The Washington herald., 1908-04-05
A SUNDAY TALK.

Keep innoeeree and take heed unto the things
that are right fer that shall hri1g maE peace al
the last. The Iiiele
There Is mighty little advice in the
Holy Scriptures that man cannot take
and apply with great profit TO himself
In the affairs OF everyday life What IS
said as 10 the value % keeping innocence
Is one Of the truest and most potent
guides TO the acquisition Of true hap
piness-which. after all, consists In
peace.
In spite OF all our feverlsh hunting for
ioy and happiness. il is not possible 10
achieve either OF these with wickedness'
The pleasures Of the moment. which use
the worst part Of our natures. abuse our
emotions. and which depend largely for
their vitality on wrong thinking, are all
as Dead sea fruit Happiness is not pos
sibie without virtue. not mawkishness or
amby-pamby living, but the virtu1 OF
working honestly. cleanly. and hard in
expressing the best that is in ourselves
and rejecting the light Of iIs influence
on others The virtue which the world
wants II that healthful virtue. not vale
tudlnariau. virtue which can expose
! itself to risks and overcome them. as
Macaulay says Not a virtue which
keeps out of The common air for fear
OF infection, and eschews the common
food as too stimulating"
| II Is sometimes said that man has
many virtues. but in real truth there
| is but one--the virtue Of doing all the
good we can TO others. with an uiti-
mate intention OF pleasing God alone.
/ The old maxim. ITO the pure all things
are pure" might almost be applied 70
virtue also. for the confidence, the hope
ful belief in another mans virtue, is no
slight evidence of mans own. Richter
said once that -the virtuous heart. hike
the body. grows sound and strong more
by work than by good food and that
too, is gospel. for healthful virtue con-
sists IN healthful working, OFTEN virtue
Is imagined 10 be ali asperity, vice al
delight: virtue TO be placed amid the
thorns vice reclining upon a bed OF
flowers. Exactly the contrary is true
II we are able 20 come 20 a fun reali-
cation OF this truth We can realize thC
I tttft uA ttE VAbFtAtL nhittoiitttpti ~
keep innocence and so find the way tC
peace. The innocent heart is the happy
heart; the innocent soul alone can know
the estate JOY which is TO be on the
road that leads upward through the care.
and trials OF this life TO the throne o.
lGod. To live with virtue IS 10 live health
fully and sanely. and, as Carlyle pointed
out
An unhealthy virtue is one that consumes itsel
10 lesnness repeniing and anxiety or sill worse
thst indates itself into dTopsical bosstfilness an
profitable locking behind TO the way "
have made whereas the sole concern should be Z
wak continually forward and make more way.
If there Is TO be salvation It must com'
through work. and the best work IS tha
that is done for the benefit Of others
AnselmO, the monk. prayed for lonl
years and always vainly, because he wa
seeking for himself, but, as James Whit
comb Riley tells US
A time from out Of swoon 7 lifted eve,
To find a wretehed outcssi graz and grim.
Bathing my brow, and with a pityinE sigh
Ard I did pay Gods grace might rest on him
Then 10. a gentle voice iell mine ears
Thoa shalt not sob In suppiianee hereafter.
Take mp thy FTlyeTs and wiring them dry of tsars.
And lift them white and pure, with love an
laughter.
So It is now for all men else pray;.
So is it am best and glad slvay.