SELF-SACRIFICE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLV, Issue 10450, 1 December 1919, Page 10

SELF-SACRIFICE

WHAT IT MEANS ADDEESS BY SIE EOBEET STOUT. Speaking at the Unitarian Church last night Sir Robert Stout (who at short notice took tiio place of the Minister, the icev. U. Jiaie, wlio was absent through illness) delivered an interesting addvea. on - '£«li' Saei-iiico and What it Means." in tue «iUi-!>b ui uis aaareai Sir ixobert reieirea to mo many roinjions iu tun woriu, and saiu that notwitnatuu'Ung tnu uivtioo Lf.'iiula tiuu ciUfJ'iiij; rUiiBWUo prucuces aud rituals oi minj.taiiy, nuoiaj;e wu.vptuU. by ail rengiuns lo tue virtr.a 01 »l!ll-iMlCl'lUCO. Xllls liOiiU.gß wjis louml in an (.ouuUies aim umuiiasc all ractii ana was &<* oiu as the OiUtst religio»i». EXTRAVAGANT LIVING. Alter making reference to liie spirit, the power aua inuuenoe oi son-sa«i'in.-i:« jauiuug>c tnu reagioUi iit-oitiu ui iu..ui, oi Japdii. una onicra, cii Vioutrt con unutu; —"mo mivo piusseil luiuugu a gieui, war iU clwl una uten cnoiuioun. ,it nas cost iNow iixnaml iuone ivi nu. t >-i attorn jciit,\Mj,iMO, ueoiues tue uiuiions »e von n»vu iu Vay Ui fcruinjlies and in tjtns.ons. 'ihe i».-s ui human lue i'i>a oeeii sad anu »eiioJs. oi our best auu mo=t young nitu met in peace m the oeiuei.ei - ies , yt i '" oi oi UaUipoli, ol ueigium, and ol I'luncu and br.«iand, una yot uiuidst all UiM ternfio trouuio oi our people bavo been, and are nving oxtruraafuilly, and theril ia ur> ausancc of simple living and of high tbiuktuu. Ixmg betoro thi& war an abio American prophet pointed out how luxurious uvina was auecang tho United States. -uay I quote a short paragraph from one oi uis adaresses. He said: 'lhe liabit of luxurious living la eating into the vitals of society, is defiling the family and corrupting tho State- Let? me uot ba falsely unaerswod. All that is luxury which political .economists are wont to class as unproductive consumption. In this sense, books, musio and pictures nro luxuries, and who would be willing to forgo them? It becomes us to tne ut- . most of our powers to satisfy the thirst for knowledge, una to educate the sense of harmony; it is wise to expend generously upon every means of culture and refinement. But this we niuiit bear in mind, that there should bo a rank and a proper subordination among our tastes and desires. Now that is luxury in the evil, in the basing sense of th etenn, that iwe subvert the natural order of our_ tastes that we make the mere gratification cf the animal passions, the mere pursuit of woalth, the mere adornment of our clay, main objects, while the graces of inteljtect perish, and the adornment of the Sboul is neglected. Say not, we will do 'the one, and leave undone the other; for the inordinate degrea to which the meaner passions are developed, dulls our sense of I loftier needs. Wo cajinot serve, two I masters. Frivolous in prosperity, we be/some helpless in adversity and' perish inwardly, our growth stunted, our nobler sympathies blunted, long before wo r.re bedded in our graves. What single effort can achieve a change? Fellowship, friends nro needed, and a public opinion j on behalf of simplicity.' I NO SIGN OF THRIFT. "Notwithstanding the many lessons we 6hould have learned from the war, there is as yet no sign of tlxritth nor of feaving. We are more extravagant than we navu ever;;.been, and we see in our drapers' shops and in our other stores thousands of pounds' worttt of goo-us -tnat we could wefl. |do hvithout. We are talking of millions as tne early settlers used to talk of pounds, and we are wasting our ineahs instead of saving them for the lean years that over follow great wars. We Are not exercising self-sacrifice as we should. Do we not recall or havo we rot read of what happened after tho Napoleonio wars, or what happened after the Crimean War, of what happened after the Civil War in the United States, and also of how the Franco-Prussian War affected tho finances of our Einpire and even of ourselves Wo cannot escape the financial disturbance of Elurope. What are wo to do? A celebrated French author onco said that the proper equipment of the orator was boldness, and yet boldness and ever boldness. As honest citizens feeling that w© have a duty to, our country and to humanity, may I say that we must exercise self-sacrifice, and again self-sacrifice, and for ever selfsacrifice' We have seen ereat illustrations of solfBacrifico in our midst. We hav© soen it in this war. Men with consciences considered it their duty to at once enlist to. defend freedom, to defend their country, to defend society, and to dofend humanity, and should that iexamplo bo lost on us? Are they not the mon we honour, and not tho men <whoso conscience compelled them to -look after their own safety Arid do nothing Ifco defeat murderors, and savo the throateucd citizens —men, women and children? Wo ! do not fteed\ happilv. in dealing with social evils in our lhldst to rnsort to violence, nor to Join an army. Wo - have our idnties though just ns plain aa if wo were threatened by foes without, or fops within. Our duty Is to soo that the life i ill our societv ia simple, i 9 good, tends to increase hapoiness, and tends to uplift hnmanity, and if that la our duty we will then understand—wo will have to understand perhaps, _ what seilf-saorifieo means. Self-sacrifice, in fact, means doim? everythin.? that will make our society good and great, that will promoto peaopi and hanplnoss in our midst however it may affect ourselves. | "IDEALS OF LIFE." "And what will bo our reward if wobecomo self-sacrificing citizens? In doing our luty W 9 must not look for Towards. It has been well said: —'ne who claims a reward because of his virtue, has thereby forfeited his right to maintain his claim, since that is not virtue that looks for reward. But the citizen , who does his duty, who exercises solf-sncriflce, is not without his reward. Ho is a changed Ho has what the great Dr. Chalmers called tho impulsive power of n new affoctlon--he lives on a highor olaiform. Angeli visit his homo. He has admitted ns his friends those who will never foresako him, for he has hi. 4 ideals of life. They are his nnsreln Th*y become to him a KW of G'!ory, and he oflii sing whnt has b?en termotl tho r?reivtest of Hebrew . melodies—the 24th P.ifilm—for *h? iverlfisHtiit dnt.r Ims admitted the King of Glorv. Ho has been transformed, and thoiißh he mny fitind nlono, and even should ho have to <rafl>r martyrdom, h* hnj earned ti-OrOTTi of Glorv, and tho oonscionsriofß of rlghtcloimjf Is in him the rno«t prwtoux nospessfrm which neither King, ■nor' Frio*!:, Capitalist not Prc-'"tar)at. Mfton'T w T Minoritv, Trndftn TTnion jiof Employe.-"' Ap«ocintiom o«n tako from him. He !oiks for pruidnnco not from t-neolnticns of moptlnjr.i. nor votna "f citirons. He nbneals to thr» Ideal, to tho stars in th" n>nvim«nt of human'tv. TTo ts triil» illuminated by 'Thp Torch, of Duty.'"