Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-12-04
Sunday Morning Talk
GRIP FAST.


Scottish house of Leslie bears three
golden buckles and the motto: Grip
fast" The device was granted centu-
ries ago by a grateful sovereign to
Bartholomew Leslie for his gallantry
in saving the Princess Margaret from
drowning. The young lady's part in
the exploit was hardly less creditable
than that of her rescuer, she cling
ing fast to his stoutly buckled girdle
While he swan with her to the shore.
The old motto may well have been
recalled by the Countess of Rothes, a
descendant of the brave Leslie, who,
took the tiller of the life boat she
was in and later pulled an oar for
three hours in agonizing pursuit of
the slowly receding lights of a distant
vessel.
The legend is one for all of US to
write indelibly in the memory and in
the will. Whenever life comes to a
crisis, when courage burns low, when
foundations seem slipping from be-
meath us, it is time to bring the words
to full consciousness and to respond
to their ringing challenge.
There are some things of which no
mortal should ever let go who wishes
to maintain his serenity-we had al
most said his sanity. Losing them he
is in sorry straits indeed. Think, for
example, of that great trilogy of
graces named by a mighty Christian
eth,'' says st. Paul. faith, hope, love,
these three" Because they abide these
are realities to tie to.
He is lost who ceases to look out
upon life with a heart of faith. To
lose grip on the doctrine of Divine
Providence is a tragic loss. Nothing
SO saps a mans courage, when con-
fronted with the worlds problems, as
skepticism. The dismal confession of
Ernest Renan, written after he had
abandoned religious faith, is appro-
pirate for anyone under like condi-
tions. Says the gifted Frenchman:
"Since Christianity is not true to me,
nothing interests me or appears worth
my attention" Unbelief everywhere
and always is a brief for pessimism.
way, let one cleave to faith. That is
to walk through life on the sunny
side of the road and to discover, even
in the midst of trial. the secret of a
great peace.
Hope is a second spiritual fact of
which one may strive not to lose grip.
No fell clutch of circumstance" can
conquer one who clings to hope. 1t is
beacon light cleaning across the
stormiest sea. In one of his most elo-
quent orations Daniel Webster speaks
and held him to his course across un-
charted wastes. A touching and pa
thetic scene it was, indeed, when the
discoverer stood on the deck of his
shattered little caravel. 'straining
westward his anxious and eager eyes
till Heaven at last granted him mo-
ment of rapture and ecstasy in bless
ing his vision with a sight of the un-
known world" Aren't we glad that
the intrepid sailor held on to hope
Third, and supreme, in the immor-
tai trilogy stands love. 1t is what
Drummond called It: The Greatest
Thing in the World" 1t Is philoso-
piers stone that transmutes all the
baser elements of our human nature
into gold. No one can meet ultimate
loss who clings to love. He carries
his riches safe within. Van Dyke
comes to the heart of the matter in
the hymn.
Who looks to heaven alone to save
his soul
May keep the path but will not reach
the goal
But he who walks in love may wan
der far
And God will bring him where the
blessed are.
THE PARSON.