Connecticut western news., 1893-02-02
PROGRESS, Atificial and Real.
Rev. Charles D. Milliken's Discourse at the Pilgrim Church, Canaan, Conn.,, Jan. %, 1893.

at the f1lgrlm CnurCh, Canaan,
 Conn.,, Jan. 22, 1893.
 Hebrews VIII, 10. "I will put my laws in- to their mind and on their heart also will I write them"
 There are two kinds of development, the outward and the inward. The worlds infancy required the outward; !; barbarian and low forms of existence require the outward; individual infan- cy requires the outward. As civiliza- ton advances, the inward together with the outward is employed Artificial ac- complishment uses the outward. but as true culture increases and intellectual and moral life natures, the inward comes more largely into play. The highest conditions of existence appear as the inward method predominates; and when time shall disappear and the eter nal come into view, the outward will have become 8 thing of the past while the inward will have acquired it's right of supremacy and remain alone. A world of time and of imperfections ne- cessitates the use of both, the eternal world where all things are new and per feet can employ but one. A lame man walking with crutches illustrates the outward method which Is very good when the man cannot progress without them. The man recovered from his lameness and proceeding by means of strength imparted from within, illus trates the inward. God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners," represents the out ward; "hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son." the inward. The ten commandments inscribed on tables of stone is the outward; 'I will put my laws into their mind, and on their heart also will I write them," is the inward.
 To make palmer the distinction let me borrow an illustration. 'To roll a snow ball and to grow an oak involve two different principles. Enlargement of volume is result in both cases, but beyond this there is nothing in common. In one the result is wrought by an ex. tern al force, in the other by vital in ternal force. h one the swelling bulk receives all that will adhere to it, snow, mud or gravel as 1t may happen form ing promiscuous, conglomerate mass in the other the new matter is carefully selected, taken up internally, digested assimilated and built into an organic | whole"
 Advance must be made, and if there be no inward power the outward oi snow-ball method prevails. It was said above that the worlds infancy and every low form of existence requires this, and so God outwardly commands Moses to go down into Egypt to deliver | the Hebrews from bondage. In the Egyptian mind there is no willingness to let the people go, so by outward measures they are compelled to let them go. There is to the Hebrews no inward | guide directing them to the promised land, so they are commanded to follow a visible guide,-the pillar of cloud an6 of fire. They have little sense of right anG wrong, no system of law or government no conception of spiritual worship, SC the decalogue is written on stone. anG \ the Levitical code stern in it's demand, together with the ritual exscting in it. calls for cerem onialism and continua sacrifice are imposed, disobedIence tc which incurred the penalty of death This had to be done. No progress wal possible to that rude people without it | Absolute justice and retaliation were tht laws ''an eye for an eye and tooth fol tooth" If one were smitten upon tho | cheek he must return the blow. Love which springs spontaneously from with | in was virtue unknown.
 All this is artificial progress, and where | there is no true progress 1t must be usec to develope the true, aud out of it ir | some way the true takes root. Thii l method was long necessitated and it Ii peculiarly exhibited in the life and deeds of such a character as Samson. Blu when David came upon the stage ther from the disorder began to appear glimmer from the light that shines within. ''The Lord is my light and my | salvation. 'rhe Lord is my shepherd. 'The Lord delighteth not in sacrifice. and burnt offerings but broken and contrite heart he will not despise." The life and words of David did not revolu. tionize the people. Revolutions arc dangerous. Sudden changes are attend ed with risks. They engender excite ment, are liable to produce bubble-likt spectacles that swell and burst. I look with some skepticism on sudden, sen | sational conversions, feverish revivals | abnormal developments, this breaking loose from the law of steady, legitimatt | growth. No life appears in a day, nc business is established in week, no tree comes forth in night; it is true tha JOnah's gourd appeared in the night but worm devoured it the next day The parable of the sower teaches thi truth; what sprang up quickly was ths which fell on stony ground and straight way it withered. What brought fortl fruit was that which fell into goot ground, It req uires nourishment iron the earth, warmth from the sun and raiI from the clouds for days, weeks anC | months, 8 slow process in whicl changes are not detected in an hour, tt bring forth fruit. But this is aside iron our main line, let us recur to David The life and words of David did no revolutionize the people, yet the peopl
 in this gradual discipline of centurie
 were becoming better Inward develop ment was in progress. The outwarc law was still in force. The time wa
 not ripe for it to disappear. Tn
 prophets with their stern lives an,
 warnings from God were yet to com
 upon the scene. Isaiah, Ezekiel, Malacb and the others were outward though les
 severe than the Mosaic code, whil
 Micah was permitted to announce, in al
 almost startling sentence, the near flu
 ture when ''swords should be beaten in
 to ploug ghshares and spears into prun
 ing g-hooks, when nation should not If
 up sword against nation neither shal
 they learn war any more; but they shal
 sit every man under his vine and unde
 his fg-tree and none shall make then
 afraid
 When the Old Testament closes, tn
 rigor of outward development come
 to an end God no longer command
 by the law and prophets but in thes
 last days speaks unto man by his Sor
 No longer stand the tables of stone, fo
 the law has been put into the mind an
 written upon the heart. The two metl