Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-09-12
The Inspiration Of the Christian II,

What is there in human life that ao,.
not pass in the mystical? In phys; os,
life you have not solved the prob]ems
of its quality and %causation when yon
have proved laws of force and cbemn;Sss1
try and grayitation and electricity; von
have demonstrated its modes. All nbivs'
ical analysis run up into mysticism
the inscrutable mystery of %life-thst
which causes the operation of all law,
which causes motion, and growth
and assimilation, and function. It is .
mystery of vital causation, as great and
as inscrutable as the indwelling of ths
Spirit of God in the soul of q man. caus'
ing his religious vitality, and motion.
and growth.
Ortake the analogy of human relation.
ships. We are all familiar with the in.
tluence of man upon another-bov
friend OF lover enters into the affections
takes possession of them, and throuoh
these changes our character and rne,
our life. 1t is our commonest eyneri.
ence of the powerof life. And vet how
utterly it refuses to lend itself to apalv. |
sis. This mystery of human inspiration
is an indwelling that is utterly inscrut. |
able. +. So.
81 will come in and sup with him."
is this a mere figure of speech? Does It
mean no more than the suasive, sympa.
tnetic influence of man upon man? Isit
to be specifically interpreted as the mere
influence of teaching or example? Of
course Christ does influence us in this
way; His words of divine truth do in.
tluence our thought. His example Of
peerless holiness does influence our
heart, Just as those of any good man
might do.
But is this all that is meant bv
Christ's indwelling? This would not
be a sufficient explanation of the life of
a vegetable or an animal. Is the spiritu. |
al lite of the soul SO inferior a thing that
so contemptuous an explanation Of it
suflices? Is it not the probability that
it follows the analogy of the lower do
main of physical life? Can we con-
ceive of life, in any form of it, as self.
caused? Is not all life God quickened2
"a mystic product of some divine fome
that we "a neither explain nor deny?
Is not my spiritual natuse a witnesA\
What is my susceptibility to divine
~quickening? What is my %capabilityd
religious thought and feeling? han
a religious character that [ can neither
destroy nor ignore. And when Christ
tells me that the Spirit God speaks TO
this nature OF mine, quickens it, enters
it, dwells in it, all that's in me responds
l feel the harmony and the precious.
ness of the assurance, and its truths
%attested by my consciousness. A new
life is unquestionably produced within
me, and is not this the most rational er
PLANTATION of it?
This, then, is the fundamentd
thought, the great and blessed secretd
a mans religious life-"Christ in you
the hope of glory" 1t is o conscious.
ness in religious life which is full of in.
spiration, the source of all that is great.
est in its achievements, of all that il
most blessed in experience. So Chris
tan men gloriously struggle in the bat
tie with evil, patiently bear with Gods
processes of discipline, triumpbantly
rejoice in their hope of glory. THERE'S
" the higher life," the "witness Of the
Spirit with their spirit" the "peace
that passeth all understanding. keeping
the heart and the mind" the "joy that
is ~unspeakable and full of glory" HE
abideth with you, and shall be in you"
Henry Alon. D. d., IN The Quiver.