New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-19

singular after all, when we consider 1T. Inc
wants and thoughts of a man are always the
same they stretch in a long unbrOken thread
from Adam to the poorest newsboy who carries
this paper. The Chaldean on his sandy desert,
or the Monaghan three thousand years ago, felt
that something was amiss in the world which
needed mending, just rs much as the New
Yorker does to-day. He was tormented in the
same way by his own iDcompetency; he felt
himself unjustly baked by circumstances; he
had his remOrseful sDasms of honesty and alfcc-
tion and his long lapses into brutality and sell
fshness, like any poor fellow among ourselves
turning into drinking shop or gambling hell
tonight. He wanted to be pulled up TO
higher level he wanted the world 10 be pulled
up. His vIziers, caiphs or dervishes did not an
swer this demand any better than do our preSi-
dents, kings or clergymen to-day Hence III
all ages humanity has been stretching u It's
hands TO some Invisible Man vino was to appear
and set all things right. Among the Greeks IL
was Apollo, among the Hindoos the warrior
Kushnu, while our own ancestors looked Tor
Odin to come in human shape, Kill the Wolf OF
Evil. and give to the world everlasting summer
and quiet
Oddly enough, the same desire is in every
man now the coming of Christ has not extln-
guished it, simply because we have not all sat
i,iied ourselves that He is the helper we need.
The reader of THE TRIBUNE this morning Qf
be he a thinking creature and not mere
animal satisfied with filling his stomach and
warming his skin from day TO day. must see
that there is much that is wrong in the world
al.rfa InDl
improvements nor even cl arity will suffice TO
set right. Law does not make whit more
human the mass of crime which it shuts up ont
Of sight; charity covers with poor topdressinS
aud transient growth unfath0mablc sterile
depths IN social lite; and what can oil your
machinery or science do to restore single
druuken man or lost woman who shall walk
the streets to-nightg Every man hopes that
the hclD for all this misery and mistake will be
found some dly. II will probably come, he
thinks. foi the world at large in the shape OF
repr blcs abroa and from perfected system or
government here or from increased diffusion
Of know,e &c, forgetting that the larger pro-
portion Of crimina S in our prisons can read or
wIite For HIM self Individually happiness Is
To follow some lucky circumstance which he
predicts, usually the increase of his income.
During tins week which prccedes the ami
veFsary ct the birth OF Jesus, what could each
one of us do better than TO consider whether all
the help which the world needs did not come
INTO it with Ilim2 Political liberty, intelli-
gence, and freedom OF thought have dominated
in ev ~ country, precisely a its citizens ac-
copied and practsed the teachings OF Jesus in
Their purity; while tyranny and ignorance
"A inst in inn
as they substituted petty dogmatism and sell
fishne,s for His broad truths and brothery
charity. Ii is noticeable too that no race nor
religion has ever offered Ills a god or hero
worthy any respect of whom the qualities did
not resemble those fully expressed by the
Saviour The modern rendering of the story
of Saddaftha or Buddha is borrowed IN It's
finest details. even tC his age, from the facts
OF the life of the Nazlrcne Balder was beneii-
cent and just Zoroaster taught chastity and
self denial. Mahomet, temperance and sub
mission; all gods and heroes, moral courage
Just in proportion as they embodied these
truths their teachings have endured. who are
the men among ourselves whom We respect the
most Not the successful candidate OF the
millionaire, but the official who refuses brlbe
the public man wlO has dared to tell the truth,
the physicians, nurses, and poor engineers who
quietly give their lives TO save their follow
men. We don't pay them with rank or money
we leave their families To starve, perhaps, but
secretly we humbly give them homage.
Humanity can imb no higher than this, to he
honest, true, self-sacriicing, and the worst
among us know it. This is the religion of Jesus.
As for a mans individual needs. docs He
meet them That is the essential point after
all The gods of the Romans paid their wor-
shippers with money. Mahomet promised to
his sensual pleasures; certain modern saints are
SAID TO reward the faithful with long lite and
health Our Leader gives none of THESE things
but He lifts his disciple higher than poverty and
disea,e and pain. "What matter what happens
to me 50 that my soul is above itY'