The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-23
CHARACTER AND VISION
SUBJECT OF A SERMON
Rev. Harry Blunt, of Plymouth
Church, Dwells on the Laws
of Seeing.
SOME PERTINENT POINTS

Character and Vision was the subject
of the Rev Harry Blunt's sermon at Plym-
outh Church yesterday morning. His text
was: Blessed are the pure in heart Tor
they shall see God. Matthew Y, s. He
said in part
"A question which has perplexed men in
all ages, and no less to-day than when II
was asked of Jesus. IS, Lord. how is II that
Thou wilt manifest myself to us and not
to the world?' 1t meets US in practical
life. for we see men of vision about US, FAR
seeing in the problems of life, and those
VINO without doubt have a knowledge OF
God which we do not possess. The answer
which Jesus gave his questioner at this
time and the one before us are His answer
TO this most interesting question.
This answer involves us at once In the
discussion of one Of the most important
laws of the mind, namely, the laws Oh see
ing, or in general of perception, as the
word in the text suggests. child enters
life; the first sensation is a simple one; II
has no meaning save the one when the
simple stimulus carries with IT. Never
again shall he be privileged TO experience
such thing. Henceforth every new SEN
sation will be colorcd in his perception Oh IL
by all that has entered his mind, either OF
fact or experience, even to the highest pos
sible culture both of intellect and charac-
ter. Only a part of what one actually sees
other and by far the larger part comes
from the mind. The power of seeing is
clearly dependent upon the stock or factS'
habits, feelings, in fact everything Whch
enters as materials of one thought In lie
at that moment
"A geologist walking along the street no
| ticed a wagonload of bones, and among
them he recognized one OF unusual dlmeh,
| sions. Upon investigation he discovered
that the farmer had found perfect skele-
! ton of a mastodon. worth thousands OF dol
| saw in IL was bones which would bring a
| cent or two pound. The difference was
one OF the power of perception, s or; i Ia =
other words, power, of vision (conrilc'ihs
statements of witnesses.)
THE explanation of the law involved In
| the text carries another step forward.
| The one really marked advance that psy-
| chology has made that is new Is the TACT
| of the dual consciousness of man. Ihat
each one lives a conscious life and one OF
| which he is usually UNCONSCIOUS, or. as II
| is termed, the 'subconscious' life. Dreams,
| hypnotism, frances and the like, which
were alike ignored or ridiculed by theo-
| Logan and scientist when subjected TO sci
| entitic and unprecedented investigation, nave
| yielded this remarkable fact of human ex-
istence. This subconscious life is the store
| house of all our impressions, experiences,
| habits. everything that goes TO make up
| the materials Of life. The range of the
| conscious life is exceedingly narrow. The
| great mass of all that has entered our mind
| as fact or feeling is not now at our disposal
|
| they are stored In the subconscious life and
are the most potent fact of our everyday
| life. We do comparatively few things
| from conscious choice. The greater part OF
| the activities of life are according to habit
| or intuition. We call these things second
| nature. They have their origin in this sub
| conscious life. Our snap judgments OF men
J and things, our deeds in the moment of free
| expression, all have their origin in this
| great treasure house of the mind, and that
| natural expression is determined by the
| quantity and quality of the materials stored
| there.
Here, then. is Jesus answer to Judas's
question: Go forth, live a pure life let
| your heart be pure. love God and live a
pure life by doing His will in all things
| this do, and you will find that God will be-
| come known to you. To so construct the
| human mind was a most beneficent act OF
| the Creator. Intellect, money, nor any OF
| those things which are the possession OF
| the few, does not determine vision; but
character, the heart of love, the deeds OF
| kindness and all the holy experiences in
| life-these are the medium, the very organ
of vision
Color is the property of matter which
absorbs some rays of light and reflects
| others. Character in man is that quality
| by which he takes TO himself the great
qualities of God and reflects them, for Goo
| is the great white light, and each sou
| gathers but a part, but as the heart grows
| purer more and more of. the rays of light
| he is able to retain until he shall be able &c
see the pure white light of Gods perfect
life"