The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-14

of trying to see how much they can
squeeze out of the world. are anxious to
give to the world a dollars worth of pay.
are protected against every form Of
swindling. for the et-rich-qniclx'
schemes which spring, up and impose
upon the public until they are exposed
and driven out. always appeal to the spec
ulative spirit, and lead their victims to
expect something for nothing.
1t must not be understood. however.
that the law of rewards comprehends all
of ones obligations. There is a clear dis
tinction between justice and benevoence.
Justice requires that each person shall
be secure in the enjoyment of that which
he earns, but there is something better
than Justice. True, the elimination of in
justice is greatly to be desired but II the
world contained nothing more comforting
than justice, there might still be vast
amount of suffering and woe. After the
government has exhausted human wis
dom in the effort to so adjust rewards as
to secure to each person fair and just
compensation for all that he does, relig-
ion steps in and suggests a still higher
and broader rule. Justice would have the
individual to suffer for his own errors
and to pay the penalty for his own mis-
takes, but love, as taught in the Bible
and exemplified by the Author of our re-
lgion, teaches us ITO feel another's woe"
and to bear one another's burdens
Those who attempt to construct the
world without reference to the spiritual
forces which are at work defend altru-
ism on the ground that it is an enlight-
ened self-interest; they contend that the
doing of good to others, even sacrificing
for others, yields a reward in pleasure.
The difficulty about the philosophy that
rests upon such calculations is, first, that
it is impossible for one to look far enough
ahead to form any accurate opinion as to
the time or manner in which the reward
is to come, and second, that time spent in
calculation can better be spent in acting
The person who attempts to keep a book
account of the good he does, does not as
a rule, do enough good to justify an en-
try in the book; the spirit that leads him
to keep the account continually hampers
him in his work. Life is made up of an
innumerable number of small acts. not
considered worth doing by those who are
guided by selfish considerations. OF the
countless millions. of kind and generous
acts done, but few would have been done
had it been necessary to reason out just
in what way the bread east upon the
waters" would return.
l have dwelt at length upon the ideal
because it is of transcendent importance
both to the individual and to those about
him. Whether life is a success or not
depends far more upon the moral purpose
than it does upon the health or mental
strength of the individual. History is
replete with instances where men and
women have accomplished much in spite
of great physical indrmity. Helpless Grip
pies and persons deformed have some
times Won a fame denied to athletes and
to gladiators; sightless eyes have often
beheld spiritual beauties which multitudes
have failed to find: the bed of the invalid
has sometimes been a throne from which
have flown blessings greater than a mon
arch can bestow. Not only has a high
purpose overcome physical obstacles, but
it has often made up for the lack of edu-