CONCLUSION.
Of the countless gifts which God bestows upon man, the rarest, the most
divine, is an ability to take supreme interest in human welfare. If
any pious soul will accurately ascertain what it is in the character
of the Man Christ Jesus, the contemplation of which fills his heart
with rapture and his eyes with tears, that pious soul will know what
is here meant by the expression “supreme interest in human welfare.”
Most of us, alarmed at the dangers which beset our lives, distracted
with cares, blinded with desires to secure our own safety, are absorbed
in schemes of personal advantage. Only a few men go apart, ascend
the heights, survey the scene with serene, unselfish eye, and make
discoveries which those engaged in their own selfish pursuits could
never arrive at. But for such, the race of mankind would long ago have
extirpated itself in its mad, blind strife. But for such, it never
would have been discovered that no individual can be safe in welfare
while any other individual is not.
In summing up the life story of Dr. Walker, I ask myself what it is
that has given this man of God such a place in the affection, regard
and sincere esteem of those who know and love and honor him. Is it
mere intellectual ability? Great as is his intellectual strength,
there are many men in his same calling of greater intellect but they
are not known and loved as he is. Is it official station? He holds no
office except that of an humble minister of the gospel. Is it wealth?
Dr. Walker is a poor man. In his case, I believe that the secret lies
in active Christian charity, or what might be called the magnetism of
simple goodness. I need not say that Dr. Walker’s heart is as large
as his brain--that love for humanity is an inwrought element of his
nature. It is manifested in a kindness and regard that keep a silent
record in many hearts; in a hand ever open and ready to help; in one of
the kindest faces ever worn by man, the expression of which is
“A meeting of gentle lights without a name.”
How wide, how manifold is the circle of interests which he has touched!
How many, many minds has he instructed with practical wisdom! How
many lives has he stimulated to wholesome energy! How many young men
gratefully acknowledge him as their teacher and guide! How many aged
people, how many orphans have looked up to him for succor! How many
precious souls have been saved for truth, for righteousness, for
God! His pen never idle, his lips never still, his feet never weary,
what a blessing he has been to his day and generation! In his eyes,
the noblest career is that which is given up to others’ wants. The
successful life is that which is worn out in conflict with wrong and
woe. The only ambition worth following is the ambition to alleviate
human misery and leave the world better--a little better for one’s
having lived in it.
And this, verily, is the greatness which the world at last
acknowledges, confesses, honors--the greatness of goodness. Those
who read this story of Dr. Walker’s life ought, therefore, to be
encouraged, not discouraged, because the greatness of goodness is a
communicable power for the goodness of mankind and, unlike intellectual
power, unlike official station, unlike wealth, may be attained by all.
Let the reader, then, drink from this story inspiration for his best
endeavors, while he thanks God that the achievement in Dr. Walker’s
case has been so large and so effective. The real forces of the world
are not those which science chiefly delights to celebrate, but those
other inward spiritual forces, such as righteousness, justice and
truth, which lie behind the more visible energies, giving them all
the real power that they possess, and guiding them, not blindly, but
intelligently, to rational and beneficent ends.
Transcriber’s Notes:
Archaic spellings have been retained.
Mismatched ending quotes for nested quotes have not been changed.
A number of typographical errors have been corrected silently.
La Grange and LaGrange were normalized to LaGrange.
Normalize old fashioned to old-fashioned.
A notable change involving two characters was made:
Before: “the judicial. The executive”.
After: “the judicial, the executive”.