Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-10-12
Love Better Than Logic.

The arguments by which we climb to the |
knowledge of the Infinite Spirit are noun
tains that separate us from any relation with
him of child-like prayer aud mutual love +;
but trustful faith can say TO these noun
tains, BE ye removed, and be ye cast into
the sea-" and it shall be done. Have you
ever pondered that dark mystery of human
nature, the origin of the frightful idolatries
of India 2 1t seems to be proved that they
have their beginning, not through develop
ment from some form of fetishism, baser
and coarser still, but by degradation from
the most refined and abstract speculations
on the infnity, the spirituality, and the
immutabiity of Cod the fact is one that
blocks the way of recent science in some of
its most interesting tendencies. No subtler
metaphysics is taught to-day in the lecture
rooms of Cambridge and New Haven than
was taught long centuries ago by Hindoo
sages, who enthroned their divinity in ever
lasting, impassive repose, far beyond the
reach of affection, sympathy, or prayer, until
the needy millions cried out, sitting, famish-
ing, "Give us a God to love, to worship, to
pray to - and, for lack of answer, betook
them to the forest, or the quarry, or the
mine, to the carver, and the smith, and
made them gods that were no gods. So little
can argument of philosophy hold us back,
you and me, at such time as this, when
| the stress of life comes down upon us, and
the cravings of the soul grew strong! | am
bringing to the altar of God my Offering
my poor little Offering of thankfulness and
prayer. Here have | my little bundle of
anxieties, cares, troubles,-it may be the
concerns and anxeties of a nation, shudder-
| ing in fear and sorrow; it may be the dis
tress and terror of some sorely afflicted little
household; it may be the secret bitterness
of some humble and contrite spirit,-in any
case, matter how infinitely small when
measured by the scale of immensity and
eternity; but, oh, how great thing to me
And there meets me, in the way, a philoso
pher. "And what forsooth, have you
there2 Show it me now" Aud | unrol
before him my little bundle of griefs, Of
cares, of pains, of sicknesses, of fears, oi
forebodings,-a handful of myrrh from
troubled heart, sprig of frankincense from
grateful spirit. "And this, then, is what
you would bring to lay before the Infinite
able Godl" Aud each great title strikes
my heart with Encouragement and dread
"This is what you would bring to him il
prayer and depreciation But do you moi
know that all this is part of perfect system
that it is all fixed by laws of nature
which no prayer can change or suspend
without upsetting the constitution of tht
universe2 You would lay before God youl
wretched plight to move his pity. Tush
did he not know all t.iis !shundred Thousand
years ago, ere ever the earth was ?" And
cannot gainsay him, and | will not cease u
pray. But, by and by, the philosopher him
self comes face to face with some of tn
overwhelming things in human life ant
human death. He hangs with tears ant
I wringing of hands over some cradleful o
childish anguish, and shrinks before wha
the laws of nature, the system of the uni
verse, are doing,-so pitiless, SO deaf t
prayer, so blind to agony; and he turn
! away and cries, "My God, my God" An'
) his reason is not one whit the less true, be
2 cause his love and faith are also true AM
5 strong. The awful wonder of Gods un
changeable infnity abides but out of clou'
! and darkness breaks forth, oh, what light o
5 fatherly love l-Leonard w. Bacon, d. ID.