Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-23
THE DISPOSITION TO CLING TO THE EAR1H

THE DISPOSITION TO CLING TO THE EARTH
And its enjoyments; the curved roof of the
Roman was but symbolical of the circle of
Roman possession, but the gothic minister
and cathedrals shoot aspiringly aloft,
disdaining the earth, to mount on splre
and tower to empyrean nights. Sculp-
ture hardly admits of the introduction
of the characteristics that are particularly
Christian. and so sculpture to great extent
remains Pagan. But it is painting and
music that Christian art have taken and
stamped with the impress of its faith. The
Greek had scarcely any painting and but
little music, tie Christian world is rich in
both. And why? Simply because of their
adaptation TO express Christian sentiment
and which the great ones in either depart
ment were quick to perceive, and whether
it be Titan, or Correggio, or Raphael,
Beethoven or Handel, or Mozart, one
characteristic prevades their work and
touches it with suggestion and prophecy,
and does this by introducing background
of beauty and mystery. And here is where
Christianity discriminates itself from
many an ancient belief. Surrender your
selves to these influences and you have in
timations that no pagan ever knew. And
what is the reason? Just because no prep
aration existed in his thought for awaken
ing these convictions. The pagan and the
liberal Christian both emphasize the pres
ent life, out the old pagan idea was of this
life as complete in itself; the true Christian
idea is that this existence is but the initial
stage of never ending development Jesus
came to give life here and hereafter, but
our concern is with the life here, because
just as this is ordered will the future life
appear.
"And what is this background of mystery
of which have spoken but the background
that attends every true relationship of life?
The great writer to whom l have referred
reflects in his ideal greatness the expert
ences of many life of Christian greatness.
Caleb Plummer may be conceived as hav-
ing felt the mystery as he acted upon
his God-given impulse to make his afflicted
daughters crippled existence as happy as
the lot of any princess in the land; the
mystery may be thought to have come to
John Peerybingle as hestood in tender awe
before the little form that had come to
bless his home, or wondered hourly at the
happiness and peace his wife dispensed; it
comes to you and me with every
morning and evening kiss, in every birth
that brightens and every death that dark
ems our households. in every trial of pa
tience, in every victory for right. And be-
cause these emotions are Christian, born of
Christian influence, because our hopes of
Heaven and our confidence in God are
based upon a life here in which Heaven
and God can already come and make per-
petual habitation, is why we keep Christ
mas as Christian worshipers.
Jesus came to impart this better life,
that already is or already may be, and his
revelation of the life that Is to come is a
revelation that comes from making this
higher-life homely and homelike now from
finding eternal things in every human
relation, from exhibiting the character of
eternal living in every truthful word and
in every noble act
"And how shall we make good our faith
and pay suitable honor to the master from
whom we have received so much? Shall
we do it if we ring the Christmas bells
And hang the garlands everywhere,
And bid the tapers twinkle fair,
And feast and trolic, and then just go
Back to the same old lives again?
How little we have learned the lesson
of the hour if we catch the inspiration of
no higher duty. The Christmas observ-
ances cannot be limited to single day;
the traits Christmas emphasizes must be-
come the habit of our life; the Christmas
temple must pervade the year, and its
common cheer be the benediction falling
upon every human SOUL"