The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1912-05-23

Only Success That Is Clean
in the Sight Of God
TRUTH. UPRGHTNEss. LOVE

"a an accident, riches take wings;
~ those who cheer today Will
curse tomorrow, only one
thing endures and that Is character"
Lies one great task Is the making
Of character, the making Of fine man
hood. Our world is college. We all
20 through it, but only some get much
out of the course OF instruction. In
this college events are the teachers.
and character Is the diploma which
God gives man when he has earned
It. There are many forces that help
to increase happiness in this world,
such as friends and position, and
money; but one thing is absolutely
indispensable to success, & d that Is
character.
Success, in these days, is a word to
coniure with. It is echoed on all sides
as the one object Of existence, ano
men are measured by its standards
We fall over each other in our hurry
to pay homage to the man who has
won success in the worlds judgment.
But are we not under delusion as to
what we really admire?
Hero Worship Tells Much.
III knew what you admire and who
Is your hero. would know what sort
Of q man you are. This mountain OF
flesh and bone which has beep trained
as an OK for the prize ring? OF all
the vapid and vacant eountenances,
nothing can equal that fraternity. Or
perhaps you admire this man who has
created an extensive business and
amassed fortune, or attained high
social position. But does 1t not make
difference how these things we're
attained? Or perhaps your hero may
be a man who has reached high po-
litical rank, the presidency Of the
United States. But does It not make
difference whether he was squeezed
in by party politics. or whether he has
risen By his own intrinsic worth, and
Is the choice Of the people?
Success lies not SO much in achfeV-
ing what you aim at, as in aiming at
what you ought to achieve. Your one
dread should be to pitch the scale Of
life so low that you can attain perfect
success therein.
There is a success which is failure.
What effect has success had upon this
or that man? Has It made him bet
ter man. nobler and kinder; or has it
made him hard and unfeeling and ar
rogant? If so. then his success has
been a failure. could not congratu-
late yo1l. II you had succeeded In max
ing fire by burning Up priceless
painting, neither can admire man
who has destroyed his character and
soul in making a fortune or attaining
a position. That man has made
most terrible failure OF his life. Sue
cess in business, literature, society,
politics, is often purchased by sub
tie and sinister compromise with
Satan He takes US up on a high
mountain. and shows US all the glitter
Of the world, and says: "All these will
give thee If thou wilt fall down and
worship me-"
Failure Sometimes Mlsjudeed.
There is failure which is success.
May we learn this lesson Of human
life, and it is one Of its important les
sons, that lives which aim at low ends
are often redeemed by failure to at
tain them. Many men owe their souls
salvation to their failures. Mischance
has shattered their plans, and they
have been saved from careers which
would have led to their ruin. Many
man whom the world counts failure
has attained good success. He may
not have much evidence Of it In the
bank. but be bears about with him the
marks of success, in his body in clean
living, In a cultured mind, and in an
upright soul.
One Of the most successful lives
ever lived was that Of ST. Paul, and
yet at the end Of his life what did he
have to show for It? Lying in dun
geon in Rome 1t does not take him
long to count up his assets. He says,
81 bear in my body the marks of the
Lord Jesus" He had lived a wonder
full life, and that was all he had to
show
I hope you are making a success Of
your life. do not want to know
what your bank account is. nor what
position you hold But want to know
what marks are being stamped upon
your body and soul Are they the
marks Of indulgence. Of uncontrolled
temper. OF some besetting sin. of envy
and avarice. and an evil mind? Or is
your life growing sweeter and strong
er as you grow older? Are you grow
Ing in truth and uDrightness and in
love? If so. then you are attaining
that success which leaves no regrets,
which is clean in the sight OF God and
man, and which God promises to those
who love him.
Man would fain find some personal
friend who would lead him unto great
personal worth. To fulfill that deep
est need, Jesus Christ comes to US and
says: Learn Of Me-" He comes to
hasten mans step along the pathway
that leads from littleness to greatness.
and greatness lies not in titles, but in
the qualities Of mind and soul raised
to the highest rover. Jesus is the
Divine Husbandman. and good men
are the richest fruit which our earth
ian yield