Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-09-21
TIE REArlEIC VISION.

-
THE BEATIFIC VISION
BY Dr. 4. LiEco'n Hnere.
Thine eyes sLali see the King IN His
beauty. XxNlil. II.
Nothing is 50 attractive rs beauty.
No one can he insens.ble to its mani
fold attractions. Aesthetics and re
ligion are intimately connected and
mutually helpful THAT which we call
beauty, ana which so powerfully APP
peals to our inner consciousness. is
perfection. lustrous aud outshning, re-
vealed to the reason in some concrete
object or combination of objects.
Beauty is the outshining, the spIendor
of truth. Beauty IS the revelation Of
an ideal. hence all true beauty Is spir-
itual beauty, for an ideal is always
the creation of mind or spirit.
The cosmos and all beautiful things
in ii reveal the ideals Of the Creator
just as readily as do the creations Of
human art, and our joy is not merely
ia the beauty of nature. but also in
discovering the mind of the infinite re-
yealed in 1t.
Mind does not delight in matter, but
in mind The soul that is alive 10 the
beautiful looks on nature as a trans
parent curtain on which. from the light
behind, the divine thought and love
and energy in their ceas 'Nss activity
are ever picturing themselves
As We proceed from one order of
beauty TO another. constantly ascend
ing to ideals grander aud more males
. tic, we presently come in sight Of pow
err. perfection ana beauty too grand
to be defined. transgending or. 4efti-
est conceptions. Then our souls aie
awed and thrilled. for we behold the
Absolute and the Eternal, the King.
adorned and radiant with celestial
beauty.
God. while ever anxious and willing
/ to reveal Himself to every seeking
soul, yet requires certain conditions to
/ be fulfilled in order TO make such rev
! elatiou Faith is a necessary prerequ!-
/ site Faith is rational performance.
1t is not mere creduliiy--lt is reliance
on evidence, It Is the application in our
! relationship with GOD OF those prin-
/ ciples upon which men act each day
! In business Aiaa IS capable IF con.
/ fidence IN man.
/ Wretched is the individual who can
not trust his neighbors. He is cut off
from the sympathy Of his kind He
sees no beauty in life or humanity and
so becomes of all men the most mis-
! cradle. Just so man without faith in
God is separated from God; he sees no
beauty eomelness In Him, he is
without II and without hope in the
world
Faith is essential to salvation and
spiritual discernment. The faithful
heart shall see the King in His beauty
| The beatific vision dawns not upon
the natural eyes. but upon the spirit
ual vision. The supernal beauty OF
the King Eternal. immortal, invisible
can be seen only through the lens OF
moral disposition.
The unJelieviu- s~c no beauty in
Him. We may lave the artistic eye
! TO see beauty in S.s5ine Madonna, III
! Grecian capital and Roman arch. bu;
may not possess the spiritual eye "a
/ behold the Kings beauty, for spirit
! ual filings are spiritually discerned
/ The clarified spiritual eve has vast
4 capacity for God Faith is i trans
! forming power.
Tao chemist in his laboratory by the
/ Union Of certain acids and gases pro.
duras s"'crful chemical changes. BY
/ his .ia dc piece Of common coal tan
is transformed into sugar a lump OF
car3a' 'nto sparkling diamond. Blu,
/ these changes. wonderful rs they are
/ sink Iaio Insignidc.,nce beside The
/ mighty transformation wrought by the
Holy Spirit through faith in the hu
man heart
Here is n man who once was sunb
In vice ana iniquity. lie loved 81.
and hated righteous Tess Conscious
4 of internal dedlameng he looks with The
eye Of faith to Jesus Christ as his re
dcemer Instantly a mighty change
takes place TheoloGians call it re
/ generation. a new birth, a change. OF
hea"t. The man comes under the in
ilue.c, OF a vital uoiding principle
whit j Guides and dominates his whole
rU'4ge career; he becomes a new crea
ION
This is a chang" far more wonderful
in power and effect than that wrought
by the scientist IN his laboratory; here
we see the divine chemist at work
The man now hates that which he
once iaycd and loves that which b,
once hated His character becomr, r.l
noblel. elevated. purified bcautjdcd
The sinner becomes saint Behold
ing the beauty Of the King revealed in
Jesrs Christ he becomes partaker Of
that beauty ana an unconscious rehec
tor Of the divine glory.
TASK FOR MODER> KNIGHTS.
BY Rer. n. n. Pound.
Modern kuigh!nsld concerns Itself
with the highest interests u man. Ii
seeks thc redressinS " wrongs. the