The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-04-10

uudu udS SHOWN ulH5elI lOV6T Vi
truth, and ready to wreathe his chap
let for the brow of him who comes
with better announcement in
science, civil economy, ethics, esthet
les, or religion. The search for knowl-
edge has been an arduous one, and
the JOY at its discovery one of the
profoundest and most honorable that
is known to the human heart. Type
of his race, type of man, was that an
Gent Greek, who, as some great idea
dawned on his searching mind, rushed
into the street, crying, 81 have found
it, have found itp Thus devotee
of truth is the intellect. To confirm
theory we see a Columbus sailing
into the boundless mystery of the
ocean, and DR.. Kane and Sir
John franklin confronting the perils
of the polar sea. While the geolo-
gists are delving in the deep places
Of the earth, questioning the strata of
rocks and sand for their secrets, the
astronomers are soaring into the
heavens to bring down knowledge
from sun and star. What a mark
of the love of truth was that scene
where "our scholars hurried to the
far West to study the last eclipse
of the sun, and half score of new
sciences met on that mountain sum-
NIT to ask the shadow to tell them
something about the star depths and
the throne of TIE Almighty" Astron-
omer, chemist, chronographer, photo
graph er all met on that Rocky noun
tain plateau, each one eager to catch
some new secret or confirm some old
one in connection with that rare event.
1t was long chase for ideas, which
afford more JOY than Golfers of gold.
With what zeal are the naturalists of
today studying animal and plant, to
see what new law of origin and later
experience they may discover; and
with no greater zest are the novels
read than are the pages of Darwin
and Tyndall and Agassiz and Gray.
A million of rare minds are eagerly
waiting on Herbert Spencer for his
last word in metaphysics and morals;
but the most signal joy of the last
fifty years has been derived from the
more advanced thinking of the peo-
pie in matters of religion.
The Puritan creed has been put
aside for more rational and humane
theology with measure of gladness
that seems quite ready to join some
sort of triumphal procession in honor
of the more liberal thinkers, the Chan
nings, Ballous, Canon Farrars, Beech
ersand David Swings! With tumult of
acclaim these bringers of new lights
have been hailed. Ever has better
thinking about God and man and
duty and immortality been welcomed,
as the morning is greeted as it dawns
on the darkness of night; and this la
test revision of ideas on these su
preme questions, making of the mid
die half of our century an epoch, has
been hailed with the rarest JOY. Be-
hold the witnesses of this gladness.
The Puritan cloud has been lifted
from the human face; the doleful
minor of the ancestral voice has
passed into a cheerful major, and
the music now most heard in our
churches are the glorias rather than
the misereres. Our modern Chris
tian era is touched with the sunlight.
Our poetry is set in hopeful keys, and
asks to be read in sunny hours, when
we are breathing the fragrance of
flowers, or watching the golden glow
of the stars. or sitting in the company
of friends. In the home there are now
many joys which generation back
were shut outside the door; and at
length the parson may come to see us
wearing smile and the deacon may
be little festive. The beauty and
gladness of nature are no longer re-
preached by the gloom of religion,
but a more cheerful piety gives back
happy response to the trolling mel
ody of bird-song," the springs smile
and the summers ripper gladness.
Thus is our age in manner casting
its palms in the path of the bringers
of new lights in science, in art, in re-
ligion, and in sounding its hosannas
as the procession advances. The time
halls with honor and gladness the ad-
vancing thinkers.
III.
And from this broader study of
the Joy which all truth awakens, and
especially all truth that dawns from
higher realm, let us learn one secret
of the exultation of that little band
that stood around Jesus, the most
inspired -bringer of the ages.
Hardly can we realize. to whom the