The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1909-08-05

MINNESOTA, THURSDAY,
proves this. Let us take the case of
our errors. We could find, if we could
rub them all out, that we should de-
stroy the wisdom they have given us,
it we lave taken care to make our er-
rOrs teach us wisdom. Who could
spare their sorrows? How much that
is kind and sympathetic in our natures
which leads us to minister to the griefs
of others, and thus to make our own
give us consolation, and sympathies
grow out of what are felt as keen ca
lamities when they befaii us. Follow
ing out the line of my thoughts when l
assumed that had the power, and was
compelled to drown in Lethean waters
certain acts, l found [ could not spare
errors which call forth regrets, mis-
takes which teach us wisdom, or the
sorrows which soften character and
make us sensible of the sympathies
which give beauty to the intercourse of
life. AS l had to obliterate twenty
events found / could best spare the
successes or triumphs which had only
served to impart courage in the battle
of life, and had but little influence in
forming character. 1t is true that
wherever we are, we can SO deal with
the past that we can make it give up to
us virtue and wisdom. We can, by our
regrets, do more than the alchemist
aims at when he seeks to transmute
base metal into gold; for we can make
wrong the seed of right and righteous
ness; we can transmute error into wis
dom; we can make sorrows bloom into
thousand forms like fragrant flowers.
These great truths should not only give
us contentment with our positions, but
hope for the future.
The great question what We are
presses itself upon us as We grow old,
or flashes upon us when our life is cut
short by accident or disease. Within
these walls but few days pass without
that question being forced upon the
mind Of some one who has reached the
end of life's journey. Surely it should
give hope and consolation to all to feel
/ that they can, in the solitude of the
cell or in the gloom of prison, by
thought, by self-examination make out
of the past with its crimes, with its er-
rors and its sorrows the very means by
which they can lift themselves to higher
and happier conditions. This work of
transmitting evil into good is duty to
be done by all conditions of men, and
it can be wrought out as we'll in the
prisoners cell as in the highest and
most honorable positions. All human
religion holds out hope to men who
feel regret for every evil act. wish
to call your minds to that amazing
truth, that there is Being who rules
the world with such benevolence that
He enables the weak and erring NOR
tails, if they will, to turn their very sor.
rows and errors into sources of happi.
ness. We have many theories in these
days in which men try to tell us how
the world, acting upon certain fixed
laws, has evolved itself; that it goes
on by progress that regards nothing
but certain rules of advancement; re.
gardless of all other considerations save
their own irresistible, selfcompelling
principles. But here we have a truth
not only given us in holy writ, but pro
vided by our own experience, that
mental regret will convert material
wrong into blessing, or if the offender
wills it will make the same hundred
fold more hurtful if he rejoices in his
wrongdoing or hardens his heart against
regret. Materialism, evolution, athe
ism or any of the theories which deny
the government of an intelligent Coo
are confuted by this truth that, we can
by conforming to His laws, which de
: mand repentance, convert evil int.
, good, or by violating them make evi
} tenfold more deadly and destructive
/ We can, by our own minds and senti
ments, change the influence of materia
) events, and vary the action of law
which govern the world. If man, wit
: all his weakness, can do this, it can oDl
! be by the aid of a higher power, whicl
f shapes, directs and regulates.
know that what have said is bu
: an imperfect statement of the grea
t truths, compared with the teachings o
8 the pulpit which you hear each Sunday
Ell Continued ia fifth column.)