The Irish standard., 1908-09-26

where two thousand times Its own
weight and. forcing it's raw material
through q tiny stem, constructs wa
termelon. It covers the outside with
a coat Of green, it. puts layer of
white, and within the white a core of
red, and all through the red It scat
ters seeds. each one capable of con-
tinuing the work of reproduction.
Where did that little seed get its tre.
meudous power? Where did it find its
coloring natter? How did it collect
its i1avoring extract: How did it build
watermelon? Until you can explain
watermelon do not be too sure that
you can set limits to the power of the
Almighty or say just what he would
do or how he would do it. cannot
explain the watermelon, but I eat it
and enjoy it.
Everything that grows tells a like
story of infinite power. Why. should
deny that a divine hand fed a multi
tude with few loaves and fishes
when see hundreds of millions fed
every year by a hand which converts
the seeds scattered over the field into
an abundant harvest? We know that
food can be multiplied in a few
months time. Shall we deny the pow
er of the Creator to eliminate the ele.
ment of time when we have gone so
far in eliminating the element of
space?
Humility is rare virtue. II one is
rich he is apt to be proud of his rich.
es. If he has distinguished ancestry
he is apt to be proud Of his lineage.
If he is we'll educated he is apt to be
proud of his learning. Some one has
suggested that if one becomes humble
he soon becomes proud of his humil.
ity. Christ, however, possessed ct all
power, was the very personification of
humility.
The most difficult Of all the virtues
to cultivate is the forgiving spi,iy. Re.
venge seems to be natural to the hu-
man heart. To want to get even with
an enemy is a common sim, 1t has
even been popular to boast of ,vindic-
tiveness. It was once inscribed on a
monument to hero that he had re-
paid both his friends and enemies
more than he had received. Ttis was
rot the spirit of Christ. He taught
forgiveness. and in that incompatible
prayer which he left as a model for
our petitions he made our Willingness
to forgive the measure by which we
may claim forgiveness. He not only
taught forgiveness, but he exe,nplified
his teachings in his life. When those
who prosecuted him brought him to the
most disgraceful of all deaths his spirit
Of forgiveness rose above his suffer-
ings and he prayed, Father. forgive
them. for they know not what they
do"
All the world is in search of peace.
Every heart that ever beat has sought
for peace, and many have been tho
methods employed to secure. it. Some
have thought to purchase 1t with
riches. and they have labored to Sc
cure wealth, hoping to find peace when
they were able to go where they
pleased and buy what they liked. OF
those who have endeavored to pur-
chase peace with money the large ma
jority have. failed to secure the
money. But what has been the expe-
rience Of those who have been sue
cessful in accumulating money? They
all tell the same story-viz., thas they
spent the first half Of their lives try
ing to get money from others, and the
last half trying TO keep others from
getting their money and that they
have even reached the point where
they find difficulty in getting people
to accept their money, and I know of
no better indication Of the ethical
awakening in this country than the
increasing tendency to scrutinizs tht.
methods of money making. a long
step in advance will have been taken
when religious. educational and chari-
table institutions refuse to condone
immoral methods in business and leave
the possessor of i'll gotten gains to
learn the loneliness of life when one
prefers money to morals. And
| immortality! Who will estimate tha
peace which a belief in a future life
has brought to the sorrowing? You may
talk to the young about death ending
all. for life is full, and hope is strong,
but preach. not this doctrine to the
mother who stands by the deathbef1
Of her babe or to one who is within
the shadow of great affliction.
Christ gave us proof of immortality,
and yet 1t would hardly seem neces-
sary that one should rise from the
dead to convince us that the grave is