Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1904-09-08
shoot which the foot of q little child conl,

cASCtudAAy CIu5u. 0OO MAKES IL COUS anu
says to it, Go forward" and then the 1t
tie plant, obediep. to the Divine com.
mand, through cloud and sunshine and
changing season, soon goes on and out and
up, unt:i at last, by means of the law of
progress in the form of growth, it has
fore the eyes of men in all the imposing
grandeur of its towering and solid matur.
ity.
Take the eagle as another illustration.
Gods ideal for the eagle is an imperial
bird of great size and strength, with
amazing keenness of vision and with PIN
ions for majestic flight, the mountain crag
its castle, and it's pleasure ground the sky.
Such Is the Divine ideal for this noble
bird. But the young eaglet energies from
the shell a feeble little creature, and if
you could see it during the first week or
two of its existence, and could stroke with
your hand its soft yellowish down and
ness would probably excite your pity. But
as the little thing. feeds and exercises, it
grows and strengthens, until at last, un.
der the operation of this law of progress,
it can soar from the nest, launch into the
air, gaze directly into the MONDAY sun,
beat down the storm clouds under its
seven foot spread of wings, and sail from
continent to continent, through the oceans
of azure above, over the oceans that roll
below.
But in this discussion we must rise out
OF life into mind, and then still ascend
from the intellectual to the spiritual. We
will, therefore, consider man as an illus.
tration of the truth we are pursuing.
Gods ideal for man is q most exalted and
sublime being, with mental and moral en-
dowments of tremendous scope, so inn
measucably superior in parts and powers
to all else we know, that it seems the whole
creation must eliminate in him. God de-
signed man in His own image, intended
him for communion and c~ompanionship
with Himself, determined to make him His
vice-regent here on the earth, and pre-
posed at last to share the government of
the universe with Him forever. The
thought of such dignity is an astonishing
and overwhelming conception, but nothing
less than this is Gods ideal for man, if l
read the Scriptures Alright.
But the distance between inception and
completion Is greater here than elsewhere,
not only because man is destined to rise
higher than other creatures, but also be-
cause he begins lower. It is a w~eli-known
fact that the young of the human species
is inferior in strength, and activity to the
young of many of the lower animals. True,
we walk round the cradle of the sleeping
infant with soft and reverent step, and
this is fitting. Heaven itself looks down
on human infancy with reverence. I doubt
II 1t is too strong to say that God stations
a quaternion of guardian angels at the four
corners OF every little crib in the land.
But the reverence with which we regard
the child arises from a prophetic instinct
OF what the child will be, rather than from
any perception Of what it now is.
The human baby is the absolute extreme
OF teebleness, helplessness and ignorance
1t cannot atand- nor ~alk- nor eoan creep
It canno think. It does not know. II
has no true perception, nor any mental &C
ton whatever, apart froll what we cal
instinct. It is utterly without the mora
experiences-without love, without hate
without hop, without faith; Though be
as little of God as Herbert Spencer uset
: to insist ne and the rest of mankind knew
1t is nothing but a bundle of %unconsciou
organized life, with inherent capabilitie
e not yet manifest. It hasn't ability enough
to recognize itself, nor will it ever hav
g memory. enough to remember itself at thi
stage Of it's being. Were it not for tina
hrst miracle of Providence in human Nj
the mothers love-it would perish from
. the earth on the day of its birth.
. But wait a little and see. Wait unit
: the mothers fostering care, and the faith
rs disciplinary training, and the instrue
d ton OF the schools, and the churches, an
All the various appliances of Christian civ
il'zation have wrought their vast part i
- connection with the universal law of d.
velopment and progress-and then observ
~ the child. now become the man. Ho,
=. wonderful and indescribable the result
a. That little child now stands erect and SUI,
veys the high places of the earth. 81
~ Climbs the heights, and, walking with Go
ON the horns of the mountains. he All
~ veys the heavens. He counts the sta
10 and calls them by their names. HI know
-. he is superior to suns and systems. 81
~ heart thrills with pulsations that al
~ mlghtler than ocean currents or solar +
40 t%uences. He sees. He knows. He II
r derstands. He reasons. He feels with
himself the mighty masterys He calls OF
[s to God, and God answers him. The see
ire Is already in his hand, and the crow
- Is, Is in sight that the Son Of Man Himse
81 Will soon place on his brow. Hencefor
=. he Is king, and alive forevermore. with
nd death. - 'ou4u
~ - Such is the law of progress which
re here applied to the church. both COLI
lively and individually. We are here s.
:, EMMY commanded to rise up and seize y
inheritance. Never before in all the 40
Tic was there such a concurrent blast of tr,TI
IN pets from all quarters of the globe cali;
the church to 60 forward. Let the r.
les umns form and the march begin.
he