Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-06-22
MORAL COURAGE NEEDED.
By Rev. William M. Grosve

VI.
And David said unto SAUL | cannot
go with these, for | have not proved
them. And he took his staff in his hand
and chose him five smooth stones out
of the brook and put them in a shep-
herds bag which he had, even in a scrip
and his sling was in his hand and he
drew near to the Philistine-I. Samuel
xvii. 39-4O.
Thus early In his career did David
the shepherd boy assert the distinguish
ing quality of his life. He must be
ready to try means which other people
wanted him to use. He was willing to
put on Saul's armor. He was always
humble, ready to acknowledge his
faults, willing to receive advice, but
the one clear note which he always
struck, note with the ring of trre
coin. was sincerity. When it comes 20
the battle he must have his own oft
used weapons; he must fight his own
way.
All Of us are sinners all of us have
our faults, but we venture to say that
for all of us to-day there is one clean
cut distinction that always remains in
our moral and intellectual judgment of
men-do they ring true? When we
| say, THAT man is square; he means
what he says you can trust him." how
that covers multitude of sins.
He holds opinions with which we ut
| terry disagree, but we say he is sincere
and we respect him. He is stupid, I'M
| Interesting, narrow but he Is honest
| and we gladly tolerate him. He has
| many faults; he Is weak in will, per
| haps Incorporate, perhaps sensual
| swept on by forces OF evil that have
| overwhelmed him. but he fights against
| them and Is honest and manly and
brave, and his words and deeds are
| full of good meaning, and we forgive
him and love to help him. He Is irrit-
| able and cursed with an unfortunate
| manner; he Is tactless and laundering,
| but he is as trustworthy as time and
as straight as an arrow, and we be-
lieve In him.
| And without 1t all the gifts of ma
ture and of grace are marred and val
| ueless. Though he speaks with the
tongues of men and angels, the moment
we find him out and know that it is
all honeyed words and gllttering I'M
realities the eloquence becomes as
sounding brass or n tinkling cymbal.
Though he has faith and goes to church
and sings hymns and utters prayers,
and all the while is doing 1t for social
recognition or political influence or
business success, the moment we find
him out we call him hypocrite and dis
miss HIM.
He may feed the poor and build hos
pitfalls and colleges and churches and
libraries. and vet. when we know, OF
even imagine that we know, that be
has oppressed the poor and been hard
as flint and stingy and unmerciful t.
all those who worked for him or dealt
with him, no amount of explanation
will ever redeem his one irreparablt
fault.
There Is something very remarkabl,
about our Lords discrimination be
tween men. He has compassion on thu
multimdes; He is most sympathetic
with physical suffering; He Is mos
merciful and tender with sinners anC
outcasts. He is most tolerant with hon
est debtors. He takes into the wild
embrace of His arms outstretched upol
the cross, the whole tragic life of tn
sln-sick world, but He turns with al
most savage fury on that mental an
moral insincerity which made many o
J. the leading classes of His own da
children of the devil. He seems to say
be true to yourself; bring better ideal
4 into your life.
Y 1t Is that kind of manhood, simpl,
= frank. open, true to itself. that alcu
r VIII save our politics and our societ
). from the decentralization of its unreal
g ties.
What we need Supremacy to-day
e moral courage. Thousands of youn
2. men and women would be saved frol
# moral ruin If they are only BRAY
70 enough to be true to themselves an
Is the real conviction of their hearts
Al we know that gambling. intemperanc
1t sersuality are dragging us down, Il
first step to victory is to fling compr
In mise and all excuses aside and spea
Ut out frankly to our friends. If v
OF think a thing is wrong. let us boldly IS
lr so, and then there will come to us Il
D. larger courage to go on and win
k greater victory.