Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-06-30

invisible.
These words present to US two constrasting q
orders of being and life; the treatment which
these respectively received from Moses and
by implication the reason for this treatment.
OF these two orders, the one is referred to
in the statement that Moses forsook Egypt
not fearing the wrath of the king, and spec.
tally by the words Egypt and its king. The
other. by the statement that he endured as
seeing him who is invisible, as this invisible
one stands in contrast with the king of Egypt
as himself also King over kingdom which
like himself also is invisible. In these two
orders are all men and to them all belong.
We have to do with them and they with US.
The first consists of all that which goes to
make up our earthly life, our time life-our
here and now life. The New Testament sums
it up in the neat phrase ''this world" Is it
a kingdom as was Egypt? Yes, but a king
dom of kingdoms. As our Lord was taken
into an exceeding high mountain and there
in one glance saw all the kingdoms and their
glory, felt all the concentric multitudinous
power of their motivities, so does the ad-
vancing civilization of successive generations
carry men up the mount of vision higher
and higher from which more and ever more
is seen of this world, of its vastness, richness,
power, glory. To us who are here this after
noon, this present life simply for itself means
infinitely more than it can mean for the bar
barian who has not felt the touch of civiliza-
ton, than ii could mean for our rude ances-
tors when the first step forward and upward
was taken. Each division Of it, the physical,
the domestic, the civil, the social, the aesthe-
tic. wakes absorbing ambitions and eager
strivings. The greatest and grandest natures
feel most this denomination-such and so
mighty is the order of things visible.
And what is the invisible? Not simply
that which Is remote in time or space. Mo-
tives purely earthly come from distant objects
and from future ages. The invisible differs
from the visible in its nature and not in its
location. Is then the invisible world the i'm
aginary? Surely he would be a fool who
should deliberately choose illusion instead
of reality. Truth, reality, must merit and
win. He will 60 under and perish who substi-
tutes q dream for fact. The invisible is the
spiritual. Its realm, it's sphere is the person.
al, the vast whole of personal, rational, NOR
tai. immortal being and life. 1t is in us; we
are in it. We are conscious of this. We
express this consciousness as often Is we each
say II" myself" The law of this kingdom
is the law of conscience-a law which invests
us, pervades US. holds Us, masters us, which
leaves us never and nowhere, will not leave
us in time or eternity, law which we own
even when we refuse to own it. What means
our power to think of eternity, infnity. God,
our utter lack of power not to think of the
infinite Cause and Ground and Controller of
the universe? The invisible is the mystic
of spirits, the infinite and the finite, of spirit
ual powers, relationship, fellow ship, advance
ments and achievements, of spiritual riches,
and honors and denominations and glories, of
mortal worth and wealth, of truth. righteous
ness, grace, mercy, peace. love, undying
love, eternal life. 1t 10 kingdom with q
king, invisible he yet has become visible
"became flesh and dwelt among us"-he has
been, and heard, and handled. He who came
down to as out of the heavens that he might
lift US up into the heavens-"Head over all
things to the church." This is he even whom
Moses saw, for in the very verse which pre-
cedes our text we read that he ''esteemed the
reproach of Christ greater riches than the
treasures of Egypt"
The treatment which these two realms re-
spectively received from Moses appears in
the fact that his regard for the invisible led
him to forsake Egypt and to flight it out on
that line" though il took forty years. This
present life, this world, its interests. motives,
ambitions, strivings are subordinate to spirit
ual being and forces and laws. When the
two tend not the same way the former must
yield to the latter rule at whatever cost. The
life Of Moses asserts this, so does Christs
life, so does Paul's, so does and must every
christians. nay, the life of every man in so
far as he is truly q man. This goes very
squarely against the theory that says steer
clear Of all other worldness, care for the
forces only of this world while you are in it;
if you ever find yourself in another world it
will-be time enough then to care for that
world. just as squarely is it against the
theory that says honor and respect religion,
attend wor.hip read the bible. for in so doing
you command respect. support good order,
prosper better in your profession and busi-
ness and are helped to success. This puts
the visible first and subordinates the invisi-
Bile. No more friendly is it to the theory
which bids rs keep the two kingdoms well
apart, to have an impossible wal or gulf be-
tween religion and business. to give each its
time and place. but never let them mix. Nor
finally has ii any kinship with that mock
piety which would annhilate the earthly life
in hope of being thus very religious, -
though this were not Gods world, Christ's
world; as though every normal form of life,
and all progress in science, art, business and
civilization were not copgentai to christian
ity and could not constitute christian ser
vice! The reason Why Moses treated thus
the two realms of life 70 found in it, very
nature. The present is only an Instrumental
life, in the essence temporary-intended and
flesed to be merely . scadolding for the rear
ing Of = solid substance which shall stand
even alfer the heavens themselves shall have
been rolled together - scroll. and the earth
and all that il in il shall have vanished. Life
here = tr,ining school 70 develop character
and mortal worth. What shame to care