The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-12-21

quartz. But when truth enters into
the heart the man is brought face to
face with reality. His pathway is at
tended by visions divine. He is
transformed. To the unartistic mind
the huge block of marble was a
rough stone; but when Michael An
gelo looked upon it he beheld an
angel. So in all men are the possi-
bilities of angels. But they are not
easily carved. What labor does it
require to shape tie cultured mindl
Midnight toll, patient seeking after
knowledge, hope set up on high
ideals. What patience is required to
become an artist or sculptor! What
unaltistic lines are drawn, how many
unnatural forms are moulded! But
hope mounts towards its ideals. And
to make the sainted Christian, to
gain the insight of truth, to discrimi-
nate carefully and exactly between
the right and wrong, to get free from
our temptations and our sudden and
frightful impulses, to knead out the
lion, which was somehow kneaded
into the heart, all requires the pray
erful exercise of purpose. The chan
nels of the heart must be opened and
the unchangipg, undiminishing word
must flow through the mind while
the beauty of Gods face shines upon
it. These great good lives that are
scattered here and there by the grace
of God are not attained by sudden
and miraculous flights. Like the
sculptor who places his n arble be-
fore him and pores over its form and
feature until it is pictured on the
the brain, so the disciple of Christ,
beholds him as an ideal; he medi-
tates upon his life. The soul of the
Master becomes mirrored in his mind
and he begins in faithful hope to
make another Christ out of the crude
material of self interest and unfortu
nate natures wild, restless and un
trained child.
Everyday brings man some new
device, teacher or prophet, and it is
right to receive them and feel the up
lifting of fresh helps and inspirations,
but the fountain of perpetual wisdom
is in the past. 1t arose and watered
the feeble earth centuries ago. Its
rainbow hues attracted the seeker of
truth and freedom. In our nineteenth
century we have many illustrious men
and WON en-. They somehow help US
to interpret truth, but their tongues
do not utter swords that burn" We
have names that hang for season
upon all lips-men and women whose
fame comes upon the tides of the
wind-they startle us as meteor in
the night and go out, and the last
prophet is forgotten and we listen
for new voice to sound out of tie
wilderness. But there are some
names imperishable. The Shake
speares,I Millions, Virgils, the Raph-
aels, Titians, Angeles, the Luthers,
Savonarolas, Lincolns-tbey hang in
the temple of fame forever. Many
are the words spoken and write n,
but few interpret eternal truth. The
Bible is the volume of truth; of all
volumes truth is there most compact,
most comprehensive. The heat and
light of it's religious inspiration is
most intense. The words of other
men oftNn fall like the ripples of the
sea upon The beach, and others like
the wild tumultuous lashing of waves
upon the rock, but scripture inspira-
ton is like the tidal wave rising higher
than all, and when it subsidies flows
seaward to beat upon some other
shore, because it is the very rocking
of the ocean of inspiration itself, and
not the wave of the wind.
The life impaired to the world by
Hebrew inspiration and above all
by the words of Christ, has been
noble, healthy life; it has been
constant; it has been long tested.
Two thousand years of trial is no
brief test. The influence lives
on. The promise finds fulfillment in
human hearts. The Gospel of Jesus
is for all worlds, for all men, for i'm
mortal instruction. In no part shall
it fail. No world impulse shall drive
it back; no human heart that shall
resist it, no temptation shall pre-
vail against it. All other things shall
serve their purpose and pass away.
Sects and rituals and discipline shall
pass, and others follow. but the spirit
ual bond which ties the soul to God
shall live. Heaven and earth shall
pass away, but my word shall not
pass away" No wonder men have
looked to Jesus as the divine teacher