The clergyman is a man of sacrifices. His own opinions go for naught because he is not the maker of justice and right, but their exponent. He sees beyond the faint traces of what we humans call “love,” a powerful love that rules the world—the love of God—and he puts the two together so that the lesser will be absorbed in the greater.
The great trouble may seem to be the variety of different sects and the difficulty to select the right one. Man, they are all aiming in the right direction. They point toward the sky, and bring a man’s manhood in line with the soul, his spiritual part, and the imperishable part. There is no room for bigotry, no room for anything but charity, and loving kindness.
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
OR
EASY LESSONS FOR EVERY DAY LIFE
The way to success in anything is always an upward climb, the down grade is always a flat failure.
In considering this matter, it will be well to remember and bear constantly in mind, that it is easier to slide down hill than it is to climb up.
We may say, therefore, that success is purely a question of exertion.
The road to and up the slope of the hill of life is roomy enough and to spare for everybody, and there need not be any crowding. But the way is strewn with wrecks, many submerged before beginning their journey, others lodged in some cranny half way up, and others start up so bravely and so rashly that they can not stop at the summit where the prize is situated, but their momentum carries them over and down to the bottom on the other side.
The steady, earnest worker plods along, sees that his footing is firmly fixed before he takes a next step. He grabs at some retaining point and never lets go of it until he has hold of another support.
When he reaches the top, he can stop and breathe, likewise flatter himself that he has succeeded by hard work and steady perseverance.
The fact is, that unless a man is born with a silver spoon in his mouth, that is, well provided by his ancestors with a goodly supply of this world’s goods, there is no royal road to anything. No man can roll about like a smooth pebble and hope to land into a mossy hollow.