The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-06-23
SELF,DEN|AL
A NECESSITY
No Virtue in Not Doing What One
Cannot Do

In self denial TWO things are eS-
sentia; the ability and the desire t.
do what YOU deny to yourself" said
Rev. G. l.. Adams at, the Calumet NJ. f.
church Sunday morning. speaking
from the topic Learning To Say No %
The theme was deduced from the text.
Matt 1924.
continuing, Rev. Adams said:
Jesus had been speaking to his
disciples of his approaching trial and
crucihXion IN Jerusalem. and with
these events clearly in mind he told
the people that had gathered about
him that if any of them purposed To
tc his disciples they must be ready
90 meet these conditions, self-denial.
rluss- bearing and following him. our
thought has to do with thu FIRST of
these conditions, that of self denial or
earning to say No to ones self.
II is not hard to discern the real
meaning of self denial TO the foolish
request of your boy YOU say No. you
deny him his request When something
appeals To YOU as desirable but unwise.
yru SAY Ia yourself No You are de-
nins Yourself, practicing self denial.
There is no virtue or self denial i'm
not doing what one can't do. Very lit
tlc credit can be given any one Tor not
j8n,iug when both feet are cut OF OF
De- Is crippled up with rheumatism To
kcsp sober when one cannot get "A
drop of liquor is no sure proof of the
virtue of his total abstinence. Self
denial Is real only IN saying No to
what YOU really desire TO do and can
do
Self denial may he on ones own
account or tor the sake of others. or
TO please the master. The highest type
of self denial includes all of these.
The scope of our self denial is
very wide. II includes all the so
called sins Of the flesh. the unlawful
g,atihcatiun of the appetitcs aud pas
siuus, things known To bc wrong, for
hidden in the word of God. 10 all such
evils there must ever he a percmptOry
and persistent No Tor one cannot in
dugc in these things aud continue a
follower of Jesus Christ. Moreover
these cannot be successfully tapered
off 10y degrees. nor would such
course be mcrciful To the one who
would get rid of these practices could
II ue thus done successfully. The
4 l,.
abrupt total and final Tor the would
hc Christian.
Here also must be included all
those mental qualities that uncon-
trolled. lead us astray such as ten
per, pride, ambition etc. No man can
he blamed for being naturally high
tempered. In fact such is fine en-
GoVmcnt capable of lending itself To-
Increased usefulness but uncontrolled
il becomes q dang, rous possession liza
bic To plunge one into the worst of
crimes. l}ut il under great proNoca-
ton one can keep sweet and can say
NO to every temptation To seek re-
vcuge he has learned one of the inest
If lessons i'm self denial The same
may be said of pride, ambition and the
like,
We shall need to include here also
many things innocent and in some
measure helpful but concerning when
there is needed some degree OF sell
denial. the amount of which each man
must determine for himself. For IN
stance chess is purely a game OF SIKH
and tends TO cultivate and develop the
mental powers. But chess must nave
IT'S limitations in our activities or We
shall rob ourselves Of time ana cner-
~ that we should devote to the more
serious affairs of life This is true
touching very many things IN the
present day of sports and pastlmes.
We need not seek far To discover
Tho real purpose of seli-denlal " ~
not an end in itself but rather
means to an end. True self-denla'
means that we give up some thlhss
that We may make room FOR better
things and the returns are always III
proportion To our self denial TINS IL
the way To- fulness and richness Oh
life and without it life in every form
becomes dissipated, scattered, frultlcss'
Why DO YOU prune your fruit trees d
You cut away much useless SroNt'
that the life and strength of the tree
may he concentrated To one pun pos''
fruit bearing. Why does the athl.te
deny to himself every form oi dlssl-
patton and excess? That all his vital
ity and strength may be concentrated
Tor the coming race or test of STRENGTH
Why do YOU send your boy To s'h"o''
cutting him off from hours and daSs
of sport and pastime? Is 1T not tha'
through study and discipline he may
live the larger life of usefulness w
others:
Why then should we think u haiu
when the Master says To those VINO
would follow him Deny yourselves
leave some things alone that all your
strength and time and interest may oe
devoted To makinE your lives tn'
largest, the richest. the fullest som,
Of us have been finding the words "
Emerson true, The good Is the enetnS
~ the best and at this point INV
words of the Master have large mean
ing Whatsoever will save MS me
shall lose IL, but whatsoever VIII lose
Nh