The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-11-09
SPIRITUAL RELIGION.

pointed out its rents; at such time, in al
obscure province of the grand Roman EN-
pire, there was born a divine man. HI
came from the poorest class of the people
He was brought up in little country vii
lage, among fishermen, peasants and labor
ers, with whom He passed Lis brief life,
without aid or instruction from the great
and the wise; and SO little had schools
helped him that his neighbors wondered
how He learned to read, living wholly, as
He did, with the most illiterate. -a
Such man had never appeared before,
and none such have been seen since. lie
was so true that nothing false or mean could
stand in His presence; 50 unselfish was He
that every thought and moment of His life
were given. to mankind; SO pure and holy
that He dared to claim oneness with the In
finite Spirit. He saw that men had forgot
ten God, living as though He had with
drawn from the universe. They believed
that God was once living and active, in the
time of their forefathers, and had revealed
Himself then, but they knew not that
there were revelations every day to faithful
souls; that the Holy Spirit had not been ex-
hausted, nor the spring OF inspiration of
the olden time drunk dry. He pronounced
to his fellows the word which men were
longing to hear. God is still alive. His
earth is under your feet; his heaven is over
your head. He takes care of each sparrow,
and has numbered the very hairs of your
head. Justice and goodness, mercy and
religion are not worn out. They are as
fresh in US as they were in the first man.
God is as present in this spot as on Sinai.
He still inspires all who will yield to Him
their hearts. All that Moses or David or
Isaiah had is offered to you. Cast off these
threadbare dogmas and traditions; leave
them, for their work is done. Be your
own Prophet. Donot look back and say
Abraham is our father, but live now and be
better than Abraham. Be child of God,
and use the moment now in your
hands. Set not up for your stand
ard the creeds aud limits of old times,
for here is one greater than Moses, even the
Almighty and Heavenly Father. Wait not
for future heaven; but make it within
you now. Begin your kingdom of the di-
vine life this moment, andas fast as you build
it by obedience to truth, purity and virtue,
the old difficulties and sins will disappear
and little by little youvwill become new
men, children of God, one with the Father.
M ~
none father, save your Father in heaven.
Be one with him; think His thoughts, hear
His word, and do his will. Receive the
truth at first hand from God, and live it
out even as have done, and ye shall over
come the worlo, and and the Father will
dwell with you forever. iI33.g s
Thus he spoke the word for which men
thirsted. and they imbibed it as from the
river of life. They felt its truth to be di-
vine, satisfying the soul. 1t was proclaimed
by one who felt what he said, and lived
what he felt. -''
The priests and leaders of the church,
who dealt in the old, the false and the
dead, sneered at Him, asking in derision,
cart thou greater than our father JacobY"
just as their successors would if He came
even now from the other world, speaking
as He'then spake, and living again as He
lived before. Yes, the divine man would
sit In the church of to-day as they tell us of
the Phidian statue of Olympian J love, which,
majestic and awful In its exquisite beauty,
was seated under roof so low, and within
walls so narrow, that should the statue
rise to its feet, and spread the, arms, it must
demolish the temple, roof and wall. 7aJ ai
Though rulers in church and State
spurned Him and finally shed His blood in
the name of religion, the common people
heard Him gladly. They were swayed to
and fro by his gracious words as the rose
tree in the summer wind. Whatever in
them was deepest truest, and most divine,
throbbed with the mighty pulsations of his
heart. They said, this is indeed that greater
prophet, the desire of all nations. His
word sprang mp, like quick and living seed,
in host of hearts. His spirit passed into
them with light and heat, as the sunInto
the air. Forth into the world went those
willing seedsmen of God, scattering broad
cast with faith and prayer in every land Of
the wide world this precious seed of Gods
truth. 1t grew apace beneath the hot sun
of persecution, moistened well by the dew
that martyrs shed, till, in less, than three
the faith of the man of Nazareth
assembled the Roman throne, and every
pagan temple lay at its feet. H'sl
But this too rapid proselytism was dIsas-
trous. As the number of believers multi
piled until great kingdoms were nominally
in the fold, the quality Of their faith deteri-
grated. A fatal divorce was instituted be-
tween the religious function and the prac-
tical function. Praying and preaching
were made of more importance. than living
and laboring for one another. The dogmas
rapidly quenched the spirit, resulting in a
where the people and nations
profess Christ but having
neither their public equity nor private con-
science ruled by his word. Hence we hear
so little, from the pulpit, of the real doc
trines of Jesus, divine life on tie earth,
the value of the present moment, the prac-
teal brotherhood of all men, the supreme
obligation of obedience to the perfect law
Of love to man and love to God, the pres
cnce of the heavenly Father in every faith
full heart, the kingdom Of God Rosc on the
earth. The practice among men now is,
not first the kingdom of God, loved for its
own sake, and all other things secondary,
but first, all other things. and then the
kingdom of God thrown into the bargain
as make-weight, or as twine and paper
are used with parcel Of goods.
Nevertheless. spiritual religion has never
left the world. Nan is, of necessity, relig-
ious, 1t is his deepest want. We cannot
live all for this world. In ev,rv ohur,h snd |