New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-28
PENTECOST
made Odious


nineteen centuries ago when the fishermen,
tax-sathcrcrs and pubicans who had followed
the carpenters son Jesus before He was cruel
fed Gan ignorant, needy, dsreDutabo crowd
in the eyes of the upper classes Of jews were
together in one place, waiting for some intima-
ton as to what they should do in the future;
and when, as we are told a mysterious and
hitherto unknown power suddenly came to
them; something which no education nor force
of intellect ever gained for any man; a swift,
positive apprehension of the Truth, the Good
underlying all things, and a'faith III 1t; and
power, too to bring that Truth home. to the
minds of other men.
The only possible use to US nowadays IN
observing such religious anniversaries as this
of to-day is to find out how the events which
are said to have happened on them concern
ourselves. What, for instance, does this so
called descent of the Holy Ghost" on these
illiterate Jews mean to each of us going about
our business in New-YOrk to-day 2 That the
occurrence on this day of Pentccost, whatever
was its nature, was an actual. and supreme
crisis in the life CT each of these men, there
can be no doubt. Before this time, so far as
we can see, they were very commonplace Jews
of the lower grades; self-seekng, avariciOus,
petty in their ideas and aims. The best one
among them, he whom Jesus chose as a com.
panion, fled from Him on His arrest; the one
with boldest and most marked character denied
all knowledge of Him with oaths and after his
death went Immediately to his seines and fish
ing again. But after this day, without a single
exception, they gave. themselves up to lives of
heroic sacrifice such as the world never has
equaled there was no danger which they did
not dare no disgrace, no ignominy. no torture
which they did not bear, dying martyrs at tie
end and avowedly doing this by the strength
which came to them on that day. Neither can
there be any question that the gift of this mys-
tcrous power to these twelve men was also "A
crisis in the worlds history. Tho truth which
they set out to teach that day has altered the
development of every race to which it has
come, making it more honest, virtuous, just
and merciful. 1t was practically the dawn of
moral daylight in the world.
These are the historical facts. If any one of
our readers is uncertain about them, let him
trace up his own family until it ends in some
savage Goth or Brton wrapped in skins and
sacrificing his prisoners on Druidcal affairs,
and he will begin to see what Christianity
Holy Ghost, or Truth, or idea which the old
chroniclers figured as tongues Of flame, has
burned out good deal OF. evil already from
humanity But how about individuals-Our-
selves Is it possible, now, on this present
May morning, III shop or Office of New York,
for that mysterious power or change of nature,
call it what you please, which came to the
Apostles and out of coarse human material
made them martyrs, saints and propagandists
of the religion of unseishness,-to come to
one of us Other things we know how to get
Money can be worked for knowledge, comforts,
reputation have their known price which
man can pay experience and hard sense come
from friction with the world. But there is
something beyond these; an influence which
some time in every mans life approaches him !;
an intangible force which if he will comes into
his nature and which is not Imagination, nor
reason, nor any other mental process 1t shows
itself by high, calm faith in God and in His
order and right as holding all the disorder in
Justice, sickness and death which bewilder us
in it, just as the calm infinite, sunlighted space
holds the iunquiet stormy world 1t is a some
thing for which Darwin or Huxley could find
no name or definition n strength apparently
without any cause. Yet every day in the com
monplace life of common people we see it
make weak men smile TRANQUILITY at pain which
is killing them, and silly women resist fierce
temptations which takeshold of every part of
their character. We see it acting against
worldly prudence and against nature influenc-
ing selfish men To work to their own disadvan-
tagc the thief to be honest, the libertine To be
vrtu0us. giving comfort and haDDiness IN the
mourner over the grave of her dead. 1t drags
every man. in spite OF his own will, up and
above himself Is it not "a real thingf