We are either losing ground
or advancing towards perfection
mentally and morally. In this age
while so much evil exists we should
not hesitate to take a stand for
truth and righteousness. And also
use all the talents that God has
given us in the cause Of truth and
justice. If we do so in the right
spirit we will have the blessing of
God in all our efforts. We will be
able to judge the right from the
wrong. Our minds will become
clear and we Will be able to lead