The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-05-24
POEM.
READ BY ASA II. sroDDARD AT THE SPIRITUAL
Isl CONVENTION, MAY 12, 1878.

How Oft amid the tangled maze
OF life's mysterious winding ways,
Perplexed, in doubt, we hating stand,
Like travellers in an unknown land
Looking for landmarks, light or star
To guide our footsteps from afar.
Have we been cast upon the sea
OF life's even.ful destiny,
Without compass, chart or guide,
To point US DER its unknown tide
And lead us to some friendly shore,
Where doubt and darkness are no more?
Is there haven East or West,
Where weary mariners may rest ?
And is this ever active mind
For immortality designed,
Or is it destined to grave
Beneath oblivion's gloomy wave?
Where is the mind that has not brought
These questions home for serious thought .
And in our eagerness to know,
Why we are here, and where we go,
Reason too oft is set aside.
It's promptings sighted or denied,
And ever prone to superstition
We take the teachings OF tradition,
Founding the faith that we receive
On what our fathers did believe.
Thus oft in search Of truth fear
We look too far for what Is near
To some far off uncertain light
To show US what is wrong or right.
There is a monitor within.
Hushed but by selfshness and sin,
A finger point that marks the way
From which cur feet should never stray;
A better guide if we will look,
Than mitered bishop, creed or book;
A chart that natures God designed
To be guide to all mankind;
Not written In an unknown hand,
That few or none can understand,
Not mysterious record sealed,
BY learned priest to be revealed,
But speaks in accents low but clear
To all who lend listening ear
OF course l understand full we'll
This guide is not infallible;
But for my guidance Nature gave 1t
And | will use, but not enslave it;
But go engrossed the unthinkng world
By passions tempest tossed and whirled,
That still small voice, that quiet word
Passes unheeded or unheard.
Then take the bibles Of the ages
The records OF their saints and sages-
And we may learn from all OF these,
II like the ever active bees
We Gull their sweets and then again,
Reject the errors they contain,
Thus from our bible we may draw
Pure principles Of moral law
The noblest lessons OF their kind
Ever revealed to human mind.
Especially would l recount
Christs glorious sermon on the mount;
The golden rule To others do
AS you would have then do to you,'
A rule if every where applied
We'd scarce need other law beside.
But perceive, or think gee,
The various parts do not agree.
How shall reconcile the plan,
The teachings of the son OF man,
With those dark deeds OF blood and crime
Commanded in the olden time;
And was this Christ the very God
That once on Sinai's summit trod
And gave this record Of his will
To Israels tribes, " Thou shalt not kill"
And then go quickly abrogated
That law as in the record stated,
For soon there came Thus saith the Lord,
Let every man gird on his sword,
Go through the camp from gate to gate,
And each, oh horrid to relate
AS an expression OF Gods will
His neighbor and his brother kill,
And as the records clearly say,
Three thousand men were slain that day
For worshipping as We are told,
A calf that Aaron made OF gold.
Had God 30 soon detected flaws
And changed the tenor Of his laws?
II this be SO, how can we trust
A God caprcious and unjust?
Presumption to my mind is strong,
That here the record must be wrong;
But must we with the jewels take
Rubbish. and all for bibles sake,
Or should we cast the gold away
Because of dross IN which 1t lay?
Let US accept as moral food
Its truths and use them for our good
Truths that humanity has blessed
And leave to bigots all the rest.
T'is said must accept the whole,
AS sacred truth infallible,
From Genesis to Revelation,
Written by Gods own inspiration.
And that by fa,h must believe
What otherwise / can't receive.
But whence ! ask IN common sense
Comes faith ercept from euidence?
Then how can believe the tale
About old Jonah and the whale
Allow me in this dissertation .fr r
To give a simple illustration
A highly valued friend OF mine,
Invites me home with him to dine;
A chicken is presented there ..t
And constitutes the bill OF fare.
Cooked head and entruls, foot and feather
Az nature made 1T, all together.
turn Disguised in my seat,
My stomach heaves, cannot eat.
Aye; says my friend, and what's the matter
That puts your stomach in futter?
Are you not fond of chicken meat?
Take hold pray and freely eat.
am. say. am we'll coptented