The Alaska citizen., 1916-07-24

training has never made business man-it cannot Method carefully l followed and enthusiastically pur- sued has placed the laurels upon many victor With method and persistence there must be discipline and self-denial The athlete, be he ancient or modern. must practice 1 self-control and self-denial
 od Prayer, and Bible study, and ! devout medtations, and ChurCh-go ing may sound rather commonplace, i but they are a necessary part of the training for the spiritual ath. l lete In the days of ancient Greece were they true. and the years have 1 subtracted nothing from their ini- I.ortance Most people know the method well enough, but the real problem for the average man is the persistence necessary to carry out the knowledge he possesses for the | success of the method. Most all | have experienced the weakness Of the flesh to carry out the method and all such have experienced the failure of the victory that had been hoped Selfishness must be put un- f der, for no man can succeed in spiritual athletics who is unwilling | ,I, al nf hn col l fishness is sin, and sin has never given fruit to the Christians life.
 Who can define the limits of the good of Christian man? Tn" tield is large. The variety of spiritual games is legion in the gymnaslum os life, and no man neeu feel he can exhaust the supply. Each new day brings a new pleasure and new joy Nature is ever vocal with God. and every thought and deed of mortals calls for reverence and worship to power without them selves. The experiences of life, in their spontaneous moments, tell us that man cannot long forget God Prayer in times of trouble becomes spontaneous The Bible refuses to be dismissed from the mind of modern life The church creates an atmosphere that is absolutely es- sential to present day living, and thoughtful parents refrain from rear ing their families far from the godly influence of the church.
 The practice of the common Vir tues of life are limitless. Every for confidence, frankness, purity honor, obedience, and realizes that without these no real home exists. The society circles of today are de manding purity, chastity, clean speech wholesome influences and high regard for personal fitness of things With no regard for purity and careful speech what welcome does young man receive in a uOlllt "oI lHN ol tllt 'ICliii' iolA whence came these ideas that make for chastity and noble regard? Why exercise myself unto godliness?" Spiritual athletics are doing world of good to those who are practicing the knowledge they possess, and untold are the possibilities that will bless the rising generations.
 Stepping into the business world, we are confronted with the fact that honesty Is the only policy The political arena is demanding a purging of the old rules, and an adoption of those that will get back to those that make for success. Surely the spiritual arena is draw ing from every source and the sp1r- itual athlete is coming into his own, as "big business" and big pleasure unite in all things that are good and condemn all things that are such things, regardless of their pos sible or probable contamination to those who place themselves in line for injury Only habitual exercise can insure the contestant victory. It was a wise mind that formulated these words: "The man who has daily inured himself to habits of concentrated attention, energetic vo- lition and self-denial will stand like a tower when everything rocks around him and his softer fellow mortals are winnowed like chaff in the blast"
 TO the average man two ques- tions arise in thoughtless inquiry: Does it pay? Whats the use? Pauls answer is clear and cannot be mis' taken "Godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is and that which is to come" Few difficulties arise in convincing a man that godliness is profitable in the life to come, but does it pay now, and here to- day? All around the wicked seem to prosper in temporal things when the morally conscientious man fails in the race. Life is too long to be judged by such short-sightedness.