Telegram-herald., 1891-09-07
By PERSONAL EXAMPLE
Christ Taught His Disciples The
Lesson OF Humility.
1 WILDLY ILLUSTRATED ALLEcORY
wss The washing ef Their Bssst Bxsap-
tifying ths B<nasn< < of ais Ows spirit
aAt Nature "a The Plane OF thsis
karthiy Conalifon.

At the New Church, Rev. George
Henry Dole developed the text, III
then. your Lord and Master, have
washed your feet ye also ought 10
wash one another's eet.'-John xiii,
IL The thread at thought ran as
follows: 1T was custom in bible
times 10 lay off the sandal upon enter
fng a dwelling and wash the foot
sOiled by the dust OF the way. In
households OF the higher order, the at
rention OF unloosing the shoe and bath
hng the feet was committed 10 SER
wants, who were regarded the most
meuial The guest reclined at feast.
hss shoulder near the table. and his
feet inclined away. During the feast
the servant, standing behind the guest.
washed the tired and dusty feet of
the weary traveller with cooling
water. and then. wfping them, rub
bed them with softenlng. restfui oil,
that filled the room with its fragrance.
Thus the weary and footsore trav-
eler was refreshed on his Journey.
The Lord employed this custom
to teach US. by physical example and
yisable representation, what He Ii con-
continually doing for Us spiritually and
what we should do for one another.
The Lord washing the deciples' feet Is
an illustrated aiIegory. The mind has
IT'S feet. feet that tarry at the wayside;
feet that are swift to run TO evil. feet
that stray from the path of life and
wander in byways The feet. the low
eat part OF the body, down in the dust
II 81
Of our lower nature.
The Higher Qualities OF the Mind.
The mind has also a higher nature:
a life proper To the relms of Heaven;
life that throbs in the ETHEREAL at
mOspheres of world close 10 God,
where naught but the glory Of Divine
light and the peace OF n sanctified love
dwell Ii hasa live in harmony with
God and Heaven. proper to the final
home OF the redeemed where all tears
are wiped away. where there is no
more death. nor sorrow, nor crying,
nor any more pain. where the glory of
God doeth tighten and there Is Joy for
ever more But we are not to retire
into the secret chambers of out spirit
uaI nature and detatch our lives from
the world about US. He lives truly
who brings down his higher nature
into his lower and lays its foundation
there Our higher nat e is for
use. Ii rests upon the lower nature,
as our bodies upon the feet The
lower nature. or natural mind. Ia SER
want OF the higher, as the feet are OF
the body. The natural mind Is the in
strument OF the souls progress. The
natural mind has its path OF life TO
travel under the direction of the higher
life. Az TO the natural mind we are
associated with world OF sorrow,
struggles and sin. The pilgrim on the
Heavenward Journey grows weary and
footsore and gathers the dust OF
woridliness. The Lord, continually
from himself refreshens and cleanses
with the water oi life. He washes the
fet sofled by the dust in the path of
feet soiled by the dust in the path OF
freshes by its promises. Without the
knowledges OF God which Christ de-
clared unto US, we are as lost upon a
trackless sea. Without the water OF
truth. lies burdens rest heavily. With
out the conscious heart th-obs OF good
ness and love impaired by His spirit
IN us we trudge along the path OF life
weary, burdened and dusty. But the
Lord continually washes the feet ot
His followers. giving unto them the
peace and cleanliness of His spirit.
..Our natural mind Is under our
control. We are to govern it, impell
st in the path OF duty. as we do our
feet. We thus develope the higher
mind. We have no control over the
life that flows into the body. farther
than IL Is affected by the use which
we make of ft by the body. So also
we have no control over the making
Of our higher nature farther than
what we effect by the use III our
lower nature. The Lord himself
creates the higher nature, the new
heart. as we put our external lower
nature In divine order. Our duty ex,
tends only over the natural life, and
n we VIII rectify that by learning
truths. stunning all evils. and doing
what good we can. the Lord will do
the rest. He that Is washed. needth
not save 10 wash his feet, but IL clean
every whit The Lord washed the
disciples feet tn Illustrate how. by
His acting truth. He. from Himself.
continually washes away the errors
Of the faithful pilgrim OF Heaven. and
bow. by tho love with which He il
tfi<t. ne &tftfu> tfftt ktoattth~ Vat ~
pose that we may be refreshened on
LIES journey
God Loves Manhind.
His ioy r. In giving unto us His bless
ing love. For this purpose He has
created us Low. nursing. cousoling.
Messing love II the only life that is.
All human relations exist that we
may partake Of iss unspeakable 10Y
IN loving one another ~ He has loved
us. We Will find Heaven and the Joy
% the angels when we find the love
of elIow men. when we discover a
tove that throh~ with hallowed peace
IN doing good TO others. Seeking so
fin~< a. sustaining. enduring Joy from
adMayther source. IN but a vain etrug-
ss f0warm our selves by dead embers
npon the souls hearth. n we Join
with the lord IN helpful admiaistra-
vSons 70 iife's weary. dusty. and toll
krx pilgrims. W. will he filled with His
spfrit and mercy, and find that only
life that lives n I, your Lord and
Master. have washed ynnr feet. We
also ouxhs TO wash one snother's
eeet.'~