The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-01-10
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= y and yet we know him as we
know a familiar friend Of yesterday.
From his features not one line Is lack
ing. His flower like childhood. the
purity Of his youth. the majesty and
beauty Of his increasing manhood. the
atmosphere of character that he car
ried-all. all are fully known. Stand
ing on the hilltop, we look down upon
populous valley holding in its lap
shining towns and cities, and from the
mount we look down across the career
of Jesus. bright with parallels, spark
ling with deeds Of mercy, glorious with
wonder words and works. Once none
80 little but that Jesus was less in
honor; now, none SO exalted as singer,
scientist, reformer, artist. poet, but
that he seeks to borrow new fame by
linking his name with one whose star
has climbed zenithward into a solitary
prominence.
In the republic every citizen is one
eighty-millionth of a king. In the civ
ilization of to-day every leader who
has conquered the love of the genera
ton he has served is one fraction of
the Christ life, and. has borrowed his
inspiration and ideal from the carpen.
ter's Son. More wonderful than all
else is his unfolding perfection. In
general perfection means the purga-
ton of imperfections. Slowly some
Thorwaldsen rubs of speck of mar
BILE dust here and sandpapers the mi
mute roughness there. Slowly, with
here a stroke and there a stroke, the
artist carries his canvas toward ideal
beauty. With infinite erasures and in
terlineations the poet polishes his per-
feet verse. Success is the residuum
left after q thousand artistic failures.
With God it is otherwise. All his
sweetbriar has to do is to unroll. So
it was with Jesus. He unfolded each
faculty as rose it's petals. Lo, there
was nothing to be added, and nothing
to be taken away. And yet he grew
in wisdom. BY experience, by work,
by travel, and conversation he gath.
cred knowledge about the fields, the
woods, the sea, the sky, about men,
tools and events. Also, what we never
would have dared to say the word of
God says. His memorabilia declare
he grew in favor with God" Gods
confidence and love were increasing
events, marching steadily toward the
day when the voice was heard whis-
pering, Thou art my Beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased" And this
message falling on the inner ear was
the bliss of his solitude and the re-
ward Of his work.
Magnificat of Mary, his mother was
the most gifted intellect of her time.
No spring rises higher than its source,
and Mary the singer explains the
sweetness of the song. In that far of
era the Sabbath with its hours whit.
ened by prayer and perfumed with
aspiration. lent richness to his mind
and heart.
Often it is said that his handicraft
was against Jesus. Not SO. His needs
we're few. His work was in the open
air. Bending over the plow, Cincin-
natus meditated his laws. Tending
his flocks, David wrought out his
songs. Moving slowly along the fur.
row Burns found his music. In all
ages the crook and the plow have
united work and health to reflection
and genius.
Nor must we forget the influence
upon Jesus. of the semiannual process
sions to Jerusalem. Never was there
such a college Of mortals as the two
weeks in Jerusalem, where the great
est teachers and singers and dreamers
out of all the world were assembled.
It is easy for the flower to bloom and
the fruit to ripen when the air of the
dollhouse is made fervent. And ripe
ness for the intellect and growth for
the heart were natural and sponta-
neous in that hour, when the air was
quick with spiritual life. Sitting in
the open window, when the first star
came out, while holding his mother
Monica's hand, Augustine had his first
vision of the City of God, and entered
upon his career as a>world teacher.
When Christ first was quickened, when
the vision became a hope, and the hope
a faith, and the faith purpose, and
the purpose plan to achieve the Mes
siahship, we do not know. That sacred
boar Is like the throne of God, grit
about with silence. clouds and mys-
terry. =.
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