The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-04-22
TRUE LOVE FOR GOOD
QUlCKENS PERCEPTION.


.Blind. Deaf and Dumb was the sub
ject of the sermon delivered Sunday morn
ing by w. Daviess Pittman at Second
Christian Church. The speaker took for
his text: This peoples heart Is waXed
gross. and their ears are dull OF hearing.
and their eyes the have closed: lest at
any time they should see with their eyes.
and hear with their ears, and should I'M
derstand with their heart. and should be
converted, and l should heal them" Matt.
Mil. 10. He said in part:
Many are the misfortunes in life, but TO
be blind, deaf and dumb, would be ac-
counted the sorest of all Affections. We
who have the use Of these God-given
faculties. perhaps. do not fully appreciate
them. TO see the beauties OF nature. the
faces and forms Of our loved ones, and the
work of our own hands; To hear the music
Of the ripping stream or the song birds, the
voices OF those who are near and dear to
Us. or the grand Grafton OF the moving
world about us: to speak the pent-up eel
word of mouth to our joys or sorrows: all
these are blessings beyond our highest con-
ceptfon. and yet we receive and enjoy Them
without a full and adequate appreciation OF
good and perfect gifts to men.
But our text would indicate that there
are eyes tlAl, SSelUE. see Eols anu ears
that. hearing. hear not. They see and hear
some things. but do not see and hear many
things that Goo intended that they should
perceive: and. not perceiving, they do not.
Of course, give expression by their lips to
that which they have not perceived. There
is a natural vision and hearing, and there
is a supernatural, and only those who are
enabled TO See and hear both naturally and
systematically, can be said to enjoy to the
fullest. all that God has in store for his
children. Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God'-see him in every
thing: in nature, In science, in art. in their
own lives and in their destiny. What a
the work of his hands! To such a man
there is a deeper meaning and a rarer
beauty in everything, and he enjoys to the
fullest all that enters into his life. Blessed
are your ears. for they hear'-hear what?
The usual sounds? Yes, but more; they hear
also the unusual sounds. such as others do
not hear. Their ears are attuned to the
wonderful teaching of his Son.
The Apostle Peter. in his second general
sraces. Starting with faith kishn as a or fo mntia,ian
and building thererpon in consecutive or
der. virtue. knowledge. temperance, pa
charity. After commencing these graces to
the brethren. he concludes by saying: He
that lacketh these things is blind and cam
nimde see sba aIa !, on ONE possese fbe we must biu simeon, een-
natural or spiritual vision is so keen as to
enable him to see all the beauties that may
.Thn a Wa5sin the Psr scope Pc Of ar; the eye Of If faith nh.
rinthians. says: II our Gospel be hid. it is
hid to them that are lost: in whom the
God Of this world hath blinded the minds
OF them which believe not, lest the light
Of the glorious Gospel OF Christ. who is
The image Of God, should shine into Them
This would give us to understand that the
by the Gospel Of the Son Of God. Is that
they have permitted the God Of this world
TO blind their minds. The Apostle John
al0o fhrnKQ n little light ar this darkness
when he states: He that hateth his brother
is in darkness. and walketh in arkness
The darkness hath blinded his eyes: evil
IDENTIFY teaching us that they who persist
entity dwell in the darkness of sin become
blinded to the glorious light Of the Gospel
beauties that It reveals.
IA significant passage Of Scripture re-
ing to the church at laodica says Of the
people constituting that church, who were
neither hot nor cold. but lukewarm. that.
creased Gess i" with goods Ss and have need Of moth
ing yet, he says to them: Thou knowest
not that thou art wretched. and miserable.
thus would indicate the very worst form Of
spiritual blindness. to be 30 blind as not to
perceive ones real condition. Perhaps the
reason Of II might be seen in their Self-sut-
ficiency and earthly wealth.
sWhat we want to get at is, first, is there
a supernatural or spiritual sense OF sighe
ana aSs,, nsai,n I sp aaG: to semen %en eng in the
affairs Of business life. whose eyes see only
the work and toll before them. and the re-
ward that they hope to receive for their
strueeie: and whose ears hear only the busy
whirl of factory wheels or the exciting IalR
in the market places; 1 speak 70 women
cares and anxieties. or the dizzy panorama
Of. the social world. and whose ears near
only the vexatious cries of their CHILDREN
or the gossip of the d~rawing-room or neigh.
kneAnnA oh hYnfhor SiSterI there Is SO
much more for you to see and hear: Llft
up your eyes and gaze afar OF to the beau
and heer the music of his voice In the
world about you. Extend your horizon. ana
look beyond your own shop and home, ana
beyond the ordinary: ey ,aI GAYS s'i P,t voar
hands to your ears and listen to. the voices
that call you onward and upward to hisher
planes plan, r OF hs ssTs h Sn1 be pe nG1 c Searing, "i 10!
perhaps the secret Of how to obtain this
might be found in the life Of King David.
who was q man after Gods own heart be-
cause he had eye. and ears with which ne
w:rs not SLOW to speak his praise. When
he 9axed upon the starry heavens, he ex-
cSsiEed in rapturous delight: The heavens
s:casrs sn the ElG H. S Sa GSa; sn' 'he n'"a-
tho mission OF the Master. as ne pro-
claimed It at the beginning Of his ministry.
Vas 10 preach the IeCoSeAiiS VI sNo
blind and this refers. not only to his re,
storing the sightless orbs to, such as blind
Baftimeus. but also the opening Of the eyes
Of his disciples that they might see the
King IN his beauty and behold In every
thing the glory Of the Father; likewise 10
unYtop the ears Of those who would hear
hig teaching, and catch throughout the uni
verse the refrain of Gods wondrous love
to the children OF men. To such as become
his Disciples and receive as a perennial gift
the spiritual sense OF seeing and hearing
their iips Will be unsealed and will give
co0ffnual expression to the Joys and rap