Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1916-05-26
THE PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE"

crowd last Sunday morning Wncn ne
preached the Baccalaureatc sermon
before the graduating class of the
High School The sermon was of un-
usual interest, and listened to with
the closest attention. While not def
inately announced, the subject, we
take it was "The True Philosophy of
Life"
Mr.. French presented with vivid
clearness, the supposed causes of the
greatest war known to history-and
the most scnseless and useless" after
stating, that all these assigned causes
may have been probably contributory
to the great war, there was lying
back of it all the true cause, viz: A
wrong and false idea and philosophy
of life. The basal idea back of all our
systems of education is to Get some
thing to grab, "get, get, get. The
true philosophy, as proclaimed by the
Master and demonstrated in his life,
was not to get but to give, not TO
aim to get all we can out of the world
but to put all we can--cven ourselves,
into the bcttcrmcnt and uplift of the
world
Mr.. French put his finger upon an
old sore, world old--so old that it
has festered and burstcd thousands
of times, and as he so graphically and
eloquently said, has been and is now,
the cause primarily, of all our woes
Our first mother reached out her
hand to get" something which did
not belong to her. and her children
have been doing the same thing over
and over, ever sncc-this undue and
unholy desire to get"
The Master went up against the
same spirit many times and on var
ious occasions. He warned against it,
preached against it, and showed the
world how to avoid it. He asked in
tones of pathetic meaning, what shall
it profit Il man if he gets the whole
world and loses his own soul?" and
the unanswered question has sounded
through all the ages, still unanswered
But, what's the use? Are we all
not growing and becoming more and
more covctous? Mr.. French said
that all the schools and colleges ara
careful to insil into the minds of the
young that they must Succeed
which means to the pupils at least
getting getting on in tho
world" Europe has driftcd anc
drifted down this swift stream unit
she has plunged over the vortex. Ar,
we, the United States drifting tn,
same way? Corporations are aiming
to get the maximum of work for tn,
minimum of salary. The Unions an,
working men" are trying to get tho
maximum salary for the minimum
of work. The farmer wants tn,
highest prices for his products ant
for lowest possible wage. The sam,
spirit runs through all the profession.
"as much as they will stand for
seems to be the motto. 1t is the sys
tenn under which we are all operating
that is all wrong said Mr.. French.
What are we to do about it? Thi.
is the practical side of the question
Give yourself" as the Master directs
But how? He gave his life as ;
necessary step in the completion of ;
great work. How, and to what. an,
in what way,can the rank and file, tht
individual member of the body O.
Christ, give themselves" to III,
cause?
Is there not too much general NOR
alizing along this line? How can w,
get at the work to be done unles.
our leaders put us in the way? Will
the command ego work to day in m,
vineyard" should come a specification
as to where the vineyard lies. ant
how it should be worked
Does giving yourself" mean an,
imply, that one should stop every ON,
he meets and speak to them abou
religion or do this only on Sunday,
Does 1T mean that one should civ,
away all the money one makes. o.
give up business and devote all hi
Tune to charitable and religious work
This reference TO Mr.. French's ser
mon IS made only in the highest an
preciatlon of the splendid discourse
but he like so many other minister
nave done, dropped the matter Jus
at the important point of chow?
Neh In the pew-some of them a
ieast, are willing, if not anxious. t,
to do the will of the Master but {,
many of them don't know how. viii
some one throw some light on thi
practical side of the matter of servin,
the Lord with the whole heart?
THE EtD.,rn 49,,