The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-01-03

Abou. two thousand years ago new iuea
dawned upon the world; child was born VINO
grew I'D to be man A short life oil love Oh
purity. OF devotion and self-sacrifce was leu.
II was spoken OF as light. The light sh'nea
IN the darkness. aud the darkness compre-
hended 1t not. The life was over anu 1no
light went out apparently. Ana YET 'n"'
life was the light Of men. That light has
since been spreading over the woria' that
light has eavened and is leavening al hu-
msnity. is tightening every man.
The human divine that led that life and
kindied and elowed with that light wrote no
books. delivered no orations. made no set ser
mons-only he lived and moved and had his
being: son Of man among men; tender.
loving. sympathizing brother and friend IN
sensible to no woe. ready to do good and 20
distribute and OF that beautiful life for years
there was nothing written. The only history
is told in these few simple words. And Mary
kept ali these sayings and pondered them IN
her heart
And when the light was supposed to have
been extinguished. it rose with immortal ei-
fulgence dfused itself all around, made
towards courageous. made weaklings iniiexi-
bic and out Of the mouth Of babes and suck
lings perfected praise 70 the Most High
For years no record was made. DO history
was written. But the divine ideal By
method II its own. neither unduatory nor
corpuscular. impressed itself on the tablets
Of human hearts the image OF the sbsoiuteiY
good and true and beautiful tho microcosm
photographed itself on the soul Of mankind-
mover to be obiterated Martyrs suffered
before the Gospels appeared or st. Isul
wrote. proclaming life and immortality
brought 70 light from Bethlehem and Naza-
reth and Gethsemane. And the light OF that
life ever since has been spreading itself
shining more and more toward the tuliness
Of sacred. high, eternal noon.
The written Gospel and Epstles came on
later BY the help Of heaven human hands
and heads and hearts set themselves to tell
Of the light But the highest efforts Of man
show weakness and error and imperfection
in the way Of truth. And human pens
and tongues have, at best. told the
story imperfectly. Half converted souls have
told but half the truth. and selfish and ambi-
tious souls have wrested it to the destruction
of themselves and others -darkening counsel
by words without knowledge. But the life
that vas to tighten every man has written
itself and It's story in gracious, beauu-
full. uumistakabe colors, frightened by the
sun Of righteousness on gentle, lowly hearts,
as at the beginning. These keep the sayings
and ponder them in their hearts These have
been beacons rejecting the divine light-as
heiographs-al through the darkest ages.
And that light now CLOVIS in multitudes OF
lowly hearts. in happy homes, in peaceful
prosperous communities.
The underground of humanity has done a
noble work. The true history Of the rise and
progress and growth of character has not
been through philosophers and controversies.
and confessions, and articles. but by the force
and momentum and gentle dominion Of the
character Of good. kind, God fearing people,
rs irresistible rs the light and heat Of heaven
in spite of the champions Of faith and so
will character at last triumph. Without the
illustrations of Christian lives what would all
the essays and discourses and logic Of the
world amount %,