Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-11-24
Catching Thoughts.
"A sermonetts. BY . Philosophical Friend
~ Ourol

| "a Sern0nette. BY Philosopnieal Frieno
Of Ours.)
There II IN art or accomplishment tna'
no professor can teach. Not many pro-
fessors impart life The best parts OF
our natures are special gifts Of God
They seem to spring up In US; to come
frcm the depths Of our being. IT ID no'
in the power Of man to generate or make
them. They come Of themselves. as We
say. 1t Is not only. as In the case OF
poetry. oratory. or other special talents
and gifts but In o thousand gifts. oppor-
tunities. special providences. All that we
| can do for ourselves IL to keep our loins
girded and our lights burning. to be IN
tensely In earnest. and wide awake-eiec-
trifed-magnetized: set on good things.
We then seem to attract and work up
into our business everything that be-
longs to our enthusiasm. Our souls be-
come furnaces to refine and utilize all
crude ore. Any one who Ii all on nre
about a speciality sees II. tastes II, feels
1t everywhere. finds material and gets
suggestions at the strangest, oldest
times, from the strangest things
Even in ordinary life. where there Is
no special enthusiasm, It Is good thing
to catch happy thoughts and enrich our
selves with them. to fnd out and appro-
pirate the riches of our surroundings. Our
wisest ideas pop into our heads" To be
stupid. daZed idle. and preoccupled chew
ing gum. is a bad thing. Its punishment
is ennui and painful nothingness.
The lowest part Of our nature Is gross
sensuality. near to the oyster. We have
a our capcea In comunou with 1ouar "a NJ
mails. But the character Of our minds
and hearts raises US above them. They
may be sensualized. and almost imbruted.
As our senses are refined. purified, and
subordinated to our spirits as the whole
body Is made but an honorable temple.
a tabernacle OF the soul, We rise In the
scale Of being. We need not be vislona-
ries, sky-scraping philosophers, or adj
vanced thinkers, or intellectual phenome-
ma. God made us to see and to feel and
think. He gave us our senses to observe.
to gather material for thinking, and food
for our minds. Meditating means playing
upon: And the whole world Is grand
organ that we mediate. play upon.
through our senses. And so We make
melody in our hearts. grand harmonious
music TO the glory of God. all whose
works praise Him.
Thoughts are like the ether, so light
that they fit ere we can point the place.
The gentle soul IL always on the watch
for them. by day and by night, while
minding the daily duties. Their vista
lions are angelic. But IL We are of our
guard We lose them. II we are on watch
we catch them. 1t Is a delicate business
to catch them alive and realize them, not
bruise them. not disfigure them by rough,
unholy handling, but give the airy no.
things shape. gather them as delicate
flowers. and realize them as they are; en-
terrain the pure. beautiful spirits. and
clothe them from the wardrobes OF our
vocabularies.
Thinking and clothing thoughts Is an
occupation very near the service OF an
gels. 1t Is almost like watching for angel
visitors: In a dream. In a vision Of the
night. In deep sleep. while the heart
waketh. Indeed II IL the incest, highest
part Of all the work OF the soul. Milton
was a wonderful spirit How beautifully
does he carry on these dreamy thoughts!
So dear to Heaven Is sanity chastity.
That when soul Is found sincerely so.
A thousand liveried angels lacquey her,
Driving far off each thought Of guilt
and sin.
And In clear dream and solemn vision
Tells her OF things that no gross ear can
hear,
Till oft converse with heavenly habitants.
Begins to cast a beam on tho outward
shape.
The unpolluted temple Of the mind,
And turns 1t by degrees to the souls es-
sence,
Till all shall be immortal