The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-03-30

still better to choose some one great
author and grow thoroughly farniliar with
him. For as all roads lead TO Rome so
they all likewise lead thence; and you
will find that In order TO understand per-
fectly and weigh exactly any really vital
piece OF literature you will be gradually
and pleasant persuaded 10 studies and
explanations Of which you little dreamed
when you began. and you Will find your
selves scholars before you are aware IL
l may be allowed a personal Illustration
Il was my own profound admiration for
the divine comedy OF Dante that lured
me into what little learning / possess. For
remember that there IL nothing less fruit
full than scholarship for the sake OF mere
scholarship. nor anything more weari-
some In the attainment But the mo-
ment you have an object and a centre.
attention Is quckened. the mother OF
memory and whatever you acquire groups
and arranges itself in an order which
is lucid because It Is everywhere I'm In
telligent relations TO an object or constant
and growing interest"
That quotation suggested this text and
sermon. The presentation in new form
OF the old and familiar idea that capacity
TO remember is the faculty OF association
and that all we really know groups and
arranges itself about one central pivot
point. To hold many facts In the mind
isolated and severed may he a mechan-
ical feat but IL is not knowledge and Is
far removed from the realm OF scholar
ship; but 10 grasp one thing and relate
all about that and grow out from 1t Is to
come inside the realm OF truth.
LEADS TO THE KINGDOM.
It is the same method that may lead us
inside the kingdom .of God. Life is one.
The personality is not divided Knowl-
edge and faith may be distinct mani
festations Of life. But II IL the same life.
The laws that govern our intellectual
growth govern the development OF the
spiritual life. To know how one comes
from A. II. into the world Of Homer
and Dante may help one 10 understand
how one may come from the tiny faith
illustrated by the mustard seed TO the
faith that removes mountains. But TO
find the single germ OF that faith. TO
discover the one thing. that's the rule
We command men 10 believe. and we
out of the depths of our experience feel
tho force and FIRE Of faith but how snali
they believe. II is easier to state the
what than that knotty how. Easier n,hod 40
easier to state many things than one
thing. Faith is as hard and harder than
works. We can force the hands wnen en
the heart In dumb. We can command
the will when the soul is speechless.
We are speaking this morning TO men
who think and are questioning along run
damental lines the certainty and the posi-
tiveness OF religious faith and life. We
have stated strong objections against our
text. The difficulties. psychology, scr
ence and our own doubts and Tears I'M
ogy that our faith in the one thing WAS
shaken. Let psychology in the person
Of one Of It's oblest repfssentanHsss rrU Of
the differences and discrepancies OF
creeds. Have they any unity? Is there
any one thing on which they all agree!
deiiverance. in which all religions appear
TO meet. IT consists of two parts; an un-
easiness and second its solution. Inc
uneasiness, reduced TO It's simplest TERMS,
is a sense that there is something wrong
about us as we naturally stand. inc
solution is n sense that we are saved
from the wrongness by making connec-
us Gn so %'is far as ssees se suffers from his
ness and criticises II, is TO that extent
consciously beyond IL. and in at leasi
possible touch with something higher II
anything higher exists. Along with the
wrong part there is thus a better pari
OF him. even though II may be but
6 most nepless germ W'p hens wn1ch Is psbI bv
means obvious at this stage, but when
the stage OF solution or salvation arrives
the man identifies his real being with the the
so in the following way. He becomes
conscious that this higher part is con.
taminous and continuous with more or
the same quality which is operative III
the universe outside OF him, and which
he can keep in working touch with and
in a fashion get on board OF and save
gone TO pieces in the wreck. It seems
to me that all the phenomena are accu
rately describable in these very simple
general terms" This is the statement
OF a man eminent In the domain or psy-
chology.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN
What does Il all mean? II means his.
that the one thing every man can know
and which every man must know, II ne
stops 10 think. is that there is some
thing wrong about the natural man. The
man, as he says. az he naturally stands.
This is a judgment that we ourselves pass
upon ourselves Some OF us do IL every
day. To be conscious Of that wrongness
and TO criticise 1t means that we are in
sense above II. There is something IN
US better than that. and that something
we find and know TO be our true selves
Yet there is something outside of us and
beyond us of the same quality as that
true self within us and as we by dying 10
our false self and live In that larger
true self we in a fashion get on board
and save ourselves when all our lower
being has gone to pieces in the wreck ls
this anything different from the con-
ception OF Jesus, who taught the frailty
infinite value on the human soul, the
true man. who proclaimed that this true
man was child or Cpod, Dorn IN MS
image. and who. just in so far as he
came to the father, realized himself. Was
Il not Jesus who said Of the Prodigal: I:
when he came To himself he said, !
will arise and go TO my Father.
No. we are not religious. we do not
believe In God: we stay outside. the pale
OF Christian living: we do not know one
thing. because the one thing we can know
is the one thing OF which we will not take
cognizance. We will not think Re
lgion lies not on the surface of things.
IL lies in the profoundest depths. We
can Journey through life unaware OF the
fact that we have a soul. We can, we
do disguise the immortal truth In our
own hearts. We say we are worthy,
We thank God we are not as other men
are and II is not until the storm and the
whirlwind come and we stand face to face
with life as II is that We see our un-
worthiuess and cry out God be merciful
TO me, sinner.
The man who cannot find starting
point for religion Is the man who does
not want TO assume the burden and re-
sponsiblllty of the religious life. He is
the man interested In art. i'm preaching. In
business, I'm medicine and Is not inter
acted An ito itself To think Ia 70 know