Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-09
DREAMS rs. REALITY.

DREAMS rs. REALITY.
For where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also.-MArTHEW Wal.
There is a good deal of charlatanism dis
played by preachers of the gospel, and more
especially by the professional reyivalists, in
the prosecution of their work-a charlatan-
ism that in any other profession would bring
disgrace and contempt both upon the cause
employed to influence people to "join the
army of the Lord" if We may be allowed to
use their own expression, are for the most
part cunning tricks varying with the char
acter and circumstances of the person to
whom the appeal is addressed, and utterly
unworthy of persons protesting to teach.
Take, for instance, the many delineations of
heaven that have been painted in the past,
each picture adapted to tempt the prevail
ing weakness of class. To all it is de-
picted as place paved with gold, enclosed
with wall of sapphire, admission
to which is obtained through gates
of precious stones-a most alluring picture
to those who in this life have allowed their
cupidity to divert their whole energies into
the accumulation of wealth. TO the man
who has to struggle early and late for a bare
subsistence it is enlarged upon as place of
eternal rest, where neither hunger nor thirst
comes, and where one can idle away all
eternity in listless Incidence. To the old
and decrepit the preachers declare that
There's perpetual spring, perpetual youth,
No joint. benumbing cold no scorching heat,
Famine nor age have any being there"
To the bereaved, heaven is place where
those separated here will be united, never
again to part. To the vain it is a place
where all is splendor and beauty, where the
blush Of youth and health mantels every
cheek, and all are clothed in robes of purest
white and faultless fashion. To those
who look upon music as the chief delight in
life, heaven is painted as place where the
millions of the redeemed stand around the
throne drumming their millions of harps
and singing praises to the most high.
The irrational and purely mythical pic
lures of heaven referred to do not inspire
any sensible human being with desire to go
there. A place paved with FURNISHED gold
and surrounded with jewelled walls would
soon become tiresome either to the most de-
PRAYED miser or the most perfect saint.
heaven without employment would soon be-
como a hell of unrest. There would be
nothing attractive in city where oil were of
the same ago, and of the same grade of
beauty, and a place where there was q cease
less vibration of harpstrings and psalm
singing would soon become very pande-
monium from which every soul would fly as
from pestilence.
Tho truth is that heaven ie a place
of which no human soul knows
aught. No one who has ever been there has
returned to picture its glories or describe it's
character. All that we have on which to
base an idea are the yagaries of some
dreamers, nurtured in the ignorance and su-
perstltion of medieval times, who have each
committed to parchment their own con-
ception Of what future state ought to be in
order to suit them. When man in this en-
lightened age stands up in pulpit and tries
to convince men that these dreams are real
tiles he insults the intelligence of his hearers.
He displays the tactics of the 1nountebank
to sell his wares. We csn form very high
conception of the blissful world, but yet it is
mere speculation, and to attempt to make
others accept our theory Of what it is as
reality is unwise, and no man having a sim
core desire to promote the cause of religion
should be guilty of employing such clap trap
devices.
There is reality in religion. A faithful
observance Of the code of morality and broth
erly love taught by Christ makes of men bet
ter neighbors and better citizens. It is not
necessary to inculcate them with supersti-
tons that are wholly irrational in order to
enforce that code. Such course has a con-
trary effect from that desired, for when q
man begins to reason and sees the inconsis-
tencies of part of that which has been
taught him as religion, he is very apt to re-
jeot the whole.
wv Ao'S q "SAo VI oAV4CO w WIG pIS6Cu-
ers of the gospel, given in all sincerity, for
the good of the cause. Do not assert as facts
what you know to be beyond the ken of hu-
man beings. Restrict yourselves
to the incubation of doctrines
that are susceptible of demonstra-
ton. You may have what may appear to
you correct conception of heaven or hell.
If SO, keep it to yourself, but do not try to
convince others that your idea is the correct
one. Inculcate the spirit of brotherly love.
Read the sermon on the mount. In it YOU
will find subject matter for all the sermons
you will ever be called upon to preach.
Treat mysteries and traditions as such, but
do not, for the good of the cause, endeavor
to cram them down the throats of your
hearers as realities capable of demonstra-
ton. Leave the future to take care Of itself
and to explain itself, simply exhorting your
hearers to prepare for it by leading pure
and godly life based upon the golden rule,
and all will be we'll.
RENO COURT MARTIAL,