Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

have done their work, but after they
nave done their work it is still incom-
plete unless there is the perfect ideal
into which it may be shaped To do that
for man. to change his thinking to
make him love not merely true things but
truth. to instill into his heart the love
which doeth no i'll to its neighbor, and
is therefore the fulfilling of the law, to
kindle In his heart the Pickering flame of
that passion which thnketh no evil.
which rejoiceth not in iniquity. but re-
Joiceth in truth. to awaken that passion
which when language and prophecy shall
pass away shall abide forever-is not that
the greatest thing which can be done for
any one in this world? That Is clean
ing first the inside of the cup and the
outside of the cup shall become clean.
OR. observe lastly that this recogni-
ton of religion as an inner reality, the
working itself out in every walk of life.
is not simply the effective method of re-
form. not only the guarantee of our per-
Sonal happiness and comfort here and
forever. but it administers to the sweet
temper which is necessary in religion. AS
has been said again and again from
this pulpit, religion has twofold work
TO 90 for every man: first. to make him
rellgious, and second. to make him re-
ways the same thing. The hardest thing
that confronts the liberal man or woman
Is to stand fast on his convictions, never
10 Waver. never to be complacent, to be
sweet tempered and dignified. even when
misunderstood. And If our religion cam
not do that for us we might as well
frankly admit that it is not worth the
while.
The perception OF religion as this inner
reality is the guarantee of the clean life
the clean hand and the clean heart. And
do you ask. finally, What do we mean by
the clean heart and the clean hand? Are
we thinking OF some one who has es-
cheWed the pleasures and problems Of the
man is to live in the midst of the world
and not have soiled garments? Do we sun
pose that any man in these DAYS can
live with the clean hand and the pure
heart: Yes. What is the clean heart ?
1T is the heart which has spontaneous
delight in the triumph of truth wherever
it takes place. The clean mind. the
clean heart, belongs to the man who per
suades himself that he shall! do his share,
and is never envious because another at
the end of the days work has garnered
more. He is interested, not so much in
the reapers as in the harvest, and when
ever truth triumphs, whenever beauty is
brought out of ugliness, wherever holiness
is disclosed out of wickedness his heart
rejoices. The clean mind is the mind that
has spontaneous delight in the true the
good. the beautiful wherever found. The
clean mind is the mind which continually
puts the emphasis on the best things Of
its own life. that learns by experience
what are its best impulses, and ever
more and more puts the emphasis on the
very best side Of it's nature. That is the
clean man. the man who looks for and
believes the best in other people. He has
no secret joy when some high idol
is smashed: he has no morbid delight in
recording moral accidents and prejudices
His heart has kept its native appetite. its
fondness for clean. wholesome food. It is
touched with that love which f1ndeth the
things that are worth finding.
And, do you say. such life is hardly
worth while? 1t is the only thing in the
world that is worth while. Given one man
or woman with clean hands and clean
heart, and the second one Is already in
sight. With this divine teaching holiness
shall spread itself over the world as in
the Gospel story Of the woman who
Amounted the Masters feet the perfume
filled all the house.