The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-01


eth forever" Yet the earth Is undergoing
constant change There is an endless sys-
tenn OF birth and death. Of decay and
genesis. Of the conversion Of energy com
one form 10 another Man is but clumsy
artincer in the workshop OF nature. and
while IN obedience to the eternal laws OF
God, he, TOO. converts the energy Of past
ages into new forms for his use to-day.
yet he does so with the weakness Of re-
stricted human knowledge and in the
Impotence Of human limitations
But how wonderful is the wisdom or
God. which man so feebly initiates. The
infinite Omuiscience ahat planned and
formed the universe, the eternal Potence,
that with His creative fat smote chaos
into order, did not cease His benelcent
activity with the mere genesis Of things
Tho Rabbins spoke more wisely than they
perhaps knew when they put into their
ritual The beautiful truth that God re-
nev.cih day after day the wonders Of
creation" Aye. not only are things re-
born day after day. but in the chemic art
Of the Masters laboratory. birth cometh
from the womb of death. and the cradle
OF the new life is rocked by hands that
arc folded In the grave. God not only
fashicneth new from the old, but lie caus-
eth the most beautiful TO spring from the
uellost and the most enhancing from the
most loathsomc Not only does the
creeping worm become "A thing Of surpass-
ng loneliness. but decay breeds sweet
ness. and from fostering corruption VIII
His unspeakable wisdom fashion bright
ness and elegance and glory. Man IN his
conversion of energy may debase and
lower. God raises and uplifts. with man
IL may De that "the dust o. Caesar VIII he
used to stop a bunshole." but with God
the lowly is exalted, and the clod of dirt
hecomes genius.
The rose is born from the offsl OF the
dunghm. its fragrance and delight have
been nomishcd 10y the putresencc Of de-
cav. What man rejects ard dcspises does
the great Architect make use Of TO build
forms OF inexpressible pulchritude. Of liz
cnable grace symmetry and beauty.
In the crucible OF nature mans dross
becomes Gods gold. From mans chan
falls the seed Of future heavenly harvests.
Thus as one generation goeth. another
generation cometh after it to convert the
earnercd energy OF former days TO new
uses and powers, while the earth, building
and rebuilding itself under divine gull
dance. and by the immanent power to IT
given. stands i'm everlasting perpetuity.
As thus in the physical world there are
continual conservation and conversion OF
energy. also in the mental and spiritual
worlds do the same processes take place
Each human being. each family, each ma
ton and race of men are, individually
and collectively. the inheritors Of the en-
crgy of their ancestors, which they divert
into various channels of activity. Aad III
turn they gather energy and store IL for
generations yet unborn.
The energies of the ancient Greeks were
expended i'm art and ia the pursuit OF
beauty. those Of Rome in conquest and
militarism, those of the Arabs in medita-
ton and philosophy. those Of the Jews
i'm spiritual conception and the knowledge
of God and human duty. But Greece and
Rome and Arabia expended more than
they conserved. and. diverting into un-
productive channels they exhausted all.
Therefore fen Greece and Rome without
succo ssors. and Arabia gave way TO newer
mower. The spiritual. realms toward
which the jews bent their energies, are
not wholly possessed to-day even. Hence
if bchooves as TO consider that it, 100, IS
one Of the eternal verities which stands
mistaken midst all the heeting ephemera
of forms about us.
Ii were a sad reelection on this gene
ration were il truthfully TO be said Of il,
that its energies were bent in unworthy
directions. that il sought ignoble and base
uses for its powers. on the contrary let
il be known that we, recognizing our sa-
cred duties, realized the divine possi-
biitios that are within us. and bent our
God given powers for righteousness, JUS
tice and truth, for these too. with the
earth. shall stand forever. Above all
things does America stand for glorious
and sublime possibility. and as men and
as citizens We must labor TO cement the
sacred structure of an interrupted ma
tiolal honor built upon the eternal basis
of individual moral life.
EDWARD y. CALISCH.