The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-11-12
THE TIMES: RICHMOND VA. SUNDAY. NOVEMBER r. 1899

| enlightment might term the darkness OF
| blind rituallstic obedience. but he who
| reads the real meaning Of these ghetto
| tragedies Will understand that 20 these
| very ones. over whose lives had fallen
| the darkness OF the shadow Of that age
| enduring tragedy. had come light, that
| was 10 them the monday sun. They
may have been the people that walked
| in the darkness Of crassest ignorance in
the very night Of mental and intelIee-
tual blindness. but they saw great
| light the light spiritual. that Is Invisible
10 eyes covered over with the film OF fol-
| ~. or OF sehshness or OF unbelef. a light
that rendered their lives goriously ra-
| diant with the shining splendor Of unset
fish devotion. OF self-sacrihcing loyalty
| 70 lofty ideals. light that dispeilcd
| every shadow. lishtened every burden.
| comforted every sorrow. eased every diff
| fculty. turned their night into day. their
| very midnight into noon and shOne with
| undiminishing brightness. for II was a
ray from the Shechinah itself a beam
from God's own perpetual lamp.
WHO ARE THEY?
| And what Is true for the Grctto deni-
zens IS no less true for those who move
| or the wide avenues of the freer lie.
| Who are they that walk I'm darkness? A
| Christian gentleman asked me yesterday
| If it meant all those who do not believe
| in Judaism. lie may have put the ques-
| tion thus in jest and possibly did. but it
is some Christians way OF look
| ing at things. rather 1t IS the view Of
| Christian theology. There are many
| Christians who are superior 10 their
! theological dogmas. The doctrine that ii
! and IT alone possessed the key TO the
| gate Of heaven. has been the claim OF
many a Christian sect. ] know that
/ on the other hand Judaism has been de-
| nOunced as being narrow. exclusive and
| self-sufiicient. But that Is only a part
| Of the great misunderstanding from
which It has always suffered Doubtless
| I'm the days of their national splendOr and
| supremacy Jewish believers may have
thought that they alone walked in the
| proper path. but from earliest days the
| leaders and teachers Of Israel. those who
voiced its true message protested
! against the assumption of sole exclusive
! spiritual sovereignty, and declared that
| the grace Of God was not the gilt Of
/ creed bat Of conduct. In the sayings OF
| the Fathers a Rabbi said. that theory
| is not the main thing but conduct" and
| the truest expression is found IN the
! Talmud (Sauhedrin) that 1.-THE righteous
even Of the heather have a share In the
! world 20 come"
SENTIMENT GROWING.
This noble sentiment is growing more
| and more into the heart OF the humanity
| as the world is growing older and wiser
| We are beginning 10 appreciate the fact
| that It is not the manner Of mans be-
lief that is Of value, but the manner in
which his belief affects and influences his
| life. his bearing as an individual and his
| relations with his neighbOr and his fellow
man. The creed Of a man Is not the es-
| sential thing it is how that creed IS
| ytalized how IL is translated into con-
! duct, into deeds. words. judgments. speech
! and action.
Some might go so far as to say that IL
does not make any difference whether a
man has any belief at all. 50 long as the
| conduct is correct. But that is wrong.
| II does make a difference. You might
as we'll say that IL does not make any
difference what sort of a foundation a
house has, so long as the house Is built
| right. Faith. is the foundation and
| motive Of conduct and that conduct only
is righteous that Is truly motvcd In its
| last ANALYSIS atheism ever the most re-
fined and iieaiizcd. is selfish. Genuine
faith gives love and unselfshness as the
motive OF life. ana this. FOR these two are
one is the light Of life and they who
walk without it are they that walk in
darkness.
Those who lead selfish lives are those
who walk wifuly in darkness a darkness
into which no light penetrates There
may be faith. an accepted creed a reg
ular congregational afiiilati1n even reg
| nar service attendance. but 10 is not the
faith that is a factor Of Hfe. that per
| meates IL. dominates II. gives il motive
| purpose and goal. 10 is only perfume
| tory birthrlght. that may give forth
| spark when struck under the stress Of
critical and soul-stiTing moments. but
under normal conditions it is as dead and
| useless as the flint
REWARD OF SELFIsHNEsS.
What does a man get from life when
! he works for himself and himself alone2
| Can gratiied wishes and surfeited desires
and wealth beyond the dreams OF avarlce
| atone for and desOlati0n and friendless-
ness? Let the miser ON his miserable death
bed give answer. DO power and posi-
ton and dominion and sovereignty atone
| for lovelessness and with loneliness Let
| a Napoleon dying on lonely St Helena
| give answer. DO sensual pleasures and
! outworn passions ami cloeged appetites
atone for the loss Of the purer joys and
| the chaster happiness OF iire2 Let the
! decropit and pain-permeatel rOue whose
| life is darkenng in the burni-Out ashes
OF wasted energies .rt him answer. These
! an have walked I'm Wilfui darkness They
saw no light or If 10 shone toward them
| they shut their eyes 20 10. They are
! the ones that the prophet describe i'm his
| 59th chapter. THAT grope. like the blind
on tho wall. that walk at MONDAY as
though il were twilight" that have
| eyes but see not for the black mantle
! Of sclhshness has fallen over them.
But Isaiah speaks OF those who walk
In darkness and see a great light Who
| are they2 TO answer shortly, this means
all of us. The whole human race walks
| I'm the darkness of It's ignorance. its
! weakness and its human limitations. but
| the light that shiueth toward as and
| that we can see II we wifi. is the light Of
Gods presence. His all-eufoldng, all
| directing all-merciful wisdom. that guides
| out footsteps. that directs the shuttle OF
| life. so that it weaves the patterns u
His plans in the wool Of the circlink
| years And those who VIII open their
| eyes to see, can behold this glorious light.
Ii comes from the central sun of faith
| and II shines with clear and brilliant
blaze. strong as the suns strongest rays.
| gentle as the moons s0ftest beams, stead
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