The Holly chieftain., 1922-01-26
Use,- The Measure
OF Possession.

Of the chase alone, but he feeds on
beauty in nature, art in design
science of invention, wisdom in
thought and communion with God.
He handles the tiniest creature
that only the finest microscope can
reveal and descries the farther
most planet by means of the most
powerful telescope.
| More than vegetable or animal.
man Is a spirit He is thus under
a dread and awful responsibility.
He Is indeed the only responsible
| creature In the world. and the only
one who fails to make the fullest
use Of his endowments. There is
something OF God In us that fights
against the gross anima!ism of our
lower natures, that fills us with
mlitiGns and aspirations and holy
purposes Sometimes we call it in
tellect or imagination or conscience.
but it is God whose spirit was
breathed into his nostrils Mt the
time of his creation 1t is this i'm,
mortal and marvellous endowment
from God that makes man so res
pOnsible. To fail to use our talents
for good to the full is to prostitute
our souls to base and selfish pur-
poses, for man is so constituted
that he is bound to employ his pow
ers for or against society and God.
To employ our powers to the full
for humanity is the highest func
tion OF mankind Our business
abil ties, or social talents, our men
tai equipment should all be laid
at the feet of humanity in that
corner of the world where our lot
happens to, be cast,
Conversely to fail to use our pow
ers is to lose them Use your seed
you reap harvest: leave 1t I'M
sowed and it rots and spOils. Use
your muscles and not only do you
have more strength but you have
the results of your labors. EN-
plOy the mind in reading and study,
writing books. painting pictures
ministering to needy in spiritual
help and 10! you have not only n
vigorous mind but the rewards OF
labor, as we'll But neglect your
muscles and they become fiahby
and useless. Neglect your mind and
soon the capacity to think is weak
ened and lost The door hinge that
ceases its operations soon becomes
too rusted to be used at all. The
fish In Mammoth Cave are blind
because they had no use for their
eyes. All life begins to deteriorate
as soon as service ceases, The TEL
low in the parable lost his one tai
ent by his own fault; he deliberate,
ly buried it in the earth. So men
selfishly using their possessions and
powers put Their talents into tHe
earth--into their earthly selves
and lose all use and enjoyment of
their GOd-given endowments.
Using ones power for self is not
proper use. Simply to maintain
ones own existence is to place ones
self on level with the brute. A
hog even is more profitable than
the selfish, man since the hog can
be eaten but the selfish man con.
sumes food and gives nothing in
return. Yet with the best of us
self is ever present in our thoughts
so much that we do nothing, per.
haps. without some thought of self.
The philanthropist thinks of the
praise of his fellow men. the soldier,
OF the glory he has won on bloody
fields anl even the Christian has an
eye for heavenly rewards. So pes
simistic is Marie Corelli of human
nature that she says, II have mas
tered the hard truths of life-that
there Is no love without lust-nO
friendship without selfinterest-no
religion without avarice and no SO
called virtue withOuts is accompan.
ing stronger vice"
There is a sense, indeed, in which
we all are living off the miseries of
others. If there were no sick there
would be no doctors; no vicious, no
lawyers; no Immoral, no preachers;
no hungry, no farmers nor grocers:
no cold, no clothiers nor lumber
merchants, nor coal offices, etc.
Yet while each is' in the world living
of of anothers misery and want
yet that is not his supreme mission