The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-07-28

OAKLAND, CAL.
Milton when he apostrophises light in
the following strain
Before the sun,
Before the heav'ns, thou vert; and at the
voice
OF God. as with mantle did invest
The rising world of waters dark and deep,
Won from the void and formless Infinite.
In another passage Milton says
And never but in unapproached light,
Dwelt from eternity.
The same great poet speaks of light
as "holy light And more fitting
epithet could not be applied to it.
Darkness, whether physical or spirit
ual, is evermore favorable to evil and
wickedness. The spiritually dark
places of the earth are the habitations
of cruelty, oppression, and various
forms of human misery. Where the
spiritual light Of the Gospel shines in
undimmed splendor, there appear the
holy fruits Of righteousness, happiness,
and peace.
If we have eyes to see, and ears to
hear, nature is constantly teaching us
lessons through parallels. Summer is
especially the season of growth, and in
the phenomena of growth which we
are now beholding in field and orchard
and forest-on every hillside and in
every valley-we have significant Illus
trations of the most important phe-
nomena of our own individual lives. If
man be conscious of spiritual and in
tellectual growth, it matters little what
does or does not befall him externally.
The important thing for everybody
is character, not circumstance. Life
without spiritual growth is scarcel
worth having. True life is growth.
Jesus said he came into the world that
men might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly. Only
through the process of spiritual and
intellectual growth, and in no other
way, can increasing abundance of life
be realized. Now there is an exact
analogy between the grow tn of trees
and plants and flowers, and the growth
of goodness in the soul of man. In
each case two conditions must be full
filed; there must be rootage in soil,
and an openness to influences from
above; nourishment and strength must
be sought and obtained from heaven as
we'll as earth. Neither tree, nor plant,
nor flower will grow BEAUTIFULLY and
vigorously unless, besides assimilatiDg
the elements Of sustenance which it
finds in the soil, it also drinks in light,
and genial warmth, and refreshing
moisture from the upper sky. So is it
with the life of mans spirit. His
virtues and graces must be rooted and
grow in the soil of his ordinary life,
ordinary experiences, and ordinary
duties; but in order that the growth
may be healthful and vigorous, the sun
light of spiritual truth, and refreshing
dews of grace, must descend upon
them from on high. And they do de-
scend upon all souls that are receptive
of their influence. They that seek
find. The spiritual heavens are illum-
mated and warmed by Son of Right
eousness, as the visible heavens are
illumined and warmed by the orb of
day. That Son of Righteousness is
Jesus Christ. He declared himself to
be the Light of the World; and such in
a spiritual sense, he truly is. Nothing
will so surely enlighten, quicken, and
comfort our souls as the streaming
upon them of those rays of truth and
wisdom of which his celestial teachings
and his divine personality are the
blessed source.
To complete our analogy, we must
remind the reader that, although the
processes of cultivation and growth in
the natural world extend over the
whole year, the joy-giving outcome is
seen only in summer or autumn. So
with the culture and growth of our in
dividual characters. Neither in the
physical nor the spiritual world must
we expect fruitage to be continuous.
We must be content if we can discover,
at more or less distantly separated
times in our lives, sure signs that gen.
uine goodness and holiness are actual
growths of our inner being. Let us
have patience with ourselves, as we'll
as with others. And if from time to
time-despite regretable weakne sses
we honestly feel that we are making
spiritual progress, let us thank God,
take courage, and breathe new hope
Christian Life.