The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-04-18
thought: all that binds man to the

thought: all that binds man to the
life of ambition in the midst of which
be lives, and the incentives to enter
into the current aud sweep OF LIES
attainments; all historical associa-
tions. binding him not only to the
present generation but to the race OF
which he forms part; all that makes
civilized life diRnified and strong and
noble. the delights and sweetness OF
home, the responsibilities and joys OF
parenthood. the grandeur of patriot
ism all the elements that go to make
up the world of literature. with all its
richness. inspiration and beauty; all
the arts and sciences-music, PAINT
ing, poetry. sculpture. the drama:
all the influences that sweep around.
kindling the imagination and lifting
it into the invisible realms: when l
talk to him about all these things
that enter into and make up the life
of civilization what does he know
about it? Judging from all his ex-
perience in that putrid hole in the
frozen north. amid snow and ice.
what conception can he form of it
all?
When. therefore, l say that be
shall be saved from his present con-
dition, and shall inherit all these
things, what do mean? 1 mean that
he shall be saved FROM HIMSELF !;
from the blank. dense, dumb. arid
ignorance that hangs like cloud over
his mind; from Stygian lowness OF
thought and purpose and aim; from
all the vulgarities that have entered
into and so largely made up his life
from everything that chains him down
to being an animal. and keeps him
from being a man: but who can meas
ure to him the vastness of the differ
ence between his present condition
and that he il to be ushered into?
Who can interpret to him the we'll
nigh infinite distance between his
present mode of life and the glorified
life of civilizations
When, therefore. man asks me
"What is salvation?" reply :"Eman-
cipation from everything that holds q
man down from lowness of thought,
purpose, aim, ambition; from all the
tendencies of the lower nature-the
part of man that belongs to the lower
order of life-the bird. the bat and
the owl, the beast, and the creeping
things from everything that chains
him down to being an animal. But
who can interpret to him the glory
of the life into which GOO calls him,
both here on earth. and infinitely
more so, in the life to come! Dc
you suppose there is so great differ
ence between the life of that aboriglne
in the squalid hole and the life of a
full-formed man in the center of civil
ization as there is between the present
condition of an un1eeenerated soul
and the grand and glorified life God
calls him into? No. indeed
| WHEN is man saved? When il
that aborigine saved from barbarism
to civilization? When he leaves his
squalid hole and goes to the land Of
civilization. How much is he saved
He has just taken the first step, that''
all. Can he fully enter into and en-
| iov tho thinos-tha life IF ri vi lizatiOf
when he gets there? No. He mus
develop in himself a capacity for ap
propriating. and consequently enjoy
ing the things Of civilization. Car
he take in the beauty of the art gal
lery revel in intelligent appreciation
of the finished orchestra. and glory
in the masterful speech of q William
Jennings Bryan? No. say HI
must develop capacity for thes'
/