Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-02-04


see not how the great God preparel
to satisfy the heart In the new order o
things. The oracle does not yet emi
any light on the mode oi individua
life. A Thousand negativ,s il utters
clear and strong on all sides but th,
sacred affirmative il hides "a the deep
est abyss"
This is a clear statement 6f the stu
alton, but Mr. Emerson's hea oil th,
way out OF it, net such as other mer
have conjecturcd, is, from this poin'
of view, the true way, the way Of thu
strongest and wiBest amongus, equally
the way of nature and The way O
God. He has struck the vital princi
pie of the new religion when he sayi
that eve are in 8 Vsnsition from ths
worship of tllc fathegswhieh enshrined
the law in private and persona
history, to.a worship which recognizes
the true eternity ofthe law, its presence
to you and me, its equal energy in
what is called sacred history "The
next age will BEHOLD God in the ethical
laws and regard natural history
private fortunes and politics, not for
themselves, as we have done, but
as illustrations Of those laws, of that
beatitude and law This is looking
closely into our current lie, but Mr.
Emerson soes still imthera good omen
in the expansive humanity OF to-day
since "it seeks to finh in every nation
and creed, the unpenshable doctrines, =
see that sensiblemon and conseien-
tious men all over the world are Of
one religion, n,-therolgion OF well-doing
and daring, men Of sturdy truth, men
of integrity and feeling for others.
My inference i that there is state
ment of religion which possibly makes
all skepticism absurd" He thinks the
charm Of the study OF religion is "in
finding the agreements and Identities
in all the religions of men," and this
is the essential thing he looks for in q
theologian, that "he shall be broad in
his sympathies-ntt to allow himself
TO be excluded fom any church" J."
Then he has goneto the very roots Of
religion in his staement that "all posi-
tive rules, ceremonial, ecclesiastical,
distinctions of rfe or person, are
perishable,n that only those distinc-
tions hold which are in the nature of
things not matters OF positive ordi.
nance He pieces TO the heart Of
Christianity, when he says that il
"taught the capacity, the element to
love the All-perilct without stingy
bargain for personal happiness" Then
the clergy have a lit ofwarning. They
"are always in Danger Of becoming
wards and pensioners of the so called
producing classes. Their first duty is
self possession founded on knowledge.
Then there is an,ther CLEAN of light.
Mr.. Emerson says TO the preacher OF
today "Let him value his talent as a
door into nature. Let him see his per.
formance only as limitations. Then,
over all let him value the sensibility
that receives. that loves. that daras,
that aifirms. and further words are
golden; "Spe,k the affirmative; en-
phasize yourGoice by utterly ignoring
of all that Tou reject, seeing that
opinions are temporary, but convic-
tions uniform and eternal-"seeing
that sentimelt never loses Its pathos
or its persuasi,n, but is youthful after
thousand yeas" He goes for the
underlying strolgth which is expressed
not in talent, but in tone, in coun-
selling the pung preacher, thus
"When there il any difference felt be-
tween the fooboard of the pulpit and
the floor of TIN parlor, you have not
yet said that which you should say"
This reminds pne Of Sidney Smiths
saying, that"a ,ulpit is a platform Just
three feet abov contradiction" Then
he stands liketh strongest Puritan
for the integrity OF Sunday 81 should
say boldly thatve should be astonished
every day by beam out of eternity ;
retire n momelt to the grand secret
We carry in our bosom of inspiration
from heaven. But, certainly, on this
seventh, let us be children of liberty,
Of reason, qf h4pei refresh the senti-
ments think as spirits think who be-
long to the universe, whilst our feet
walk the streets Of little town, and
our hands work in snail knot OF
affairs.n He cbsea this temarkable
essay with slntence which is the
summary Of llthat can be done for
men in tho new ge which we are near
ing "The open ecret Of the world is
the art OF snblfning private soul
with inspirationI from the great and
public and Divine Sonl from which we
live" Now protssed religlonists may
turn away IRON this statement Of the
sentiments and ethlcal forces which
are working in he permanent life Of
men, and say thal it Is too Emersonian
to be real, too ieal for practical life !;
it certainly is SOMEWHAT fragmentary |;
but all great mengrasp truth by frag-
ments, and Mr. Emerson is no excep.
tion. What attrcts attention to the
essay, what give emphasis to these
fragments Of outlook, is that they in.
dicato the benefit 4 things for the now
religious day by nc OF the subtlest
thinkers Of our tinb. They are con-
servative opinionshY one who has
always been countd a radical, they
show the polarity ofa great mind to
the central things which constitute
the cthetics OF all the religion. They
furnish no system ;but they indicate
the spirit, the directpn, the force, the
living power, by which men are TO be
held TO the kindredduties of heaven
and home in this hpl the coming ago.
Ralph Waldo 1nsson has done no
better service to iclgious truth, in his
long and couragUuI life, than in the
words which we have shaped into a
slightly formal shtkment Of his view
Of the religious sluition.
- e------
SERMON ENoUa FOR SuNDAY.--A
little shoeblack calod al the residence Of
a clergyman in Ito city and solicited
a piece Of bread AID some water. The
servant was direcnh to give iho child
bread from the crnmb basket, and as
the little fellow was walking slowly
away and sitting tlic gift between his
fingers for a piece large enough to
chew, the minister tailed him back and