This great question, however, of the moral dynamic is, for the moment, not my theme, and its answer is, I doubt not, to be finally reached only by the way of personal experience. Only this is to be said, once more, that one’s self-discipline begins with the discipline of the will. First of all comes the definite resolution to pursue one worthy end of life with singleness of mind and to turn from all that is opposed to it. Given this decision of the will, and there follows the capacity to act. And this search is not in vain, when one determines to make it a universal and an unreserved search, and to recognize the power that is attained as the only possible proof that the right way has been found. Whatever brings with it no sense of supporting, calming, ethical power is not true, and whatever does contribute this power must, at least, have some degree of truth in it. In the future, any philosophy of life which proposes to be more effective than our present philosophy must meet this test. All else leads astray. “_Why is it that we shrink away When death, our friend, draws near some day? We see the shadowy presence stand, But not the gift within the hand! So shrinks from love the human heart As though, like death, love came to part, For where love enters, self must die And life find love its destiny. O death of self! Pass like the night, And waken us from death to light!_” IV. THE CHILDREN OF THIS WORLD ARE WISER THAN THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT IV. THE CHILDREN OF THIS WORLD ARE WISER THAN THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT I do not question the truth of this text, but I cannot fail to observe in it the most familiar defence of worldly wisdom against the spirit of idealism. The objection to idealism which we most commonly hear is this, that it is well enough in theory, but that it does not work in practice; and if it be really true that worldly wisdom and idealism are irreconcilable, then most people must hold to the first. They have to live on this earth, and to deal with life as it is; they must accept the inevitable, even though it costs them a moment of deep regret to abandon their idealism. This world calls for worldly wisdom; another world may be blessed with light--on this stone of stumbling many a life which has already overcome the common temptation of selfishness is still wrecked and lost.