Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-13


him." and some of them, "It thundered. 7"
1t is the same service and the same sermon
after which some 60 away touched and
helped, and others go away unhelped. L
suppose that the dullest sermon that was
ever preached helped somebody-helped
somebody who was ready to be helped. 1t
is the same sacrament from which some
carry away q blessed and strengthening
presence in their hearts. and some carry
away nothing at all, except a sense of
separation between God and them. So 1t is
said, "The pure in heart shall see God, !"
for only the pure can see God. The old
legends told how the star Of the Epiphany,
after its task of guiding was done, fell into
well, where it may be seen to-day, but
only by the pure hearted. Only the pure
hearted may behold the stars of God, may
hear the voice of God. 1t isn't that the
stars Of truth are not visible, or that the
voice of truth is not audible, it is only that
there is an impediment of the spiritual
senses 1t was strange that star which
everybody saw was really seen only by three
or four. But you see that that was one of
those strange things which happen every
day.
Certain sentences of Holy Scripture flash
up into new light under the illumination
of universal truth, that the difference be-
tween observation and recognition, between
looking on and looking in, is mainly diff
ference between men. If we would see any,
thing-this is the principle-we must have
in us the faculty of seeing. One of the SEN
tences which 1 have in mind is this:
Spiritual things are spiritually discerned."
Another is this: 'If any man shall do His
will, he shall know of the doctrine whether
1t be of God" You see that these are
simply statements on the spiritual side of
this universal truth, that sight depends
upon the seer.
If the revelation, the message, the gospel
of the Christian religion, which is to some
so blessedly full of comfort and joy and
peace and spiritual satisfaction unspeakable,
does not touch you, does not commend itself
to you as true, does not bring any of its
blessed peace and rest, of its sufficient an
swer, into your lite, if to you the Star of
Bethlehem is but common and unmeaning
star among the multitudes Of heaven, and
Christ but common man, wholly human
and not divine at all, among the multitudes
of earth, you must confess that there is at
least possibility that the blindness is in
you. You may be only an observer, lacking
the grace of recognition.
We do well to call those Epiphany pill
grims the wise men. Here is precisely the
distinction between wise man and an un-
wise man. The wise man sees, recognizes.
SPIRITUAL RECOGNITION,
Now, what made the wise men recognize
the star? How came they, in blind world,
to see? We want to know the answer to
these questions, because the answer is the
secret of the grace of recognition.
There are two answers, having verv much
the same meaning, and each embodied by
the Master in q short word. One answer is
centered in the word seek" the other in
the word watch" The wise men here saw,
because they watched and sought. Nobody
else saw, because nobody else was either
seeking or watching.
The wise men, we cannot help believing,
were looking for that star. The old tradi-
ton which shows them studying the prophe-
cieS of Balaam and Daniel, pOndering the
meaning Of the promise of the star, and |
the sky, night after night, for its |
old legend has heart of |
truth IN 1t. The wise men recognized the |
star because they were seeking and watching
for it. They were ready for the sight
For watching and seeking result in readi- |
ness, and the reward of readiness is recog- |
1ition.
If we would behold new stars of truth in
he sky Of God, we must be ready. God is
always revealing truth, but we are not |
always attentive to His views; we are not |
always ready. Sometimes the revelation
comes in language we do not understand. |
We ought long ago to have learned that
language, but we have been idle over our
lessons, and when the revelation comes we pay
The inevitable penalty, of not understanding
i. The highest revelations Of God are like
he profoundest books-only they are heIped
who can read them intelligently. [ know
men who date the real beginning of their
Intellectual and spiritual lives to the read.
ng of two books: The sermons of Fred
rick Robertson and the poems of Robert
Browning. These books have actually re-
these men. They rose up from
eading them, and, for the first time, saw.
But we do not put these helpful books into
he Sunday school library. Why not? Be-
ause we know that they would do the bows
md girls no good at all. The bows and girls
lave not yet learned the intellectual Ian
ruage in which these books are written,
They helped the men, because the men were
eady. Recognition waits upon readiness.
Spiritual recognition waits upon spiritual
eadiness
Make yourself spiritually ready. Seek
he revelation of truth along the path of
ally duty. Keep your eyes and your heart
pen and sensitive to all higher influences.
Put yourself in the way of the surest Chris
ian teaching you can find. Live among
be saints; study the Christian Scriptures as
be wise men studied the sky; do the nearest
ask; follow the clearest religious light
-hich you can see, and ''you shall find"
;hrist said so. You may trust Him. What
yer Of truth you need to know, you shall
now. GEORGE HODGES.