, 1896-12-01

sential truths.
Existence is a parable. the essential
facts of which. like those contained in
any other parable. are to be learned
by a consideration Of the general scope
of its symbolism. 1t is this symbol
ism which we see and touch rather
than the spiritual fact. That. masked
by the material form. is conveyed to
us by some suggestion: and our dis
cernment of It depends on our atten-
ton to it and our sympathy with it.
In this sense all nature may be on
sidered and studied as a parable SYM
bolizing something more permanent
and abiding thar itself. OF course, the
naturalist will term this PROPOSE
ton a mere whim of fancy. He does
this not because of any lack of
thought. but because OF its direction.
He looks upon the surface of things
only; and so everything he sees, life
included, is exhausted in its phenom-
ena. The studies of a materialist stop
here. and he vainly strives to satisfy
his mind with a load of information
which is so dry and dead that it does
not leave him the consolation of a
single hopeful suggestion.
The true student of any science, for
instance, the g%eologist or b%otanist.
gets something more out of his re-
l no n,al tI~, tl,r tn~,- - Lir --o1;o \
science. He imbibes inspiration for
all his faculties, and gains a larger
measure of mental power. Is this not
one reason why to the astronomer the
starry heavens are far mor than to
his dog?
| love facts. my friends, and all my
life | have been gathering them up
and storing them away. Every fact
is a parable of providence, interesting
as such, but more interesting because
of the life that flows through it. Nat
ure does not stand as a mere cabinet
Of dead forms, or a gallery Of c%atalogued
facts. She pours into the soul of man
mystic currents of spiritual life, and
draws him with the sweet influence
of the Pleiades."
The life in mar thus responds to tho
life in things. And things are the par
ables or the symbols Of a divine intel,
ligence and love. Each flower that
blooms in beauty is a parable suggest
i've Of something more beautiful than
itself, while to the anne end, Day
unto day uttereth speech, and night
unto night showeth knowledge" Of
Him. Some spiritual law, some in
ward truth, is yelled in these transient
draperies of sense and time. How else
can we explain the immeasurable sug-
gestiveness of everything which the
human spirit feels but can never COM
pletely express? Surely, it is not a
~fanciful view of nature to consider it
as a vast volume of parallels, yelling
and yet suggesting spiritual realities.
In the same manner turn to the
volume of human life. Each expert
ence is a parable. Zach hnfolds some
| PloNl CooO4 IL luoSl SOLu~
mon facts-incidents by the wayside
and the market, the field and the home
are symbols of the divine meaning, in,
to which, If we look. as the disciples
look to Jesus. we shall discern the
purpose and grasp the real significance
Of life.
Jesus did not explain all his para.
bles to the disciples. So no n is so
wise as to have grasped the full mean,
ing Of all life's parallels.
For instance, there is the parable OF
disappointment. Its symbolism is so
dark, sometimes, that mortal vision
cannot penetrate it. Then, it's symbol
ism seems as a driving and relentless
fate that balks our endeavors and
blasts all our expectations. We SOW
precious seed and water every furrow
with the sweat Of honest toll, but no
harvest comes for us; others gather
the results OF our painstaking, leaving
us to poverty and neglect. The win
ter of life comes on. Its frosts whiten
the hair and chill the energies of body
and mind; we fall defeated, sore-heart-
ed and broken on the verge of the
grave. Only n can explain for us
this parable, and He the n to whom
the disciples went, saying, Master,
declare unto us this parable"
Death is a parable-and often how
dark? We wonder how, in a universe
CT such possibilities, it should exist as
an irrepealable ordinance in the econ
omy OF an all-wise, merciful and al
mighty Creator. When death comes
as the crown and fruition Of a life,
ripe with good deeds and ready for a
larger purpose, we may need no ex-
PLANTATION of it: but when 1t comes as
a canker in the bud, a a mildew on
the young and tender flower, 1t seems
inexplicable. What does 1t mea to
the mother thus bereaved? What does
1t when budding beauty or as
piring manhood are summoned into
its dim and silent kingdom?
There, too. are the social problems
that meet us everywhere. These are
the parallels Of civilization. Besides
the schools. churches, homes and 9TH
er institutions-the symbols OF refine
ment and culture-there are. the ghast-
ly riddles OF vice, privation and pow
erty, Of broken-hearted labor, of ex-
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