The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-16


'nought had done its utmost for man Life was
ssiiia mystery land as Pharaoh said of his dream,
.1ere was none that could interpret it Like
the unoeiieving philosophy of the present life
was study OF the unknownable. Four hundred
years AFTER Periclcs and Phidias and Plato there
n.oou an aitar In Athens to the unknown God.
Inc ca'aioging OF facts is the very meanest sort
VI AHowiedge. It is like making a row of
a"uoies on the sea shore and counting them.
:, ha' does not solve the language OF the waves.
- ~ make collections OF fora and fauna, to
pace forms OF progressive life side by side, to
eAec1 the study OF comparative philology as one
would place straight or crooked sticks side by
sIueii TINS Is knowledge, then let it die. For it
As only an amusement II is only larger ap-
pneauon OF the method of the child VINO says:
nave mere twenty marbles, some are large.
some small, some are colored, soma white"
oucn knowledge for its own sake is not worth
SECURING. 1t is not worth while to learn any,
.nins Oh this sort TO teach ii. To do so would
oe W perpetuate cycle OF absurdities. Socrates
was very wise man, for he learned that all
'iis lett him ignorant. He became q fool in
oFuer 10 become wise, but who was there TO
MAKE him wise? He lacked the crown of
knowledge We must, take it. find some bond
10 connect facts in a rational order, and make
'nein unit God is not known by an enumer-
ation OF the material and shape of Jesus gar
ments. or in the co.or OF His eyes, or in a criti-
cal examination of His organs of speech, to
ascertain why His words should have their
gfaclous erect There must be for you and me
some power able to explain the connection of
Phenomena, else there is no incentive to learn
ing. Discipline is the god OF those poor N ortals
VINO have not risen above the idea OF exercise
ior It's own sake The student who trains in q
poat crew gains fine resi- lt from discipline,
Out Is 1t satisfactory result? II 80, then he
niay as wei become professional oarsman.
Ane mine trained to abstract reasoning, and
capable OF subtle distinctions, does that mind
reach a satisfactory result? If so, going about
the world showing up the fallacies OF the Re-
Puoiicen, the Democratic, the Prohibition
parties Is the aim OF the politician: and to be able
10 enumerate all the theories of the atonement
40 the highest object OF theoiogian. Mere intel
iectuaiism-the power to distinguish between
t"ecdle-dee and tweedle-dum-lst us not live
LOT that Nothing ought to be done for the mere
URN Oh doinS-that is prostitution of power
given OF God. Let US not be guilty, as expert
ence shows US 80 many are, of tho selfish intel
ectual lie. The slovenly housewife who sits
Gown 70 read poor novel, to the neglect OF her
hohie ana herself, ID no more irrational in her
way lnan Is the mathematician who solves u
olincult problem in the calculus Just for the
pleasure OF the solution; or the philologist who
wresIies with knotty language to give his
Drain the exniliaration of q gymusstic drill The
herman school itself is called a gymnasium;
yet us nope 1t is not fair description OF the in
teiiectuai processes passed through there. Let
US not repeat the mistake of the Greek civiliza-
tion, and be satisfied in becoming sage. An en-
cyclopedla has no character. 1t is only SO many
POUNDS OF paper and such a quantity. 1t is u
siorehouse OF facts, but moral blank. A nath-
eInatcian also can set before himself as an ideal
the lightning adding machine. He may, but
1ou grant that he Will not, for to become q re-
markably fLe automaton is not to be a man.
The eye OF the scholar must see Jesus, and the
HE OF the scholar must lose itself in love to be
worth living Jesus interprets God in this way:
All that he can give to you. all that He can
teach you, is to be used as use Ny own powers
"a Tree Offering even unto the death, to be
made glorious in service"
For what is the expensive mechanism of the
telescope-its liquidation deep in the earth, its
great tube, its delicate adjustment, its series of
lenses, its great protecting dome? Look in the
tube and nothing appears. All the telescope
needs is light! The slide in the dome is closed !;
open 1t and all heaven comes ini Jesus rent the
dome OF heaven, and the mechanism of knowl-
edge was all glorifedl The Greeks came to
Jesus with the most magnificent endowments
possessed by any race: the finest literature of
the world was theirs; theirs too the brightest
pages of human history; patriots, bards and
sages, the heroes of all ages had lived and toiled
that they might gather up into the perfected
creation OF the ideal mind the offerings of the
years. The instrument was ready, but the rea-
son for its being seemed unsolved; it would see
Jesus, and be- suffused with a radiance that
would make its meaning all divine, anu every
requirement it possessed necessary for its high
est efficiency. Love is the reason for being of
knowledge. Education without the light OF
Christs love is a hollow black tube; the more
1t has cost the greater is the folly OF procuring It.
Job contains a magnificent description of
Gods works, especially fine in its illusions to
the heaven of stars. Thus also ali our schools
set forth the ordered facts of creation. But we
saw now as the ancient said: "Loi these are but
the outskirts OF His ways, and how small q
whisper DO We hear of Him" God must speak
above a whisper, echoed family through His
works. The best knowledge is not an intimation
of TRUTH it is glorious revelation filling the
soul with light. The craving of a right mind is
to have God shining in Il and speaking through
il: to be instinct with love and purpose, and to
know that it acquires and imparts character.
Jesus comes before us to translate into terms
of human experience all the mysterious works
OF God. He taxes of the things of God and
shows them unto us. He makes what is foreign
TO u household thought and a domestic
treasure. The crucifxon of knowledge occurs
when ii is thus made to pulsa:e with the ideas
of Jesus 1t sees itself part of Gods truth,
aud il gives itself TO make God glorious by max
ing men wise. When the knowledge of the
world is in thralldom to the love of God, the OBJ
iect of education will be attained. Jesus still
feels tho profound revolution that
will take place when you and
Jcsusp' Just precisely what He did with His
magnificent knowledge We have to do with our
little attachments. None are too good Tor Him
and for your brother. and all are too precious TO
hoard. The responsibility of education is ire
lnendous. / see il in the churches where men
of trained mind so often faithlessly keep what
they know to themselves, and neglect 10 offer
their best abilities 20 the conduct of religious
society. We have not allowed Jesus to act as
our interpreter, 10 show us how we can put TO
use our trained understandings. When Paul
saw the heavenly light, his very first words
were. Lord. what wilt Thou have me to do?"
He knew that his great requirements were CON
yertcd when ne was converted. Do you serve
God with your body, and run riot with your
mind ut your own sweet will? Paul understood
that his own service must mean something
greater than the service OF Peter He laid all
his wisdom before Jesus. that it might be re-
fined into precious possession
If we see Gods truth Gods beauty and God 3
service IN all learning study is continual reve-
lation. Geometry becomes not a series of end
less lines and sharp angles on which we impale
ourselves, but illusIr atoms OF truth aud law.
The parabolic curve, which we were won't to
name diabolic, will be another example OF the
inclusive sweep of Christs redeeming love, nav
ing is limits we know not in what world. Even
the theory of limits shall not be inglorious. FOR
as the polygon is in cTi bed IN the circle. so shall
we see the angular human life touching the
circle OF the divine perfection OF Jesus; we
shall sec in the MULTIPLICATION OF our duties the
grinding down of our imperiections, aud as the
po!ygon approaches the circle as Its Limit, We,
ever touching Jesus, aud ever coming nearer 10
Him, shall find ourselves growing into the ideal