Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-06-17


duces the greatest good both for the
individual and the community. There
are poets who have learned I'm sorrow
what they have taught in song.
To be blind would seem To be one
Of the greatest misfortunes. but how
many thousands have thanked God
and taken new courage because of the
songs that blind Fannie Crosby
wrote. She has said that she is
thankful that she became blind when
only six weeks old Milton was blind
poor and sick when he wrote his
greatest work. Parkman, the histor-
ian, nearly lost the use OF his eyes
and like Darwin could not study more
than twenty minutes without rest and
that rarely more than twice in a day
We all know that physical misfortune
has often resulted in moral health.
~ would seem great misfortune
10 go 90 prison, yet from the days OF
Joseph to the days OF John Brown
prisons have been nearly as powerful
as thrones in making the world. IL.
was from a prison that Socrates sent
forth those great arguments for inn
mortality and from same kind of
place Bunyan composed his immortal
allegory. 1t was from a prison that
the message came that caused Herod
to tremble. Paul from Phillipian
Jail moved penitent hearts into the
kingdom of God and from the prison
at Rome sent out those messages OF
light and cheer To all the world for
al tit,na GaIf1an xyant 81 t.,.i.,an 10
cause he knew more than the scho-
lars Of his time and Columbus wore
chains because he dared TO be d pro-
phet and seer. DeFoe, Baxter
Sir John Elliot, Raleigh and Luther
wrote their masterpieces while III
prison.
What shall we say OF the great
army Of the prisoners Of poverty and
pain? If their names were removed
from the worlds list Of great ones
how poor that list would be- for il
would take two-thirds Of the reform \
ers. three-fourths Of the poets and
of the preachers Of right
eousness. The greatest victories on
all planes OF life that have made for
purity and peace have been victories
won over oppression. In prison and
in pain strength is developed.
Poverty keeps down the growth OF
the sensual and selfish. When men
asked Epictetus, if he were happy be-
ing lame and slave he said: DO
you think that because my soul has
one little lame leg, | am to find fault
with Gods universe? Great is God
because. he has given us the means of
and food. What can !
do who am now an old man but sing
praises to God2 Now, had | been a
l should sing the songs
Of a nightingale, but being a reason
able being it is my duty to hymn unto
God for his gifts TO me. We all know
that one of the chief factors in sue
ces is steadfastness to principle. To
stand if we haveto stand alone for
what we are convinced is right.
History tells as OF many courag-
eoug men who have been ostracized
abused and tormented because OF
principle. Whether it be Luther
crying: Here / stand; God help me,
| can do no other or "a Calico say
ing, Nevertheless it does move or
a Garrison shaping his challenge: i
viii not equivocate, ] will be heard
in every case and in every generation
il is the cry of conviction that will
not yield-ope man against the world,
but because the man is right his cause
will win no matter what may become
Of him.
IAN men have fits and starts of
4 n
of heroism is persis-
tence. You may be poor and you
may be misunderstood by your friends
but if you are true to a great princi-
pie, sometimes, somewhere you will
come into your own
FINALLY let us not forget that
There is "A providence that shapes .
our ends. roughhew them as we
may and the man who keeps that
fact in mind has the best chance to
win success in both worlds.
"A mans religion is the greatest
hing about him. Tell me what that .
A great extent what the man is and .
what he will accomplish. 1t is .
faith that overcomes the world; faith .
gives hope and hope rs necessary to
success To serve God is freedom and .
20 know God is life.
AT the close Of Rev Doty's address .
he choir sang Jerusalem the Col
lem and this was followed by the
by Rev. w. A. Bliss.
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