The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1906-04-25

life. IL Is conceptions crystaliZed into
character. 1t is thought projected into
action. Its truth appropriated and lived,
Visions, not only seen, but obeyed, will
make life sublimely glorious. l want to
carry this thought into the higher things
OF life. Again and again we meet in the
Bible men who had those blessed visions.
Abraham had them: "The God of Glory
appeared unto our father Abraham"
Moses had them at tho burning bush. at
Sinai and often elsewhere. The Lord re-
vealed Himself unto Joshua; He called
Samuel; He spake to David; Elijah heard
voices from the skies; Ezekiel"saw visions
of God; Daniel beheld the ancient of days;
Paul had his heavenly vision," aud John
of Patmos ''saw the heavens opened"
But let us come closer. Jonathan Ed
! wards testities to vision of God. He
was alone one day in the woods in prayer.
81 had view that was for me eXtraordi-
nary of the glory of the Son of God" and
they called him ever after "Tbe Isaiah of
the Christian dispensation." Augustine
had it, Under the fig tree in the garden
he lay weeping on account OF his sins and
voice like that of a child was heard
chanting, as from a house beyond the
garden wall, "Toile, lege," arise, read.
And he read from the epistie to the Ro-
mans; the great darkness lifted and he
saw God and was at peace. Moody had
it. In speaking of it he said: ~ can
only say that God revealed Himselfto me,
and had such an experience of His love
that had to ask him to stay His hand.n
Mrs, Browning says: "And | smiled TO
think Gods greatness flows around our
incompleteness; Round our restlessness
His rest" The proofs are overwhelm-
ing. Visions of God are tor us as truly
as for Moses. And | have sometimes
thought 1t would be good thing, If for
the question "Do you believe ia God2"
we substitute "Have you seen Gods"
What testimony it would be if we could
unite in saying, in all honesty and sim
cerity, not 81 believe in Cod" but "l
have seen God" That would be testi-
mony worth having. Men are perishing
for a vision of God, not the God of philos-
ophy, though there is such God. Not
the God of science, though there is such
God. Men are perishng for the vision
of the God who holds the world in the
hollow of His hand, the God who is the
father of our spirits aud life of our lives.
Can you not give such a vision TO the
world? All, you need clearer vision of
Calvary. Take time to catch vision OF
the uplifted Christ and you will realize
the power ofGod. you will be able to serve
tue age IN Wnlcn you i've,
Self fconfidence. You must believe in
yourself and vour mission. A single
talent man. supported by great self-con-
fidence, will achieve more than a ten tai
ent man who does not believe in himself.
Poverty and failure are self-invited.
Fear of failure, or lack of faith in ones
ability, is one of the most potent causes of
failure. Many people of splendid powers
have attained only mediocre success, and
some are total failures, because they set
bounds to their achievement beyond
which they did not allow themselves 10
think that they could pass. They put
Limitations to their ability; they cast
stumbling blocks in their way by aiming
only at mediocrity or predicting failure
for themselves, talking their wares down
instead of up, disparaging their business
and beittling their powers. Ifyou think
success, talk success; if you resolve upon
success with energy you will very soon
create success atmosphere and things
will come your way; you will make
yourself success magnet. III things
would only change" you cry. But what
is it that changes things? Is it wishing
or hustling? Is it dreaming or working?
Can you expect them to change while you
sit down and merely wish them to change?
How long would it take you to build a
house sitting on the foundation and wish
ing that it would 90 up? Wishing does
not amount to anything unless itis backed
by endeavor, determination and grit.
Webster's father was much chsgrined |
and panied when Daniel refused ifteen-
hundred dollar clerkship in the court of
common pleas in New Hampshire, which |
he had worked hard to secure for him
after he had left college. Daniel" he |
SoiH t.Hnnff VI, In fal a hat nf nooO |
mo, indeed, father; hope can do much |
better than that. l mean to use my |
tongue in the courts and not my pen. | |
mean to he an actor, not register of |
other mems acts" Webster became so |
great that Sidney Smith said of him,
"Surely no man can be as great as Daniel
Webster looks" Sublime eself-contidence
was characteristic of this giants career.
If you want to reach nobility you can
never do it by holding the thought of in
feriorlty, the thought that you are not as
good as other people, that you are not as
able, that you cannot do this, that you
cannot do that. "Csn't' philosophy never
does anything but tear down; it never
builds up. If you want to amoun. to
anything in the world you must hold up
your head, you must look like success,
talk like success, act like success.
Say to yourself continually: "I am not a
beggar; | am no pauper; l am not a fail
ure; | am prince; am king; this is
my birthright and nobody shall deprive
me of it." A proper self-esleem is not
vulgar quality. 1t is very sacred one.
Napoleon, Bismarck and all other great
achievers had colossal faith in themsel yes.
After William Pitt was dismissed from
office, he said to the Duke of Devonshire,
~ am sure that can save this country,
and that nobody else can" "For eleven
weeks" says Bancroft, England was
without minister. At length the king
and aristocracy recognized Pitts ascend
ency and yielded to him the reins."
Much of President Roosevet's success
has been due to his colossal selfconf-
dence. He believed in Roosevelt as Ma
poeon believed in Napoleon. There is
nothing timid or balf-hearted about our
great President. He goes at everything |
with that gigantic assurance, with that
tremendous confidence which half wins |
the battle before it begins. 1t is aston
ishing how the world gives way to res
olute soul, and how obstacles get out of |
the path of determined man who be-
lieves in himself. Man was made to hold
up his head and carry himself like con-
queror, not like slave, as a success and
not as a failure to assert his God-given
birthright. Selfdepreciation is crime.
When we believe in ourselves properly
we shall be in line with Jesus. His self |
confidence is the most sublime of which |
can conceive. az and the Father are
one.' Jesus believed in His divinity. |
II Q had self confidence.
My friend, want to encourage you to
believe in yourself, to assert your super
iority. 1t will make other people believe
in you. But this say and | want to say |
it with earnestness, conservation and |
power, that you cannot believe IN your
self fully until you believe in Jesus. You