The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-12-08

he knows that these are they who
have done justice to their humanity,
who hav done justice to what their
creator made them capable of. No one
needs 10 be told that he cannot do JUS
tice to his humanity without his crea-
tors help. But neither does any rea-
sonablc man need to be assured that
the creature Will necr be left to strug-
gle alone for the attainment of its
proper level. God is sure TO help him
that helps himself.
Mar is the central point in nature, Il
compendium of all things. Il micr2cosm
that is why he has i'll him all lower
inc.<,atlons as well as all higher. The
creator has placed man Over all the
works of his hands, and subjected all
things under his feet" Man is the
apex. All natures converge in him.
And 1t is the duty of his reason and
free-will, the splendid faculties which
make him man. to hold tho lower ami
indeed beneath his feet" as stepping
stones to the spiritual and the divine.
And Jesus Christ is the central point
In history, the apex of humanity. the
archtype according to which man is
made in the image and likeness of
God, the son of God and the son of man,
the Goldman. AS man he calls MS his
brethren.
As God he says: II and the father
nre one; before Abraham was made. |
am; ! am the beginning, who also
speak to you" AS the Goldman he
says: y one comcth to the Father
but by me; | am the vine, you are the
branches; without me you can do moth
ing; | am the way and the truth and
the life
He calls us to a higher life, to parti-
cipation in his own life. the life of the
vine, and he declares that mar is like
q dead thing unless he lives by that
higher life. Pointing TO the lower in
inc in us he SAYS:
Deny myself"
Pointing TO the higher, he says:
BE ye perfect, as your Father in
heaven also is perfect
If we ask him how this can be at
tanned to, he
Follow me"
He q lifted up again the sublime
ideal of man, from which %hcathcnism
had drifted far way. and has pointed
out II way to it's attainment. In fol-
lowing him the ideal Is reached.
Michael Angelo saw In the block Of
marble only the image of an angel, and
his cunning chisel brought 1t out. Re
ligion sees in every human being the
image and likeness of God. and brings
il out by shaping maj into conformity
with Jesus Christ. 1t may require lots
Of chiseling, and the chiscling may
sometimes hurt. as carvings of the
lever nature are looped off, but IL is
well worth while. Nohlcness is sure to
cost something. is apt to cost much.
but is we'll worth the price.
The Goldman teaches humanity that
only the divine in man can make hu-
manity perfect, and that the man is be-
low his destined level who does not as
pire TO the divine. The heart of man
has been whispering this to him from
the beginning. That is why; rs Cicero
tells us. though there might be found
races OF men who knew not what sort
of a God to look up to. no race could be
found who did not know that there
was some God.
That is why Balbo and other histori-
n remark that as there never was a
race of atheists. SO also there never wa.
q race of deists; mankind has ever been
sure that in some way God had made
known to man his origin. his destiny,
and the way to reach 1t.
That Is why Quatrefases and other