The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-08-14
On Repentance.

IL Is during the Lenten season that
most Of US have our thoughts directed
toward sackcloth and ashes and repent
ance, and at all times the thought Of re-
pentance seems 70 imply something sad
and gloomy informed with the spirit OF
despair And yet. rightly considered, the
thought Of repentance should have some
part in every mans daily morning
thoughts; for every morning, as we look
back to the day before. we must recall.
with regret, some Of the things we did.
or some act Of kindness or good that we
might have done, but neglected. For in
some sort each morning sees us beginning
a new life-the hours are new. and the
opportunities; and whatever the mistakes
Of yesterday, it behooves us to remember
that
God always rsTdous. For runorse IS pcnitellce
and Teniteuce is new life and returning peace"
Such is the frailty OF the human heart
that we all have to fall back on repent
ance. Never lived there a man so perfect
but there came time in his life when
he had to repent:
They say best men are mokicd out Of faults:
aud. for the most. 5ocume much more the better
For being a little bad"
out Of a mans sins. if. indeed, he have
the right stun back Of him. shall always
come an increase Of strength. of purpose.
OF energy, 10 aid him on the toilsome
journey Of life. The strong man. the
man Of will and determination. is he who
bufreted to the ground. even by his own
mistakes and sins. still rises up. un-
ashamed and unafraid. and fronts the
world again. He will set his teeth hard
on the bitter taste of failure, and look
with heart and soul purified by repent
ance, undlsmayed. toward the goal. Thus
is he able to echo in his heart the words
OF Shakespeare:
Il survive
To mock the expectation Of the world:
To frn5trte prophecies and 20 rae out
Rotten opinion. who hath writ me down
After my seeming"
Seeming Is what the world
THINKS of us-as we seem, What really
counts in this weary journey from life
10 death Is not what we seem. but what
we are. In the eyes Of the world repent
ance will scarce ever set us right: the
balm that is In 1t Is for our own souls
alone The world will take little heed OF
US while we cry:
Presume not that am the thing was
For heaven doth know 50 shah the world perceive.
That have turned away my former self"
It is by our acts, not orr sentiments.
that the world judges us.
What we all need is not only TO repent
our past errors. but 10 see the future
more clearly; TO mark out the paths along
which the virtues le-paths which we
can choose II we will and not purposely
be blind. II will do none of MS much
good TO look backward on what we were:
70 remember. bitterly how far we have
fallen short The danger In such a prac-
tice is that we shall fall dolefully 10
thinking OF the past pleasures. fleeing as
they were. forgetting the pain and the
sorrow they brought in their train
NuaN Pr nnnt cannot nc now amended.
Men shall deal unadvisedly sometimes
Which afterhours give leisure to repent"
But II is not wise 10 spend those after.
hours IN glorying over past sins. or con.
graduating ourselves on our present
Righteousness. The man who boasts
81 do not shame
To tell what was since my conversion
SO swectly tastes
Is in grave danger Of finding that he
has fashioned for himself a weapon OF
pride and vaunt that shall shatter all his
new-found virtues
Bitter II is to have to wear the yoke
OF our own wrong-doing: and yet, used
rightly. that very bitterness shall. per.
haps. goad us on to higher. nobler things
Not all at once. maybe. for none OF us
may hope TO reach the heights OF virtue
in single bound. for
~Habtual evils seldom change too soon.
But many days must pass and many sorrows:
Conscious rrmorse and anguish much be felt
To curb desire TO break the stubborn viii.
And work second nature IN the SOUL
Ere virtue can resume the place she lost"
Gov. Patterson is being pretty geneI-