Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-29
HYPNOT|ZED ACE
BY Henry Van Dyke, D. D., L. l.. D.
Author of "Fisherman's Luck" etc.

0 80 lie 80
Author of "Fisherman's Luck" etc
There are but two solutions which
really face the facts in religion. One Is
the black, u~nspeakable creed that the
source Of all things is unknown, mock
ing, malignant Power, whose last and.
most cruel jest is the misery of diser-
chanted man.
The other is the hopeful creed that the
very pain which man suffers when his
spiritual nature is denied is proof that it
exists, n part of the discipline by
which a truthful. loving God o lead
man to Himself. Let the world judge
which is the more reasonable faith.
The disinegration of faith under the
secret process of general skepticism has
not, however, yet gone far enough ito
make the peril of religion evident or ito
a new m~arshalling of hosts to de-
cover and deferred the forsaken shines
Of mans spiritual life. :
When the process which is now sub4ly
working in SO many departments OF CIR
literature has gone farther. it may pe'
needful to call for such a crusade. III
so, 1 believe it will come. !
Is it possible for us to ever find in the
sphere of religion anything so clear and
firm and tangible that we can lay hold of
it's immortal truths as we would the
trunk OF a tree, as we record a fact Iof
history, as we formulate a law Of science
olAu says 4AVo 40 AC0As VAAA VIC tOA4lp
this we know, it cannot be shaken?"
Which view of religion shall We.
adopt? How shall we regard our faith?
rs a power which supposes Inc imaas-
ines and acts as If certain things wdre
true? Or as a power which actually
ties.
Certainly, for my own part, I cannot
but accept he latter view. There is no
rest for my soul anywhere else.
The doctrine of Christ is like the soft
breath of spring, evOking the songs lof
birds and the unfolding of new life. No
fiery chariot of grace swoops down to
snatch men to glory. But a living mes
senger comes forth from God to ask men
to turn and walk back with Him to their
souls home,
Contrast the religion of Jesus Christ
Christianity-with the Oriental religions
n with those forms of Christianity
which have borrowed the garments OF
Buddha, and speak with the accent of
Mahomet.
They despise and slight personality
Christ respects and emphasizes it.
They aim to reduce and evaporate
responsibility. Christ aims to deepen
and increase it.
They point forward to a blank Mir.
a in which the Individual is lost and
absorbed, or a Paradise in which he is
forever lapsed in sensual ease and pleas
. ure.
The age has h~ypnOtiZed itself. It il
drifting steadily toward fatalism. It de.
MES freedom. and therefore it is not free
1t is in bondage ito it's own doubt. tt il
enslaved by it's own denial. If there is
such a thing as liberty, it can only bt
develoved by action, by exercise. Lif'
is self-change to meet environment. Lib
erty is e~lf-eXertion to unfold the soul.
If the Christianity Of today, by dwell
ing exclusively or too much on the eth
ical side of. the gospel as a beautiful ant
beneficent rule of conduct Illustrated b.
a perfect example, tends to ignore tl
intellectual necessities of man and fail
to realize that it has a message to de
liver in the realm of truth, as we'll a
Righteousness, it will not and it ann
meet the deepest wants of the presen
age. Indeed, it may eve naggregate thes
wants, and make them more painfr
1t may seem to give assent by silenc
to the desperate assumption of skept!
cism hat the unseen world is unknow
and unknowable even to the most pc
feet of men.