The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-12-29

smoke in some dialect, or ldlom' OF
hroone of the local understanding anu
time But the mind of Christ toucheu
God and shone clear with the lnnnite
reason. His sayings have no faculty.
Of growing old. They are as new now,
as needful. and as true as they were
nineteen centuries ago., ia
At that time the vast splendor ana
bride of heathenism resemDieu III
it's form the ancient Etrurlan
giant who was found during, the
last century near Rome, in one OF the
old tombs that dotted the plains. lie
Law there like the statue OF man.
Golden crown upon his head. golden
armlets and anklets upon the INNS Oh
tbe form, the features all perfect as Id
life: as if living down to slumber at the
sat of sun. He had been showed IN by
the gathered dustmotes of the centur-
les and still remained asleep. Ihey
onened the tomb to the wholesome,
living air and 10, a change! There
was tremor on the giants body, the
limbs ouivere and crumbled, particle
separated from particle and the huge
hndv became dust. So when the
lioht or Gods truth, the breath OF
Gods spirit in the unlettered peasant
moved upon the gigantic power ana
opulence of Paganjsn it crumbled un-
der it like the Etrurian king. For the
POWER OF HIS PRESENCE
WAS more than electric, more than
magnetic-a power like that silent
stream of elemental force that lights
the stars OF heaven with its everlast.
ing torch and rolls the Orbs OF morn
ing and evening on the way.
Christ came. He came to His breth-
rem SO densely sunken in material
things that morally they did not know
their right hand from their left. He
touched the letters and they fell!
The souls of men, walled in by fold on
fold of sodden flesh, thrilled into life
again. His healing touch was full OF
balm. The power that went out from
Him was gracious as the sunshine and
benignant as the day. 1t quickened
the morally dead, purified the living
and kindled the disk of a new morn
ing upon the darkness of the worlds
despair.
Before Him womanhood became
more tender and pure, childhood more
loving, tender and sweet. AT His
look men cast away their fondly
cherished evils as one might an I'M
clean garment, and climbed the lofty
heights of altruism, and met with
death as the bridegroom meets the
bride. He led men up from the hell
of selfishness within themselves to
heart-union with the Father. He
transmitted
THE SACRED FIRE
of His own life to the afflicted who
gathered around Him, aud to with.
cred limbs came strength; to burden
ed hearts relief.
The sick and shrunken veins of the
and the pulse of new life, and hui
manity went on its way upiifted and
, seeing.
But when all is said it still remains
that we live in the present, in the
now not in the past. What does it
avail us to know that in the mid
winter of human history God once
spoke directly to the soul, if we do not
believe in a divine voice uttering it.
self in humanity now and forever. We
must not elevate one man at the ex
pense of all other men. We must not
fail to recognize the present voice OF
+ God. If we believe that He once
spoke to man and does not now, end
lessly should we deolore that we had
not been born in those old days; for
we, too, are His children; we, too, have
this heart-hunger after God. We also
must commence with HIN or fail oil
spiritual life. The heart that is truly
alive asks if the Son of Man" is still a
living presence in the world, or merely
a sentiment and tradition? And the
answer is heard in the soul, do, an
with you always, even to the end Of
the age" Christ moves with the race
He has never left it. AS of old, HI
leads and serves.
That bodily organism through
which His love diffused itself with al
it's quickening, healing gifts, has in
deed disappeared from human sigh
long centuries ago, but the risen ant
, assembled Christ, the
CHRIST OF CONSCIOUSNESS,
the spiritual hero and the leader O
the race, has entered a living fore,
into human evolution, and belongs tt
q the uplifting and decisive powers o
! the world. Wherever man is, there i
has place and works its purifyin;
g.. effect No time changes it, no fore,
q wlthstands it. This Christ fore,
enters the soul. like love or pity
| without our knowledge or mental as
sent, and even against our will, for i
q has a golden key to human hearts anC
f works within as resurrection and ,
life. When we come to know tn,
, universal and spiritual Christ we say
!. ITO whom else shall we go? Thou
q hast the words of eternal liien
/ He who loved man so we'll has neve
1 left our world. Heaven had no charm
for him unless He could share it will
s all mankind. Had He withdrawn Hi
y spirit from the race when his form O
; flesh was taken from the sight O
:, men, Christianity would have withereC
o into tradition. The pure moralite
e OF the higher life could not unfolC
). themselves without the quickenin,
I impulse He has given, any more thai
{ the flowers could go on blooming an,
n the trees give their fruitage and tn
: summer grow opulent with harves
4 wealth, in the absence of the sun. HI
i withdrew himself from the outwar,
: sight to open the
n INNER FACULTIES OF MAN.