The record-union., 1896-12-27

which was recorded as apprehended by
the observer. Inspiration does nothing
more than insure that the Bible will
contain what God wished recorded IN
the furtherance of his unfolding plan OF
salvation, and make the record 1nfaI-
Hble for this purpose. Thus viewed, IN
spiration is a constant element, and,
unlike revelation. is not progressive.
"As the coming Of Christ was pre-
dicted by the course and outcome Oh
life during the centuries before his ad-
vent, so is his coming predicted IN the
need and longing and preparation OF
every human SOUL says the New York
Outlook Christ stands for and Il
Illustrates in his own person and career
that ideal development of character and
that ideal attitude of a man to his fel-
lows which shines like a star before
every respectable human being; for the
man who has ceased to care for perfec-
ton has ceased to be spiritually re-
spectacle. Every living soul longs to De
like Christ, and the soul which has
ceased TO long has ceased to live. This
deep necessity in the heart of every man
| to aspire and to work out his aSpira-
| 'tions in conduct points straight 10 the
Christ, by whom these aspirations We're
realized and in whom these hopes are
incarnated. The sore need of the per-
! feet life and the perfect man afflrmS
| the reality of both, and, therefore, pre-
| diets their coming. In every human
soul this need cries out for satisfaction,
and Christ is that satisfaction More
| imperative than the need of the vision
| of the perfect man is the need or the
| revelation of the invisible God; and as
/ Christ came at the moment when the
whole world was inariculately crying
out for him, so does he come to the in
dividual soul when that soul sorely
needs the revelation of the Father
which he is, and seeks him everywhere
| Food shelter, raiment are not the
fundamental necessities of men, as they
are so constantly said to be; God Is
the one supreme necessity of men"
Herbert Spencer is a man whose
words will bear a good deal of weighing
before one can be sure that he has ex-
hausted his meaning. We would not
| venture" says the New York 'Inde-
pendent" ito hold him responsible fol
all that a first glance at his last ano
concluding volume seems to imply as tC
his final relations with theism. We
hope that these last words will prove
as assuring as they seem. His re-
mark that the power that manifests it
self beyond consciousness sounds likJ
the tumbling over Of the whole basis o1
the agnostic philosophy. What it means
when rendered out of the dry technf-
calities of Mr.. Spencer's phraseolOgy is
that self-conscious personality in mar
implies self-conscious personality in tht
power above man. In what man is h
sees the reflection of what the power
not be theism. but it is a long steI
toward it. If not the whole it is tht
greater half 1t is nothing less than {
jump away from agnostic negatives t
some solid ground Of hopeful belief anC
confidence. It's effect on Mr.. Spencer il
very striking. 1t brings him into bette
and more sympathetic relations witt
the organized religious life of Christen
dom and with religion. He is not a.
much afraid of anthropomorphism a
he once was. He does not believe tina
faith in the eternal can be be elm
| mated from the human mind nor
humanitarian cult made to take tn
place Of the worship of God"