Page:MyPrayerBookHappinessInGoodness.djvu/23

 quibble about  it  as  we  will,  we  only  love  others  so far  as  we  can  recognize  them  as  ours,  as  belonging to or  connected  with  us  in  some  way. Thus it follows  that  our  love  for  others  is  only  an  extension or overflow  of  our  laudable  self-love. Who then is the  selfish  man? He whose  self-love  is  perverted and feeble,  and  does  not  overflow,  reach  out, extend itself,  and  draw  all  things  into  itself;  whose first thought  thenceforth  is  to  sacrifice  others  to himself,  and  who  corrects  it  only  as  an  afterthought. Who is  the  unselfish  man? He who  does  not,  as the  other,  view  himself  falsely  as  an  isolated  unit, but sees  how  all  others  pertain  to  him,  are  his  in some  sense,  are  fellow  members  of  greater  or  less import, and  who  therefore  finds  his  own  happiness in the  happiness  of  others;  whose  first  thought  is to  sacrifice  himself,  and  who  corrects  it,  if  necessary, only  on  an  afterthought. He whose  self-love  is  true  and  strong,  and  rises  up  high  and overflows and  diffuses  itself  to  whatever  in  any  way pertains to  him;  who,  like  God,  loves  all  things both great  and  small,  just  because  all  things  belong to Him,  and  because  He  loves  Himself  with  an infinite  and  everlasting  love.

"True altruism  or  charity  circles  out  from  self, first,  to  our  God,  and  then  to  His  creatures,  who, through  Him,  are  variously  bound  to  us,  in  due order.  And  the  greater  we  are  in  ourselves,  the more  godlike,  the  intenser  our  rightful  self-love, so  much  the  farther  shall  we  stretch  out  beyond ourselves  with  an  all-enfolding   charity.  For