The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1911-10-27
WHAT IS|
R|I!G!HT7 !!


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rExT-Finally. - ,vhst.eexs~
things are true. VIII 6Tar fSlnen -
honest. Whatsoever Thru - 5nst. vhat-
soever things are pure. whe evsr thinEs
are lovely. whatsoever thihe ~ q sood
report: II there be any virtn6s ~ a fherN
be any praise. think on the >6Bgs.--
Philippians. ~.
There are today more people 1R
sver before asking the question. w.
is right?" They have been led ~
ask this question by an arousal Of con-
science from lethargy that at one time
seemed to be as binding as prison
chains. In this reawakening the
church has played most important
part. but its appeals have been sec
onded by moralists and even by states
men. Today the question, What Is
right?" is asked not only In personal
morals, hut in the larger affairs Of
life. and to the extent that there is
greater effort for higher standards
of morality and of religious prac-
tices.
The question is an old one. It has
been asked by man since first he knew
there was right which might be dis
tinguished from wrong. It has been
discusseo in all it's phases. and St
Paul in his letter to the Philippians
exhorts them In the words OF our text.
He tells them that right is what is
true, what is honest what Is just, what
is pure and lovely and OF good re-
port" His exhortation is as peril
nent today. as then, and his definition
as complete. Let us first consider
men. not things.
T. great many men are true so far
as their standards permit them to be.
There are others who seek constant ell
ovation OF standards so that they may
be nearer the ideal true man To be
true man means to be truthful in
thought. In speech, in act. to be devoid
OF assimilation, to be right and to be
Just what you seem to be; to be loyal
TO all that is good and devoted to the
furtherance OF good. Such a man in
variably answers the question What
is right?" correctly, and his answer
has the respect Of his fellow men.
great many men are honest so
far as the demands of relationship
with other men may go, and few go
beyond this point and are honest with
themselves as well as with their fel-
lows. In their transactions they have
no doubts, no regrets, no sufYerings
OF conscience. They make every
transaction a closed transaction In
every sense of the word. They are
right. Such men are the examples OF
honesty that should be emulated.
Men are just in the measure that
they mete to their fellow men; and
some OF them are just to the extent
that they heap the measure to over
flowing. They neither weigh to the
ounce. nor exact their pound of flesh
as old Shylock did. II anything. they
are just TO the point NJ generosity c-d
have he salts action % knowing That
o. Aavs given fut value O. full
r ,lt 20 al With whom they come IN
90 ect.
oet men are pare 70 the extent
tl1y have 70 faults or vices thai
5t- a2 them 55 Immoral There are
rs whose tGolz zLts even are pure
~ mhom impurity is absolutely OBJ
noxious. They think good, and as the
thought is the father of the act, they
act we'll. These are the men at whom
the finger of suspicion never points,
but are always held as models after
which We should pattern.
Men who are truly honest, just and
pure, men whose thoughts are always
upward. are men Of good report. They
nave unassailable regulations support
ed by unimpeachable characters. They
ask the question. What Is right p"
from the innermost recesses of their
souls. and answer 1t with all the en-
hghtenment OF conscience and spirit.
ual guidance that God can give them.
They are always men OF good report
and always will De so long as they
possess the virtues that the apostle
has enumerated.
/ know that the apostle tells the
brethren to think OF things that are
true. honest. pure, lovely and OF good
report" 1t is by thinking of these
things that men become honest, true
and just The apostle asks them not
only to think but to reason. for he
S1s Nhol IL lIeTe is any virtue In
these things. IL there be any praise"
thinking Of them will bring them into
their lives and cause them to be CRATE
ful for the good they receive. Men
who think honestly, men who try to he
conscientious gain for themselves all
the good that can be derived from
right thought and pure thinking. And
that good is ability to think straight.
and answer correctly the question.
What is right?"
Or course there is no absolute right
Men do not think alike. They have
not the same standards, nor the same
conceptions. and yet they have one
standard OF right and their conception
OF that standard will always grow her.
ter and better the more they study IL
That standard was set by Christ PAU
studied IT, and his wonderful growth
In spirituality enabled him to tell the
Philippians what they should thin,
about. for he knew that the man who
was true. honest. Just and pure. the