The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-02
NEW YORK HERALD MONDAY, JUNE 2 l873-TRIPLE SHEET

hospitality, was q poem addressed to fancy and
n MOI me 70 ~ S Rad me ta
read as poetic ioreshadowlngs OF the eternal laws
OF Providence and not as historical facts. The
food In the DESERT the mama that fell from heaven,
the stream that flowed from the smitten rock are
all symbols addressed to the imagination and not
BY the ravens is but bit Of painting. Coming
to the New Testament we find the same Faith
Hope, veneration and Love as the artists. The
cradle, the shepherds looking In at the door. the
angels and the star pausing IN its career over the
little baby, are all so many exquisite poems. the
heart Of man. from Its love OF childhood and It's re-
spect for manly grandeur, sets up that picture for
the world to behold Jesus Is baptized In the Jor.
man. and alone IN the desert he 10 led by mamma
from Heaven. Again, the same Jesus Is on the
Mount OF TRANSPORTATION that no geOgrapher has
ever found or will find, fori Is
POLITICAL MOUNTAIN.
cloud overshadows Him and voice from out
the silver lining says "This is my beloved SON. in
hear the npheavlng OF the earth and see shadOwy
figures walking about in the dusk. and Jesus ap-
Whole story is The last book PROCESSES to be
poem. 1t is full OF signs and shapes OF which the
critic can make nothing. Is not religion itself
poetryii Is not the spirit Of rehglon artY Faith,
Hope, Love, Reverence, Aspiration and Weakness
are the painters. No artist can do ample justice 10
spiritual truths and thoughts. There is no human
power that can tell who, what, or where God ~.
so we have our artist called Imagination to make
an image OF the Divine Thing. We think Him a
own, that dwels outside Of the earth. IL
is a chld's image at best The child pictures
God in the tree tops, the philosopher
every atom OF the universe. The image OF per-
son who Is friend to every man we cannot obllt-
crate. Beautiful works OF art are still works Of
art Our whole belief in prayer Is poetical, and
that which tells US oil an infinite relation between
the Almighty and the human mind IS also poetical.
What 2 picture or hell CnrlStendom has painted
Its demons, lurid CULTS and Its smoke, never dis
PEELED by
THE BREATH OF HEAVEN,
are awful to contemplate. After all 1t Is but mic.
ture. 1t is as II Dante's "lnfernO" were received
in the world on faith. Is It otherwise in dream
OF heaven The social feeling paints 1t as home.
Conceive OF the future as we WILL 1t Is artists.
our freshest Imagination Is but faint outline
sketch. SO we might go on calling every doctrine
O poem addressed to the Imagination. To say that
RELIGION IS POLITICAL
Is to say it is o dream. II 1t were prose the
chemist could put It under his blow-pipe and re-
solve 1t into nothing. AS 1t Is poetica 1t can
change its shape to suit every one. The world is
world OF beauty. It is the wonderful outline OF tie
hills, the bright flashing OF the stars and vhe deli
cate bloom and indescribable fragrance OF the
flowers that make the world what it Is in Sum-
mers day. II we could close the poets eyes or
stop his ears we would not wish to live. IL Is be-
cause the Almighty is an artist that the world Is so
beautiful. We do not expect to see the child give
up his fairy books and begin studying history CT
geology. 1t Is the real world in which the child lives
So with us larger children. We must have our land
OF symbols and imagination Religion does it's best
poetry when 1t makes us dream, lends wings O
our fancy and opens the bOnndless depths OF the
empyrean All work IS venerable, and 1t is this
poetic aspect that makes life tolerabe. The
preacher produces his sermon, appears before his
audience, large or small goes home and prepares
another week after week. The wretched come to
him and he relieves them. II he thinks Of that his
lie seems mOnot0nous and tiresome. When ne lifts
up his heart he finds himself one of the ministers Of
the Father, VINO Is mlnlstering to ali his creatures
See the lawyer bending over all his papers. This
crOss-examining OF
STUPID WITNESSES
Ia tresome and as soon as one case Ia dismissed
to the great Justice that his heart becomes reas
sured. Look ut the physician listening to stories
of misery and want and hearing the complaints o.
people who do not know what their ament is. He
could not live II he did not think OF the crest Ply
sician who appointed him as agent to administer
His remedies. His profession becomes one Of the
grandest in the world. See the merchant bending
over his ledgers Through his endeavors the food
in one quarter Of the world feeds the hungry In
another quarter. He 1t Is that lurthers its distr
button. Life in its prosaic aspect is dun. Change
any occupation into prose and 1t becomes tiresome
Religion makes lie poetic. Rubinstein went to
hear great Brooklyn preacher, and being asked
II he liked it he replied that he didn't. He said
that the minister brought religion down to the
people, when he should take the people up tl
religion.