Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1913-12-31
MEANING IN FAILURE
Surely There Must Be a Place for
the Defeats as Well as
the Victories.

co small a thing has prevented
~ achievement A man has been sue
cessful in a moderate way in business
for a number of years. and a moment
or weak Judgment scatters his gains
and reduces him TO a condition OF
beginner. Or IL may be that health
gives way. One waits in the rain
a few minutes. or gets n chill at a
station. or slips crossing the road. and
the hopes OF a life are frustrated.
Sometimes, OF course. the failure is
not small-in fact. small and great
In such matter are largely mean
ingless terms. One goes forward TO
service in writing or speech With much
seem to attend first efforts, and for
time work is fruitful. Men and WON
en- welcome what promises TO be
new lead. But by and by the first
influences fade, the fruit is no longer
forthcoming. The speech ceases to
be an inner weakness unconquered.
spirit unsanctitied-and the man
takes his place among those concern
Ing whom the prophecies which went
before them remain unfulfilled
The point is that for those who be
lieve In what Stevenson called IAN
ultimate decency of things" a mean
ing in failure must exist. II there
is rational scheme OF the universe,
IL must have place for the defeats
as well as the victories OF the indi-
vidual.
Two Points Of View.
To fail is not to be a failure One
must distinguish Did failure come
from within or from without? This
is the first question for the man who
has been defeated to answer. It
means at bottom. was the defeat real
or not? To fail is not to be n failure.
But to take the case OF failure that is
real, where there has been unfaithful-
ness. disloyalty, yielding to besetting
sin. Then is much gained to have
fastened on the root OF the failure:
It requires honesty with oneself And
such search has surprises. Just
where a man thought he had no need
TO guard. he may find the enemy has
come in
Sometimes the first intimations OF
failure may arise within ourselves
Falling short is one thing transgres-
sion is another: both are defects. for
both are sin. There is no such de-
feat as this. When a man has made
a good fight against harsh circum-
stances and failed, there "a no dis
grace; he has not lost honor. The
battle is his Pavia. But when we
hnnn 70
is no citadel OF peace into which to
enter. The misery is with us at bed
and board; there is no remedy. but
a secret transaction OF the heart with
Jesus Christ
Is there gain out OF the loss OF fail
ure? II men are driven from unsound
confidence to true. something has been
won. II need not have been won at
such cost. There is no reason why
our experience generation after gen
Grafton should go on verifying with
dull regularity the lessons Of the
past, yet Il does. But II is better so
learned than not learned at all
And out OF the recovered life so
much may come. when thou art
converted. strengthen thy brethren"
Sometimes a proud man can learn
humility no other way than by humil-
iation. Sometimes very strong. ten
der help can be given to a tempted
life by one who has once fallen him
self. being tempted" but has now
learned TO stand. John Wesley never
knew what evil living was, or swear
ing or any form OF vice. and God
fn -
est sinners. Samuel Hadley had been
an offender himself, and God used his
bitter experience OF the hardness OF
the transgressor's way, and his joy
Gus experience OF the Christian faith,
TO save many who had sunk lower
than he had once done The disciple
OF failure will not teach US that II is
better 10 fail to gain experience: that
theory belongs TO an unsound view
OF Sin. man who knows what sin
is will be inclined 10 say with Angus
tine 20 beata culpa;" but he will
thank God that. having brought him.
self into a region OF bitter expert
ence. God can still use his manned
life. and turn its shadow OF death
into morning"
Striving Never In Vain.
The land Of unfulflled deoire is not
a wholly barren country: the life
learns 70 look beyond Itself What
troubles multitudes is not the sense OF
disloyalty. but OF utility. They feel
they have done nothing. but the striv-
ings OF such lives are not in vain n
a souls force has been largely used up
up in maintaining the moral average
and atmosphere so as 10 make the ex-
cellence possible for another. the life
has not been in vain Gods purpose
in its greatness comes TO be more to
the soul than personal success.
The wonder OF the gospel is that Il
is the message OF new opportunity
opportunity not ending here. We can
,r.f al he hrrf H.