if
The Desire for Glory,
piration, lot us proceed to analyse it mul
determine in whut it consists. What is
glory ? What do we menu when we desire
it? Most persons hnvo some idea of glory
when they use the word and are conscious
of desiring something that it represents,
hut among the generality of persons is it
not a very vague and undefined notion V
One Unit it would ho very difllcult for
them to express? The literal meaning of
the word glory seems to he splendor or
brightness, us applied to a luminous hody,
as when we speak of the glory of the sun,
ami of the moon, and of the stars. Hut
applying the word to character of the per
son we find that it takes a different signi.
flcation. That is we use it only in a fig.
urative sense. "The mind first conceives
of an admirahle person, charncter or deed,
as invested with an ideal radiance, us
appearing to the imagination and thought
of the beholder to be, brilliant by its ex.
celleuce, as the sun is brilliant by its light,
and then it calls this brilliancy, this idea!
. splendor, glory. And still more remotely
this excellence calls forth from those who
see it expressions of admiration, and we
call thutglorv."
It is, therefore, In regard to a persoiii
either the excellence itself that which
awakens admiration, or tfie expression of
admiration awakened. So then, the root
of true glory is the desert of admiration,
and the blossom or fruit is "the just and
truthful expressions of this mental udmira
tion." In any special case it may be
used with either signification, but both
enter into the complete conception of true
glory. To state the whole ,in short, it is
tnc deserving and the receiving of the
praise of exalted virtue. We then see
that so far as it is simply an instructive
and constitutional desire, it is innocent
and proper. And no one will question
the propriety of desiring to deserve tno
approbation of God and of the good, and
to enjoy the expression of this desire. If
glory is something morally good, to desire
it iutelligcntly and freely must be morally
virtuous and right.
But the question naturally arises, are
wo to desire glory, such a glory as is com
monly sought among mankind? That
appetite for paaise, for celebrity, for the
applause of the world, for a high enroll,
meat and a perpetuated name on the rec
ords of mankind v That which fills our
souls with a perpetual restlessness and
craving. Is it to be cherished or is it lo he
trampled down and if possible destroyed?
It lias produced heroes and statesmen, it
has contributed to the embellishment of
social life and to the elevation of manners
and of civil institutions. But lias it not
urged on many to the commission of the
greatest crimes? "Has it not been the
cause of envy, ambition and hale? Has
it not moved individuals and nations to
wars without necessity or justice?" Is
not the passion for glory judging by its
fruits the very passion of the Arch-angel
fallen, who. deeming it "better to reign in
Hell than serve in Heaven" would sacrifice
the good of all the Universe if he might
elevate himself? In reply to these ques
tions we would say, that the so-called pas
sion for glery impelling some men to
great and good deeds and others to as
great, yet evil works, is evidently an evil
impulse. By the fruits we must decide
the character of the impu.se. But we
moreover say that this reckless passion is
not the true desire for glory but a corrup
tion ai:d a counterfeit.
Not a desire to do anything or to be any
thing for the sake of being virtuous and
good, but the desire of the selfish heart to
gratify itself with adulation, applause and
fame. " It is the desire for distinction for
the sake of superiority over others, for re
nown as in itxelfn good. " Murk then the
difference between false and true glory:
the one consists in being treated as pos
sessed of exalted virtue; the other in pos
sessing it and being treated accordingly
"We say therefore that, what the world
calls glory is a theat and the passion for
it u vice." This selfish desire for re
nown for its own sake has undoubt
edly laid waste the world with wars and
I