Evening journal., 1912-01-13
The Nest Wonderful Story
BY John 5. Hamilton.

Man is as good as his ideals. Brown
ing said a man should be judged by
what he would be and not by what he
was. There are excellent reasons
for believing mankind Is solely the
working out Of what might be called
an ideal. Man was made in the
image Of God and all his struggles, all
his fallings down and all HIS gettings
up are merely the never ending ef-
fort to realize that ideal. Man re-
nounced Eden and accepted certain
death because he would be like God,
knowing good from evil. Analyze
mems actions today and they VIII
teach that man without always know
ing il Is still bending his gaze and ef-
forts towards this exalted goal. What
is the object of all the scheming, all
the striving, all the injustice, all the
efforts to have the advantage the Que
over the other? Is il not all a reach
ing out for power, and is not power
like knowledge, an attribute of the
Creator and not of the creature2 Ot
course man has made a mess OF the
business so far. His knowledge is
limited, and It is doubtful yet whether
he has any power. Hardly had he ac-
quired a portion Of knowledge when he
hungered even more for power which
he also would usurp. We, therefore,
sec the man who would be God-try-
ing creature that he is to be at the
same time the creature and Creator
Thus We see him haltingly and falter-
ingly, ever falling, ever rising, and yet
ever progressing towards that ideal
that was set before him as his goal
when after considering the terrible
price he decided for himself and those
to come after him that il was better
to sufer even banishmept, misery and
death than not to know. This un-
questionably is the most wonderful
story that was -eNer written or ever
will be written.
Sometimes We think had we been
in Adam s, place we would not have
done as 3e did Yes We would. II
was nos Adam who acted during that
fatefnl day, it was the ideal. Every
mothers son Of us would have done
the same, or It Is perhaps better TO
say that every mothers son Of us
4 would have been used by the ideal
exactly as Adam was. Il is not neces-
sary TO 20 10 Eden TO prove this. Men
IN spite Of warnings, in spite OF
knowledge. In spite of even the avail
able benefits of human experience, are
taking chance today to forego all that
Adam lost when he was banished from
Eden.
Il is useless to tell them that they
will surely die. They want power
and they will have it at any cost.
They are heroes They are not sacri-
doing themselves for the benefit OF
their kind. They do not know that
they are working for the ideal. They
do not understand that they are
hurrying forward the realization Of
the image of God. but they are doing
so lust the same. They are as un-
conscious of what they are dong as is
the poor sufferer who somewhere IS
affording for some student and
scientist the experience which will
finally result in the Punishment ol
some man-cursing disease.
There is no room for pessimism IN
the philosophy of him who really and
earnestly endeayors 10 learn what mai
intends to be. AS long ago as We
know about our people sacrificed
everything that would make life plea
SAINT and happy for the sake OF know
ing and being as God, and men have
grown in knowledge ever since. To-
day he is making equally as great
sacrifices. grasping for power which
would make him that much nearer
Cod. Limited and imperfect knowl
edge, of course, spells limited and i'm
perfect power, but the race goes ON
ever on, ever increasing in the ability
10 properly use power. Some times
we are tempted 70 believe that we haV'
fallen or are about 20 fall on evi
days, but second thought reveals tina
this cannot be true.
Consider where VIC came from an'
draw from this inspiration of the pos
sibilities of the ever improving TO
morrows. The struggle We know =
ever going on. The triumphs an'
the failures of today can promise moth
ing but a more complete triumph an'
a less humiliating failure tomorrow
and this must and will go on unit
there is a realization of the ideal.