St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-07
Subject Geographically Re-
viewed in the Light Of
Modern Research.
How the Past May BE Eluei-
dated by Incidents of
Today.
Nobody Can Tell All the MyS-
terieS of an Elevated
Mind.

VefSallSt society at the Grand opera
house yesterday morning were assisted
by the st. Anthony hill orchestra, which
made an excellent impression. Rev. w.
S. Vail preached on the conversion of
st. Paul, viewed in the light of modern
research, and, after giving a historical
view. proceeded as follows:
How does tie problem involved in
this experience become connected with
modern Research? 1t is so connected by
the light that modern research throws
on some Of the movements of the mind
under such conditions. What particular
point Is enlightened here? The climax
is made a natural result. How do we
make this natural result when it bears
all the marks of some special outside
miraculous interference?
VIII you take a modern instance and
study 1t in the same way that we may
get light on this older one? Shall we
take that man who today has so large a
share of the public Sympathy-CYruS
Field-and recall the first proposition
made to him regarding the Atlantic
cable? He rejected it and dismissed it
from his mind. Did he dismiss it? To all
visible appearances, yes; but not in re-
alIty. His inner mind worked on that
problem, and he found it asking his at
tentiOn.> That attention was again re-
fused. After awhile, however, it came
to him with new meaning, and he be-
came an advocate, and spent a long dis
couraging time in trying to enlist SYM
pathy before his final success. 1t means
that an idea enters the mind that is so
small we do not know that it is there at
all. 1t secretly grows and is secretly
getting pc session of the field. 1t
SmOthers and Destroys
other ideas, and is silently waiting to
get hearing. 1t surprises in Franklin,
when he wakes up suddenly and finds
that problem which he tried to solve
and surrendered to has solved itself in
some way, and he only sits down now to
work out the result. 1t surprises us in
Stevenson, when he tries to make a
story of a newspaper item and after
wards falls asleep, and, 10. DR.. JeykI
and Mr.. Hyde walk on the stage before
him. His brain has been working Sc
cretly, and, before he knows now it is
done, the idea steps out full-hedged.
That is the first fact. The second lies
in reaction. When we have advocated
20 an extreme we are sure to feel a re-
lax. When we have fought hard
fight and are under disbursement we
are sure to feel cOunter-movement 1t
is the law OF each mans history who
deals with the public. 1t is the law of
every mans personal history. 1t was
the experience of st. Paul. He had
assisted in the stOniug OF st.
Stephen He had seen that step
firm as the soldier who never knew a
fear. He had seen a confident face.
He had heard the dying prayer. And
the scene had become a seed hid in his
heart. 1t had terminated there. 1t
was growing below his ordinary life in
the same way that Mr.. StevenSon's idea
developed below his consciousness.
And then came all that save savage ex-
perience of persecution and
Death in Jerusalem.
He had witnessed the tornado that
tore trees up by the roots, laid build
lngs level to the ground, tore the green
and tangled waters into foam, followed
by the balmy breath of summer air.
He had seen the hand of devastation
the simeon on the desert, the deadly
tornado dealing out destruction in its
cOurse-and now he started on its way
and there came to him for the first time
reaction of sentiment. The feelings
so long turned into one channel
were now turned into another.
Memory brought him the pictures of
of wailing mothers crucifed before the
very eyes Of their children; of white
haired men beaten down by stones. but
never hesitating one moment in their
faith, their faces radiant as if God had
stamped them with a new name. So
OverpOwered was he that his physical
senses were filled with Authorizations.
He saw visions. He heard voices. He
was amazed and abashed. Before his
gaze there came the memory of Stephen.
The reaction had opened a channel: the
idea Of faith and courage touching his
mind when
Stephen Was Stoned
had been growing there; below the sur
face of his life it had terminated and
had been developing; now that reaction
had opened the channel it became the
master of that mind. and from hence
forth he was new man. | know there
is mysterious influence here we may
not explain. Nobody has yet been able
to tell Us all the mysteries of an ele-
waited mind. The eXaltation always has
religious tone. Men like Lincoln and
John Brown naturally take up the
phraseOlogy of the prophet, and their
language becomes religious. We may
let this go as statement of fact without
trying to analyZe it. Aside from this
point where the exalted soul touches
the mystery of the unseen the other
features of this history are all within
the range of ordinary eXplainable ex-
perence.
And then what is the practical lesson?
Like st. Paul. we are all living to eX-
perience. Ideas that we hardly suspect
of an existence may be in our minds
growing, and will be our bane or our
blessing. Like the valley of Chamounix,
our lives are the results of unseen and
unnoticed influences. As we stand III
that valley, and watch the goat climb
ing from erag to crag, the eagle soaring
toward the cloud, the contour of the
the sheets of water falling
in living beauty, song, poem, thing
of life; as we watch the glacier glitter
ing in the sun; the mountain
Caps of snow,
how many of you stop to think of the up
heavals that uplifted this chain of the
silent work of rain and snow; of the
constant changes that are there being
wrought all the time by the busy but
forces; and how many of us
consider the influence of living idea
planted i'll the mind and working there
as a silent sculptor? Fear strikes the
heart of one man in crisis, it spreads
to others; panic ensues. Courage
comes full-fiedged to a man in undying
conviction; he never falters after ward.
He may conseerate new Goigotha, as
did Abraham Lincoln; he may be de-
voted to a single line of art, as was
Palsy; he may be devoted to a single
line of literature. as was CARLYLE; no
matter, if he has heard the call he an
SwerS, and he never Sweryes. The 4
sculptorS have wrought the work. The
idea has nodded the life.
| have limited that we developed a
predOminating idea. and that when that
idea once took possession of us it is
regnant. Let this have consideration.
1t means that the idea influences our