Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-07-16
THE THREE TEMPLES.
BY mis- Eminsnce CARDINAL sfboous.


been sanctihed by the presence of God
our Savior-the temple of nature. the
| temple Of Solomon and the living temple
of the soul.
Christ our redeemer sanctified the tenn
! pie of nature when he descended from the
bosom of his Father and became mani
fest to the world which he had created.
On entering into this planet on the night
| of his birth the choir that greeted him
was that of the angels. who sang, Glory
! to God in the highest and on earth peace,
good will to men," The first temple in
which man ever worshiped his maker
was the dome of nature, under whose
mighty arch all mankind are assembled,
Ii was only in this God-created temple
that the human family gave praise 10
their heavenly Father for 5000 years,
from Adam to Soiomon's time. 1t was
under this majestic vault that Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob offered prayers and sac
rifices to the Lord. 1t was under this
roof of hea zen that the royal prophet
received his inspiration to compose those
immortal psalms which have been the
delight and consolation Of all succeeding
generations. 1t was while contemplating
the works of the G. ltion that he ut
tered those sublime words, THE heay-
chs declare the glory of God and his
armament announces the works OF his
hands. 0 Lord. our Lord. how admirable
Is thy name throughout the entire world.
And if We also contemplate the works
of God, not with the cynical eye of the
agnostic or of the uadevout astronomer,
but in the fervent spirit of the Psalmist,
We could, like him. rise from nature TO
natures God" Thus all of Gods crea-
lures are 4 mirror rejecting his omnipo-
tence. We would find tongues in trees
and books III running brooks, sermons in
stones and good in everything. Nay, we
would find God himself in everything.
for, with the apostles of the Gentiirs, we
would be convinced that the Invisible
hand of God, his attributes, his power
and divinity are clearly seen, being made
manifest by the things which are ere
ated.
But. alas. we walk the earth as
thoughtlessly as children who walk
through parental halls, without recoeniZ-
ing the ancestral portraits looking down
from tie walls. We fail to observe the
portrait of one Father stamped upon the
palace of nature which he created. Did
we contemplate the works of the uni
verse with a deycGt spirit we would be-
hold the image of our Father suspended
from the dome of heaven and marked on
every star Of the armament and in every
leaf of the forest For they all cry out
with one voice, Thou, o Lord, hast made
US and not we ourselves"
The second temple erected to the wor-
ship of God was the temple of Jerusalem.
The Gospel tells US that the Saviour was
brought into the temple by his parents to
be consecrated to the Lord, in accordance
with the Mosaic law. At the same mo-
ment an aged man named Simeon, devout
and God-fearng, was admonished by the
Holy Spirit that the promised Messiah
was in his temple. frompteu rhus, he
entered the sanctuary and instantly rec
ognized the infant.
If Simeon had not responded to the in
spiration Of heaven. he would have died
without ever contemplating the promised
Redeemer. BY obeying the secret voice
of the Holy Ghost, he was rewarded by
beholding, in the flesh, the Saviour of
mankind and thus he enjoyed privilege
which was not vouchsafed to Moses or
Abraham or Isaac or Jacob or to any
of the prophets Thus it is that every
grace we receive is a link in the chain of
our immortal destiny. Let us see that
20 link in the chain is broken or lost
through our fault. The same Holy Ghost
that inspired Simeon to enter the temple
of Solomon moves us in these days 10
seek his sanctuary. The same Lord that
greeted Simeon welcomes you also. If
you receive the hidden Lord into your
breast with as much faith or devotion
as Simeon had when he received him
into his arms you will also have Gods
benediction upon you.
The third temple in which the Holy
Ghost dwells is the sanctuary of the de-
vout soul The noblest material edifce
that ever was erected by the hand Of man
from Solomons temple down to ST. Pc
ter's basilica in Rome. IS but perisha-
bic, decayng monument compared to the
temple OF the soul when it is illumined
with the light of faith and adorned with
the jewels of virtue. Even the temple
of nature itself is inferior in grandeur
to the temple of the soul, as matter is
inferior to spirit, or time to eternity. For
when the great dome of nature shall be
demolished, when the stars shall grow
dim with years, the temple of the soul
will live and move and have its being.
OF all material temples in contrast with
the temples of the soul, we can truly say
in the language of the Psalmist. They
shall perish, but thou shalt endure, and
all of them shall grow old as a garment
and as a vesture. Thou shalt change
them and they shalt be changed, but thou
o Immortal, art the self-same, and thy
years shalt not fail" The self-same in
deed in immortal existence, but how diff
ferent in eternal destiny. The soul shall
survive either as a desecrated monument
or rejecting his glory to all eternity
Not only do we read Gods work by
means of the interior light. but we can
hear the voice of the Lawgiver himself,
secretly preaching to us. Who can say
that he has not heard that Preacher.
whether he is Christian or infidel. Jew
or Gentle, civilized or savage, learned
or unlearned? Tell me, don't you hear
whispering to you in the sanctuary OF
your soul?
At one time he commands. exhorts. en-
treats and impels you to noble and gener-
Gus deeds at another he restraints. holds
you back, cautions you against the preci-
rice to which Your passions carry you.
Now ne thunders in your ears words Of
condemnation and reproach and hlls you
with bitter renorse. Again, you hear his
sweet voice praising and c0Unselips and
dif7using through you Joy and consolation.
saying: Well done, thou good aud faith
f1l servant
SIN OF sELF-INDULGENCE.
BY Rev Frederick Hopkins.