The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-20


listers no Ideals? They are not good for
much IL they have not. But" savs s9ne
! caviiisr. why lirsit the power OF God TO
| any given number Of souls saved or any
/ stated work 10 be accomplished - We do
I not limit Gods power. We ara placing
| a temporary goal for or own immediate
energies TO reach. But why not pray for
/ abundant blessings upon the parish and
/ humhiy and steadily .o cne's work with
! out particular plan7 Well. If ministers
were angels they might possibly do that:
/ bug / fancy most parishes-this one
doubtless among the nurgher-suon find
/ out that the angelic qualities referred 10
I reside as often in the pew as in the pull
/ Dit: and / have even heard IL said that
1 when ministers take unto themselves
I wings, il is rot SO much TO soar into the
/ cioudsand OF increased spirituality as
toward the golden shore of increased
eTnoIument. Thank Godt that insnu-
alton is sometimes a libel. Every wise
! pastor lays his plans for his years work
as thoroughly az a merchant arranges
his finances for the coming month; and
the more pencil and paper and method
and business qualities he uses-other
things being equal-the greater will be
his success. Is ii not SO ali through our
! life? Must not our ideal of what We
may be always exceed our highest ac-
compllshment?
But when we come to talk OF soui-life
and acknowledgment it Is different. In
all these previous contests with human
competitors in a given line of progress We
have been limited by our finite notions.
But when We deal with the soul We have
to reckon eternity and infinity into the
calculation. You cannot set mortal houn-
darles for the immortal. You might as
well talk OF cireumscribng immensely.
The soul! at what point shall we limit its
! aspirations after God? There can be no
movable standard as in earthly progress.
because earthly external conditions do not
bound. or even qualify, the growth OF
spiritual life. Here Is rich saint and
here IS poor outcast but there Is a
penniless saint. and there Is a wealthy
wording. Here Is Christian philosophy
and mere is ignorant crime; but there Is
christlike childhood. and there Is educat-
cd infdelity. Beauty here is lighted up
with Celestial radiance; and beauty there
is bestarred with the tawdry trinkets OF
the Bacchanalian dance. Time. place
and circumstance may affect the visible
results Of the souls spiritual life: but be-
fore the ali-searching eye Of God the
ransom-d soul dare not choose any stand
ard short OF absolute perfection. VIII
the soul ever reach ii here? Never
But IL would not be justified in selecting
any lower mark. There are no limits in
the realm Of spirit Space means moth
ing unless in reference To material forms.
The task then before us is boundless. and
il would seem to be hopeless. l cannot
even imagine my ideal 1t is not only
above nay grasp. IL is above my thinking
/ must utterly fail To even strive after
| II intellieently unless I can find II in a
| being like myself. Show me human
| character who ever fulfilled these condi-
tons. that / may make him my ideal.
Tho nntx, v.r,.o pAo.l
All there is but One His humble birth
| encourages me. because i need not mourn
| over my low estate. He moved In a very
limited circle. I need not regret my
circumscrbed sphere. The only earthly
| title He ever had was given Him in
| mockery. so / will not grfeve because /
am unknown To fame After all His self
| sacrifice for His people He was shame
| fully rejected. so | need not count upon
| human gratitude a fitting reward for
| faithful service. He tasted In the desert
| and slept amid the storm. SO these things
may therefore come 10 me without Cetri-
ment. oh. He was human And vet
| beyond all human standards He rises
| towering up in sinless perfection until
/ saint and sinner sem nearer to each
other because Of their immense distance
I from Him until angelic intelligenees bow
| in alteration AT His feet: until far above
/ all principalities and powers. and might
| and dominion, and every name that is
| named. not only i'm this world but in that
| which is 10 come. lie becomes co-cqual as
| He was eo-evai with God the Father and
! the Holy Ghost All tina, must be- my
! ideal who is IT? Paul tells us: Look
/ ing unto Jesus John tells as: We
/ know that We shall be- like Him."
| The thought Is overpowering. Like
: Jesus Like Him, whose ilfe we have
followed with absorbing fascination find
! ins new sweetness and power in II at
each new study; like Him. before whom
all other ideals of life pale and shrivel
+ into nothing. like Him. To whose feet the
redeemed world has brought It's treasure
and upon whose brow Christian scholar
ship has placed It's brightest crown; like
! Him. before whom we have bowed in rev.
crcnt worship using His name as tai
+ isnan by which 70 find the innermost
I heart OF Coo. like Him in whose pres
/ ence chcruhim aud seraphim veil their
: faces and cry Holy. holy. holy. Lord
God Almighty.' Like Hint Can IL be
I possible Wul We ever attain unto thafe
I WIZ there ever come day when al
/ these limitations of time. and all this
. sntrCh OF sin, shall 10 removed so that.
rising higher and higher We shall be re-
nee'tons 81 the cioritlcd Christ? NJ
sou' what an aspiration Ne wonder
f the l3'u,ioo converts when Il ee came
"tf'ff4 tttt9 verse Attteftt UHlfffnNUIEu bN
i's assurance and then exclaimed: No,
+ 1t - too much; let Us gay that We shall
( D. permitted 20 Kiss His feett''
What does IL mean &c be like Him. We
+ cannot srr~osch tAc fuilneSs OF the
Thought ~ once. 1t would lse too radi-
cal a change from the very hest earthly
( experience "a cou3prs bend Hut 4ve NAV
gradually approach IL: We may grow uu
iuto Il. we are 80 study the examine
I loft ~ N Christ. 80 absorb His spirit IN
SEEK thc addition 81 new eracoS untu We
reach the spiritual noontide OF tn.
heavenly glory. II we make clear what
! & Is to begin 90 be BIKE filzn now ana
here. se shah be better prepared In rf.-
F CoSalze the pcrfec, likeness as Il shall
( bo displayed hereafter
\ Likeness In Nimd
u can only he likeness in kind here
net In degree. II Wo are spiritual Suns
( ~ God We arr Ike Him. fer fie slss, is
( the son ~ God, though pegehance th.
4 only e@TctteH 0f the Father fuu 90 grace
and truth, The divinity Ia n}m amounts
E In Deity. lIr is nne with God cn-e4aua]
ant cen-S'ahStantial The divinity in us
rs of the same hiaG, There l. bvt ore
kind. HE possessed Il IN fnu
measure. We ara but t}rgst with
jt as II were he ass alIef with the
Spirit. SLED So as - b. atte "a complete
iv control the world sua vocaueT H. she
fir>h Frd suhs'us u tSe desli ard banlSh
h.w. The d39cCence between tbs strand
80 sasgt ard the Master IN F}fs loa-ggest
hfF IS = difference az degree Every
saved soui pGrgakes II IT'S nature
.--re.a assry~zs -ssa t-.s~S - zss.-.t4u -.