The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-04-04
"GoD's IMAGE N MAN"
\ Thoughtful Contribution ta the Page
hN ..NInrN of ChnmpmiEn."

\ Thoughtful Contribution ta the Page
by MARY of Champaign
Dear Brothers and Sisters-There is no
subject that presents itself to my mind
al this time more worthy of thought
than the book. Gods Image in Man.
When the things Of truth and beauty
break upon our spiritual vision our first
impulse is to impart them 10 others. 1t
is thus | feel as | attempt to speak f
this grand work All who can be in
duced 10 obtain and read this book will
surely he glad Cf tho step so taken.
The more one reads il the more they
want TO read II. and the brighter its
pages shine. Such beautiful language,
such depths of understanding, such in
spired thoughts can be read with de-
light again and again and still be new.
Like Il natured and cherished plant.
these soul-delights do not spring into
full-erown life all at once. but gradually
We are delighted with the unfolding leaf
and blossom.
1t is a perpIexity to attempt to quote
from its pages. for it is hard to make
selections without feeling that the whole
page or chapter ought 60 ibe'laid before
the reader hut | will select a few
thoughts. not because they are better
than many others. however. but because
they arc more clear to my owT under
standing.
. In the chapter on Revelation Through
Nature" we find these words: He who
sees God in nature, feels the ecstatic
thrill of the infinite presence. The Visl-
bic universe becomes to him repository
OF mystery. harmony and sanctitY.
This wholesome delight will all be
missed by intellectual accomplishment il
it be linked to a feeble, spiritual intui-
ton. childlike soul. which has no
knowledge Of botany. but which is in
touch with the Infinite. viii find more
in q flower than he whose technical. but
unsanCtifed understanding can fully de-
fine it's and mechanism.
How this reminds us of Christ's declar-
alton: Except We become as little chill
dren We cannot enter the kingdom Of
heaven L can readily see how these
things may be hid from 1.-The wise and
prudent" but may be revealed to the
little children. How far they are worthy
to become out teachers.
But again: There is hut one spirit,
but it has variety of manifesto tons. >"
The world is gradually making the dis
covery that pure and unselish love IS
the essence of vital religion
Unselfish love. How few of us can
turn TO Cod and say: Il am filled with
tt
In speaking of the disciples coming to-
gether after the Lord was taken from
them he SAYS: ''They were afiame with
the consuming fire of love, and this
bound them more closely together than
the ties of any outward organization
could have done.
Would that the whole world understood
or possessed this love that bound Christ's
first followers together with a bond so
strong that even death could not sever.
THE great soul is he that forgets that
he has a soul in his efforts for the saliva
ton of others
hqraf II strikes
that if we are ito think TO evil" of 9TH
ers that the admonition should include
ourselves. How can we forget ourselves
when we are constantly looking at our
mistakes and shortcomings? But if the
soul once becomes filed with Divine love
the result would be self lost sight Of.
Man has concerned himself but little
with the quality of his thoughts, but has
been greatly distressed by the phenom-
ena which they directly produce. The
infinite utility of spiritual consciousness
in shaping expression has hardly yet
dawned upon the human understanding.
Man has not claimed and manifested the
good. because he has thought Of HIM
self as a poor, sinful creature and be-
lieved that the good did not belong 10
him He has felt that his own little life
and ego were independent and not a part
Of the one mind and life, and so has
unwittlngly shut himself away from the
stream of divine involution." How read
lily our hearts must acknowledge the
truth Of these words.
Dear friends l feel that / have scarce
" spoken of this work, and yet must
leave il.
| like the book so much | would love
to have you all read it and tell us what
you think OF ii.
With deep regards | am still
MARY OF CHAMPAIGN"
Westville, O., March %