Evening journal., 1922-03-01
GODS Mind AS
LIFE'SCOMPASS
Bishop Cook Urges Lenten
Hearers to Think Straight,
Do Right Thing
NOT ALWAYS SAFE TO
FOLLOW CONSCIENCE


Wednesday, with services in the
Catholic and Protestant Episcopal |
churches. MONDAY services to con- |
tinue during Lent we're started at
st. Andrew p. f. Church. Bishop |
Philip Cook. OF the Diocese OF Della |
ware, preaching the sermon. The |
service was largely attended. It be-
ing interdenominational
Prior TO the Bishops sermon. /
brief prayers were said by TIE Rev |
Richard w. Trapnell. rector OF St. |
Andrew. +. ]. Muhlhausen. organist ]
Of the church. played for the singing
Of hymns during the service.
Bishop Cook took his text from St.
Luke II, SO. And Jesus increased |
In wisdom and stature, and in favor
with God and man."
"There are three lines OF prepara-
tion suggested in this one sentence"
said the Bishop. 'In common with
all men even the Son Of Man school
ed and disciplined himself in these
three ways.
THE first is the preparation Of the
body. A strong, sound. healthy
body a body that is the servant, not
the master Of the spirit which Il
houses. is one OF the first requisites
OF a useful life. II Is difficult TO
overestimate the Importance and
blessing OF health and strength. SO
true is this that l used to think that
the man who asserted that sound
body Is essential TO a sound mind
and healthy soul had touched the
center OF truth with ringing spear
But / have changed my mind about
that.
1T Is a vast benefit; but not
prime requisite: not a sine qua non.
For some OF the fairest flowers Of
moral excellence and spiritual beauty
have grown in bodies racked with
pain and weakened by disease.
Weakness Of body Is not an impos-
sibie handicap to usefulness but
only those who conquer know what
a handicap this becomes. The care
OF and preparation of the body In
health and strength is one Of the
first things that will demand the
attention OF thoughtful men. II Is
even more necessary for men than
for boys. for women than for girls,
since 20 keep physically fit beyond
forty is more dihicult than In youth.
This is what justihes the large
place given TO athletics in our schools
and colleges:, place OF increasing
Importance in Parish activities. II is
not for war alone nor even primar-
ily that we must be ready In body;
but for the demands Of peace; for
the services Of life; with a body that
obeys and is not rebellious; a servant
not a master.
Christ increased not only In wis
dom but In stature; and Il IS reason
able to suppose that he who spent so
much time In the carpenter shop.
who walked hundreds Of miles, and
spent days In the open was a man
OF vigorous health and sound con-
stitution. The fact OF his ministry
iustihes this belief The forty days OF
fast left him hungry but unweak-
ened. In the days OF bis ministry he
tired out his disciples as they ac-
companied him. At the time OF his
passion and death he went TO the
Gross after hours without food or
sleep. scourged. beaten, dragged
from court to court. yet displayed a
capacity TO endure beyond that or
the hardened malefactors crucihed
with him.
The body OF the Temple OF the
Holy Ghost. Its care Is a religious
duty. and those who through care
lessness and laziness. through self
indulgence and evil habit allow It's
usefulness TO be weakened and i'm
paired commit sin not only against
self but against God who gave It.
THE second preparation is to
train the mind to think. We all
think: but the very fact that we
think we think Shows OF how poor
an order much OF our thinking has
come TO be. So much Of our think
ing IS but the half-baked thoughts OF
others warmed ov-r so as to serve
our purposes. From newspaper
from the magazines. from conversa-
tion we accumulate our mental
furniture.
"The ability to think straight, to
think clean. to think through Is
most rare accomplishment. The
papers OF the country are filled with
the stories OF men and women who
have made wrecks OF their lives
have messed the chance God has
given them and we come TO see that
these results have come not only
from moral turpitude. but from tho
inability TO see the issues OF life
straight; TO know that whatsoever
man soweth that shall he also reap
Most OF this sort OF thing is 81
tragically stupid.
Wise thinking becomes process
of choice and discrimination in the
issues before us. We must depend
upon the thoughts OF others, bu
even that Is far from easy. TO read
mark, learn and inwardly digest
that even with the fact before ul
our philosophers OF life are likely tC
remain matters OF feeling and senti
ment than solid conviction.
This Is the third thing we mus
he prepared TO do: the right thing
the just thing, the true thing. Blu
what is just? What is true? Tha
question OF PLATE will intrude itsel
upon our modern speech and discus
sion.
There are those who will TAX
the position that to follow con
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