Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-28
the third Heaven caught UP Into
Paradise and heard unspsaifa-
Bile words"-st Paul.

Bile words."-st. Paul.
Mr. Drummond's book on the ascent
OF Man" is very brilliant. 1t Is splendid
intellectual fancy-work. But It does more
credit to the vigor and brightness OF his
mind and his elaborate and fine educa-
ton than to the soundness OF his judg-
ment and his loyalty to the Holy Scrip
lures. Many features Of mans present
being make en- end Of evolution. HIS
body is complete; but 1t evolved up 70 Its
present status. Then the spirit throws
or it's she'll and mortal coil. and evolves
Godward, shining more and moro to
iife's perfect day. 1t Is an indirect sub
stituts for the simple story: God made
man Of tho dust OF the earth.
To an ordinary man, not over-much
fond Of theorizing, mans ascent In vari-
Gus ways is interesting.
A dull. Flooding, drudging, monotonous
tramp on a low level is hard to bear.
noyances and worries that almost SUBJ
merge US in the slough OF disgust and
dependency. and the conclusion instinct
lively forces itself on US: We must get
out Of this. There must be some way OF
rising, Of ascending. The ascent OF man
must be accomplished. If that may not
be done in very fact, 1t may be done in
fancy. The brain is the judge. The
judge sees true things with its own natu-
raj eyes. Bswildered, perverted, disor-
. oil M HnfinpG n
stead Of making great and high realities.
We intoxicate the brain, and fill IL with
wild fancies, vain imagnations. We get
drunk. And we have a great many ways
OF getting drunk. We can get high"
with liquor. But we can intoxicate and
fire our brains to white heat by many
other means A man may think him
self into memoranda by concentrating
his mind on almost any subject. So he
thinks himself into being Caesar or
Washington; sometimes into being Apollo
or the great Jupiter. Short of these, in
tense self-conceit may think itself away
I'D in the air. No one knows what inn
mense and lofty affairs walk our streets,
while We, OF the common crowd, never
suspect their imaginings. Big man me!
Captain Bobv So says the crazy In
dian.
But ascent is instructive with U.S. And
We have the instinct OF rising into a
higher sphere in common with every
thing that lives and grows. Yet, We, as
moral and accountable beings, have the
choice OF what and how shall be our
rising. And the question Is: To what
level and sphere are We aspiring, and
what are TO be our high places2
The common. ignorant crowd has only
~ ~ kafuur tfsfad n and nf helm n
looked at. or talked up. Their ambition
Is sweetly gratined by seeing their
names In the papers or their faces dis
played abroad, by being in the chair Of
criticism, little dreaming OF the missiles
they invite.
Politicians ascend from place to place,
and rejoice in their exaltations, not
leaving their vices or vulgarties down
below; nay, rather gathering as they
20, like the chimney-sweep, and top
ping more and more on their way up,
the higher the more insecure. Ideal
craftsmanship is another thing.
The mere Spectator is mere balloon,
Initiating himself with vain hopes and
fancles to the point of bursting. His last
scene is collapsed, fallen bladder
diminished, shrunk, and valueless-a
concentration of bitter disappointment:
6unS leGtN, sans eyes, Gclllo tNNAs NAiihbt
Then comes the ascent OF the poet,
the ambitious student, and the psycholo-
gist. How often is this rising of the
very nature Of that OF the common
crowd. calling the love Of notoriety by
the fine name OF fame! How pitiful to
see the embers Of this in withered old
age. asking piteously d little dole OF
notice. with crust of bread; a mere
newspaper notice-his name In print.
And what an inebriety is the most sue
eessful ascent of these inflated balloons.
They despise earthly things and natural
laws. and their whole organism Is dis
ordered They show their disorders in
their skin. complexion, gait; In every
sense and in their whole appearance.
They despise natures appointments for
them. and nature makes them ridiculous,
their works vanity and vexation OF
spirit.
why, what a peevish fool was he OF
Crete,
That taught his son the Office Of fowl,
And yet, for all his wings, the fool was
drowned.
That Is the true tale of most sky
scrapers.
And vet the desire TO ascend Is natural;
and there must be a right way up, natu-
raj, true, and Heaven-appointed.
The Christian religion, the New Tesla
ment, following and fulfilling the Old
offers man the true ascent. The ascent
is typifed by Jacobs ladder reaching
from earth TO Heaven. The ascent OF the
heathen-the way TO the stars-was by
the ways OF virtue. Indifferent as was
their stairway, the Stoic's devotion TO
virtue showed a wonderful development
OF manhood. But his way was unsteady,
his ideal vague and uncertain. The ideal
and worship Of the Christian Is divine.
His steps upward rest on the very soul
of manhood, which is faith in divine
realisticg-the substance of things hoped
for. the evidence Of things unseen. The
rungs OF his ladder are faith, virtue
knowledge, temperance, patience, bro
therly kindness. and charity. HIS inspi-
ration Is: They that wait upon the Lord
shall mount up with wings as eagles.
They shall run and not be weary; they
.hall walk and not be faint. And the
great promise is: The path OF the just Is
az the shining light, that shineth more
and more 10 the perfect day. Eye hath
not seen nor ear heard; neither hath it
entered into the heart OF man to conceive
what blessing He hath prepared for them
Him