The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1897-06-05

words that express OcAhSs ~ n eN'N5
lifted Into transeendent meaning. When
required to define life. we seek to reduce
Il tn its lowest terms, and think simply of
organic existence. In this sense the tree
lives. and still more, the animal; but the
word means far other and MORE than thls'
as our every day use OF it indicates. We
sometimes say in our joy, "How good lie
is:n or in our gloom, "L'fe is full OF sor-
rowu We are familiar with the phases of
Itfe's opportunities, life's responsibilities.
We aoree with the poet, Life is real,
life is earnest" and in this use OF 1t
we mean much more by IL than mere
organic existence. We mean conscious
psrsonaI existence in a universe that cor
responds to every need and every power oil
the personality. In the signihcaaee OF
ffa we include the entire circle OF exPer-
sie ices and activities, with their results In
character that pertain to the career from
its beginning to it's close, and In TINS
notion of life, Influenced as 1t IS by our
= q = life, we conceive these exper-
. 1..+. anal activities and results as to be
Vi 4.I md in all respects good. How
I. 4&I. ..r|fIs fine life in this our best and
ciearest use OF il? We might almost as
we'll try to define the inii1ity. Can we
m ,asure the depths OF the sky or the mum
h.r of the clouds thereof? Lille includes
ali good, aud death, its opposite, Is the
orandest, the very sum OF all ills We can
not define them, but one day AS we a'e
t,r,ing the pages OF an old book that is
uarv fulI of hope and surprises to those
,vho use IL well. we are startled as our
ewes fall upon the words, to ind at length
the words, Life and Death" defined.
The Apostle Paul says, to be spiritually
minded is life. Let us see'lf we can Apply
this to life as we know it. What Is ~ 10
be spiritually minded? It IS To pave
sunerior regard for the human interests
that are not simply physical and material.
The thinking faculty dweIls upon sub
iects that are spiritual-the true, the
heautiful and the good. Morals, or press
ing duty, and endeavOr are elements oi
4bis Al here OF life. Love, hope and falth
are nowers that operate in this sphere.
PraiIs piayer, meditation-.'hese are
aon,a of their activities. Character Is
Droduet of the spiritual realm; these
nowers. activities, results, combining to
form the spiritual mind. The Apostle
savs these things constitute life. n NV we
ask again. can we apply this to life as We
know itP IL we cannot define life, let US
aaa ~ we can describe its contents. Can
ue index the voIum can we separate lie
into its deoartm-nIs2 As we see II irD
o1r standooint in the midst OF its con-
ficts. IL is made up from, perhIps, oi
tbasa cI4sses or relations and duties.
First. the relations and duties of bus
iness. second, domestic and family
relations and duties; third, social relations
and dut- g ;fourth, the pursuit of pleasurei
afth. the seeking of knowledge. This
makes M life as we see il and know 1t
without any religious Interpretation OF it
hrouebt from without. We suppose there
are some who would say: "Yes, these
things make up life, they must, they do,
they shall have done with your vagaries
Nothing can take these experiences and
activities out Of Iife." Let us try these
classes one at a time and see II 81. Pduf5
idea is not, after al our own.
We consider first, the department OF
business life. There is a man who gives
all his attention to business day In ana
dav ont: he thinks of it, he even dreams
of IL at night, he lRbor5 all the while
under it's burdens, he devotes his powers
to its service, his very soul Is absorbed In
a.. he becomes indeed. very slave of his
business The routine OF IL fixes Itself on
his life until he seems TO be very
machine, he has lost his Individuality
He is simply business man The
APOSTLE says this man is dead The nobler
faculties OF. his soul are lost, he keeps his
aves upon the ground aud turns them not
to heaven, and in the end we too say. tb4-
wss a useless life. But suppose that
had been touched by the power of
divine; suppose that mind had 6FNH