The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-05-24


In the Fathers life. and entering, OF
course, into his fathers Joy
Clearly enough. here is the place where
I am to begin. With my North end exile
Italian. Bohemian, Jew or whatever
| he may bel am to see IL some story OF
Divine love may not quicken him, If
some tenderness OF youth or boyhood
may not be aroused again in him, so
that, in his love for his wife and his 1T
tie ones he may be quickened to be
something and to do siomath.ng which
the seltishness OF brute has rot made
| him. 1 want to quicken the mans love,
then perhaps he may rise from This stu
p!d torpor in which he IS sleeping. Or,
If by some miracle OF duty. or by some
song or wo:d of prophecy. / can quicken
him TO look up into the heavens OF down
into the depths. and see the trace of the
work OF this present God; if ne Will seek
him as one who seeks him meaning to
find him; IL he cllngs ITO his hand a, in
his power he sweeps by: If i can rouse
the man TO the least sense of what 1t Is
to speak 10 God and 10 have God speak
to him, why / have done something
If can lift the man outs side that sty
In which he Is sleeping. and IT, by max
ing him look Into the heavens or by
making him plunge into the sea, or by
carrying him through some forest or
wonder and of beauty, ! can make him
feel that this world ia world big
| enough for angels and archangels to live
| in: If ] can make him feel that he Is IN
the heaven OF God now, and dissatisfied
with the sty in which Il hog might sleep.
| merely by the contras: of the greatness
| aud wonder of this universe of God, why
| have done something.
There IS In this man. though he has
| not found 1t himself a mustard seed Of
| the Divine life. II can trust that seed
! to the infinite faith. tine infinite hope. the
| Infinite love. of which every Sunday is
the memorial, as 1t is the; symbol. there
| is some chance that that seed may grow.
| Then there Is some chance of life nipher
than the beasts life, and for him and for
his children there Is some prospect ina,
| they shall know what | mean when |
| tell tnem that they too are heirs OF
heaven. and may enter upon their herr
tage. The danger of this time. l said. q 9
II - the danger of this country in its
terrible prosperity. IS that once more we
| forget these infinite realities. Com
monplaces-yes. the central common
places of all; but The commonplaces OF
| absolute truth. T::lt our Nfe Il; more
than meat. As the body is more than
| raiment. The danger of the country. the
DANCE? of the time. is that we shall think
the meat Is more shan the life, and that
the raiment is more than the body.
The danger is that we spend pains and
| thoughlt-well 1t Is just as those
Romans and Greeks did-upon things
that perish in the using, and that the
| eternal life of man dies down and be-
| comes mean and lost In our negligence
III Is against this danger that all systems
of religion ought 10 stand. do not say
| they do stand, and / wish / dared saw
So But this is what religion Is for. II
\ is that men and women and children
/
| In the infinite relationships with Gcl.
the Infinite Father, with other men and
| women. their brothers and sisters. and
| snail live In this certainty of a presen,
heaven. Observe in contrast that the
word religion" meant no such thing
Wren Jesus Christ died
See what it was for Greece and Rome
anu J might say sven for Jerusalem
which considered itself The holy city
observe what Is was that for men WON.
en- ana children at large there was NO
religion. What we call religion, when
we choose to study and speculate about
| their affairs, was simply the theology of
the priests, and such scraps of ritual as
oney did inflict upon the people who sun.
ported them. Yes, if Il baby was horn
the mother was made to bring a dove OF
Two TO the altar. But for the daily reg.
ua'ioh OF lie, not even in Jerusalem
| lar less IN Rome or in Athens had the
presence OF God any direction or instruc.
| ZION. or was the seeking of God any
daily and hourly duty. 1t was worth
While Tor the state 10 maintain augurs
an daltars, incense ana such ceremonial
Eut 1t was no business or man or WON
an to open his heart to God i'm daily iov
ana to ask God for daily food for to-
DAYS necessities No such RELATIONSHIP
is arranged for in any ritual or any OF
me ssrviees. The nearest approach Il
II Is In the attendance III the great fes
tlVais at Jerusalem, two or three times
q year. The people came there the,
hardly kne wwhy, for crention in RI,
midst or the monotony of physical toi,
~ Is in the place of this that tn,
cnurch. when II Is true church offer,
ire every hour and demands life ever,
hour IN man, woman and child. II Is
not satisfied in any ritual conducted hI
any formula prepared by a government
which shall state, in black and white
| the origin OF duty, or the RELATIONSHIP
OF man with God. The church. the holI
spirit, are satisfied with nothing il ss
than the absolute personal communion
Oh eaeh child with the father. The al,
vine ne must flow through every pulse
| ana In every nerve of the child's being
ana what church and Christianity ar,
TOT Is thus to quicken the whole word
| with such sife as shall work the infinitf
| miracles. And II Is life impossible I'm.
less man gives himself entirely TO Cod
Tadv indeed, to receive all power al
Gods hand. :"
Father. bless thy name, because live
And in each moment am made ricf
with thee
mat when glance Is all that can give
1t Is n Kingdoms wealth IL I but see
| May eacn new act my new alleglanc,