Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-03-20
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THE WILL AND THE WAY.
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BY Henry z. Cope.
The most important conviction that
can come to any man is this, that it is
/ entirely in his own power to deter
mine his destiny. The freedom OF the
will Is more than an abstraction of
| philosophy; 1t is a working fact that
has, by its realization, brought man
to self-realization, to freedom and sal
walton.
The coward and the weakling may
seek refuge in heredity and in en-
! vironment, but none will escape re-
sponslbility for his own life by blaIn-
! ing his grandfather or his neighl-1,.
If circumstances mold you it as recaus,4
you are pliable; you are the willing
clay where you should be the sculptor
No man who waited for winds of
| circumstance ever found himself watt
ed to the skies Character never Is a
windfall. Ideals and opportunities Of
fer themselves from without, but we
must up and possess them for our
selves. We never shall enter the de-
| slrable land of what we would be by
any other way than deliberately set
| ting out for it.
How many are going through all
their days, drifting, waiting for some
favorable tide or heavenly wind to
swell the sails and carry them to any
| desirable haven. They would be good
If they could be good without the in
vestment of energy; they would be
| willing to be wound up and made to
run In the right way If some one else
would do the winding.
| Supposing goodness could be con-
ferred from without, how much good
would 1t do us? Nothing becomes the
possession of character except as re-
suit Of determination and endeavor on
the part Of the individual. Beauty
of life never Is the product of passlvity
Character admits of no external COM
| pulsions.
No power of heaven or earth can
force us to be good either against or
even without our wills. The only good
we have Is that we viii to have and
to be. There Is no power that wills
our III, nor any, outside ourselves, TINT
| can take from us the power to choose
and TO achieve the highest Any other
view of life finds it's source either In
superstition or in sloth.
The creature of circumstance is a
pitlable object, piece of driftwood
where strong swimmer ought to be,
a craven crying for mercy where the
courageous rejoicing to find strength
and the prize through struggle should
be. We ought to make this world SO
that the weak can develop their wills
and find their salvation but we never
can wisely make 1t so that the deliber-
ate derelicts all can find fair hayens.
Life with all 1t brings of JOY and
care, of veal and woe, is just the call
to eternity to man, crying out to the
soul to set itself free, to gain the high
prizes, TO viii TO do and be and o~er-
come. Everything is decided by how
you face your life whether with com
plainings and fear or with rejoicing
and resolution for its struggle.
In world where character is de-
veloped by freedom of choice and by
exercise of will the greatest curse that
could come would be to have no need,
no trial, no sorrow, no difficulties, nor
disappointments to be free from the
strenuous choices. These are the chal-
lenges of fate, the ways TO power, the
paths to salvation
What, then, has religion to do with
realizing the full life? Does if not Of
fer divine aid which, regardless of our
wills, can carry us on to perfection?
If 1t does, it offers that which is value
less because conferred and therefore
only external, robe of Righteousness
where we need the righteous life with
in
This is what religion offers; ideals,
opportunities. sympathies, inspiration.
environment, and nurture for the real
ization of the best life. Yet all these
walt for our Wills. The kingdom of
love and peace is thrust on no one all
enter # who set their faces steadily
| toward It.
Yes, says one, that may be good COS
pei for the strong; but my will is
weak; that is the way of the mighty;
| cannot walk in IL. II your viii is
weak it is because 1t is unused Your
| will is as strong as you believe 1t to
be. With what strength you have seek
| the best. endeavor to breathe the air
of heaven; every high thought will he
tonic; In all things viii to do the
best; your viii will respond TO the ex-
erctse will find harmony with higher
will, and you viii find the way of
| strength.
INFLUENCE OF CHARACTER.
| n D.. Z q u.