Ian McLaren.

Te Aroha News, 10 March 1898, Page 2

lan McLaren .

‘ lan McLaren ’ is one of the most popular writers of the day, and we have heard that he is as keen* a business man as Lord Tennyson, in his dealiugs with the publishers. He is also alleged to have written, * The Only Reality,’ I especially you who are plunged into the busy life of our great and are tempted by everything you see, and by most that you hear, to believe that a prosperous trade and hard cash are the realities, and all else mist and dreams, fix this in your mind to begin life with—God is the reality, ' all else is shadow. Do not make it your ambition to get on, but to get up Having food and raiment let us be content. Seek your life’s delight and treasure in thought, in truth,- in true affections, in moderate desires, in a spirit apt on God. These are the realities of our possessions.— lan McLaren, The moral tone of this advice is of the loftiest ; we should like to think it is practical. The moral teachiug of Gnudama Buddha was grand, although his metaphysics were questionable, aud held a great part of i the Eastern world captive for centuries; but it is no longer progressive but enfeebled and decadent. It was altogether moral and peaceable, and while worthy of our deepest admiration and wonder, Buddhism is certainly not worthy of our imitation. The object ;of Buddhism was to acquire that ; knowledge which should deliver men from the miseries attending existence * Having food and raiment let us be content.’ As a nation and as individuals we are bidden to be content so long as we have food and raiment What, we are inclined to ask, would become of England and the colonies if they followed lan McLaren and his school’s advice. Discontent perpetual unending striving to improve their condition, mentally, morally, physically is the secret of an expanding mmoflVgreatness. lan McLaren belongs to the price cumPerjsh - India ’ school? 'The. broad principles of Christianity freed fronf the encrustations of tradition are potent factors in moulding the destinies of the nations—the spirit of eharity

—which means universal love —is slowly but surely informing the whole world. There is vastly more real equality and real fraternity among men nowadays. The irrepressible go aheadedness of the great Christian nations in acquiring and opening up new markets is having the effect of bringing the peoples of the earth, white, blaek, and yellow, together and establishing that comity of nations which has been so long the dream of good men of all nationalities. For in the dealings of nations we are assured that truth will prevail over falsehood —of the survival, in other words, of the fittest, as being most in accordance with the laws of God’s universe.