New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-17

seIf and above misery and death, and comes
near to God and departs from him no more
forever.
Through the whole Bible it is curious to
mark how Nature became vocal with the ut
teranccs of God to his chosen people The Old
Jew in trouble did not shut himself up In his
house. but went out and laid his mouth upon
the ground he did not argue about his creed,
but made it real to himself by sacrifices OF
his cattle and first-fruits he did not go to
prayer-mectings, but walked apart in the fields
mt eyentide questioning his own SOUL The
prophets dwct in wildcrnesses; they evi-
IDENTITY were men abuormally sensitive to Ma
lures voice or handling; it was after the
storm and the wllirlwind that they heard
the still small voice; it was IN the
snow and winds OF the great nights OF III
banus that the prophetic words were given to
them which have carried hope through all ages.
One Hebrew poet has furnished hymns Tor the
whole jewish and Christian Church; but 1t is
the earth prasing God through them winch
gives them their immortal force. One psalm
alone, rs Humboldt noted, is q complete cos
mos Oh them all the wind blows, the singer
lies down in green pastures, or watches the
heavens declare the glory OF God.
Our system of worship now is different. we
approach our maker in crowds, through ser
mons and prayers under roof, bunch OF
flowers on the pulpit the nearest connection
between religion and Nature. Our religion Is
largely doctrinal; we depend on logic, not
emotion for its support, or il an appeal to our
emotional nature is attempted at all 1t Is
through music, color, or ceremony In the
churches. The earth is no more living crea-
ture to us, through which God will speak if
we will listen, but collection Of molecules.
We shall all 90 to the mountains or sea in a
few weeks, not like the Jews to question our
own souls, but for salt bathing or to look for
game or indications of coal. All these things
ought we to do, but not to leave the other
undone. In church sometimes, let Ills confess,
the Lord and giver of life is hard to be
reached; the crowd Especially well dressed
crowd) the mood of the preacher unlike our
own, q thousand Earring memories ont OF the
week perplex us. In town are display, the
love of money, countless human beings at war
with each other and with Him. What if we
should go out into the Countrywide church
which God has built!
Giants and gods are gone long ago; even
mighty Isis il known only by the wind-blossom
which the jersey farmer cuts with his plow,
and calls, not knowing why, Pasch flower. But
overhead, as IN creations day, still are found
the sweets influences of the Pleiades and the
bands of Orion are loosed; the rain is over and
gone; the tender grapes give good smell;
the time of the singing of birds has come;
here is the same south wind that quoted the
earth when Job was living. These things full
fill His word age after age, without haste and
without rest. We remember reyerently how
the Master led His disciples to field and sea
and mountain when He would reach them;
how He went into solitary places to bear His
temptation and His pain, and question whether
Nature may not have some comfort for us,
also whether it would not be better to turn
away from even the wisest preacher sometimes
and find Gods message for ourselves in the
sparrOws call or the lilies of the field.