Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-07

! many SNA'A AHiIBb, HdEu 10 De UNDER
stood, when the walls OF our earthly
house OF this tabernacle are broken
down and our vision is expanded in
the light OF eternity. Meanwhile, things
are dark and confused, and our know
ledge Is very unsatisfactory: at best 1t
Is only suggestive. Even suggestiveness
Is limited by the mind on which II ope-
rates. Minds range from the cornstalk
| fiddle, the Tom-Tom, the mufled drum.
up to the harp Of a thousand strings,
responsive to Heavenly music. And
every man and community, as well
as every people. has his own vocabulary
and meaning for literal symbols.
What is meant by Spirits in Prison"
Is one thing to a profound and laborious
investigator Of Biblical mysteries: 1t
is another to the thoughtful observer
OF living men and societies. II is a COM
mon expression that certain people are
wrapped up in certain things that in
terest them, that they have but one
idea, that they cannot see or hear or
talk about anything that does not bear
upon their specialties. These people are
shut up in prison and bound with
thongs-and enjoy their Imprisonment:
And they resent any effort to release
them. They hug their chains, and rejoice
in their confinement.
We are all more or less shut up in egg
shells: And our lives are consumed while
We are being Matched or breaking our
way out. In very truth, the history of
mankind Is the story of the Matching OF
humanity, until it shall reach the glorious
liberty Of the Children of Light! a
grand evolution. Monotheism In the
bosom Of Abraham, shut in by surround
ing heathenism, expanded into the Jew
ish Faith: the Jewish Faith expanded,
etfloresced, and matured into Chris
tianity; Early Christianity was wrapped
in the swaddling bands of standardization
and heresy, and Matched out in a Renais-
sance: Philosophy was imprisoned in
syllogisms, and came forth into Light
and Life of Induction through the
strength and courage of Lord Bacon
In little and great matters, in all his
tory, public and private, release from
Imprisonment has been the life of narra-
tive. The struggle for Freedom has been
the business OF the people, and the glory
Of nations.
With individuals and society, the strug-
gle has been and is and will be, for a
long time to come, near about the same.
The spirit is imprisoned in the flesh:
walled in by bones and sinews, but worse
still, controlled by lusts; and a life
long war goes on. THE mortal body
presses down the mind that muses. upon
many things"-keeps 1t imprisoned. And
the struggle of life is for freedom of the
spirit from the confinement of sense and
ignorance. Indeed, we go about as ii were
in sentry boxes, or with iron armor
ryeted or locked upon us. We are all
wrapped closely by prejudices, by habits.
by peculiar notions, and pet ideas, by
pride and self conceit, by our fears, and
our passions and false gods, our mis-
taken ideas OF what is good. And then
society, with its principalities and the
rulers of the darkness of this world,
the powers Of the air, false, and vicious
public opinion, false maXims, the Glamour
and excitement Of crowds, popular
sensations, fashion and conyentonality
with all their forms of despotism dOmi-
nate us. All these ill our world with |
false gods that keep us in wretched. |
abject imprisonment and subsection, utter !
slavery. And under these conditions !
all spirits are in prison.
IL is a pitiful thing TO see the little |
prisons in which spirits pass their brief |
sojourn on earth-the wretched box-cars |
in which they are transported often from |
ba huF no
early manhood, to the grave. Selfshness |
in all its forms, encrusts. builds a hard, !
cold wall that chills the spirit within.
builds its own prison-house,
coated inside with mirrors to amuse its
victim. Entire devotion TO any profess !
sion or pursuit bends down and effectually |
mprisons the spirit. Law and medi- |
cine and even professional theology have |
many in prison for life and hard /
abor fenced i'm with narrow ideas. |
Every branch Of science has its poor |
shut up TO one idea. And trade |
and mechanics have their devotees, |
bound for life to hard service, within |
small circle of ideas, beyond whose limit |
and dead-line they have no existence. |
Every occupation wherein man gives |
himself up, body, soul, and spirit, is
liable to become a prison.
The prisons Of lost character and vice
ire horrible. But the prisons Of high
life, where pride, avarice, ambition, and
utter and intense selhshness wall them
selves i'm with high and adamantine |
walls and shut out the very light Of
Heaven are, in their way, inhuman and
fearful enclosures.
Light and idle spirits are boxed up In
very light and thin, but quite effectual
0 keep them in. Hide-bound is a general
ERIN for common Imprisonment.
out Of all these prisons and hopeless
,dhditions, it IS the business. the honor,
he glory of manhood 10 escape. and
.chieye it's freedom, in the light Of
IeaVen: large and general as the casing
.ir. The worship Of absolute, perfect
lyine manhood, In the person Of the
on of Man, can alone bring deliverance.
he Truth shall make you free.