The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-25

] to be- He feeds the ne6h. 1e gets
coarser every day Tho little music
In his voice is Gil dead and gone, he
has choked 1t with tho food OF beasts.
Once there was a little child, pure and
lovely, the germ OF a fine man In him;
but that child angel Is dead. Say not
that 1t Is OF no consequence what q
| man eats. 1t Is OF vital consequence.
| The mystery. however, is this: Even
the best food may be turned into evil
nutrimert. according to the nature OF
the man who partakes Of 1t. What we
take we turn into our own nature. The
| lion grows as q lion the moro he eats,
though 1t may be Of the daintiest food;
1t all becomes lion So with US, bod
lily, intellectually, spiritually--wo tell
what our food Is. The glutton grows
flesh; the poet turns his food into po-
etry; the suppliant at Gods throne be-
| comes more faithful, a more eloquent
| intercessor. The nature determines
everything.
Herein is a great mystery Of nature,
subdulng everything to its own design
lion into lion, beast into beast poet
into poet, angel into angel Blame not
in all cases tho food. There arc In
stances, OF course. where It should be
blamed but how much depends upon
the nature!
Our intellectual food determines our
intellectual quality We can tell what
books man has been reading by his
conversation Why ask catalogue
from the student? Simply listen to
him. He tells his own standing by
the first sentence he utters. II this he
SO in intellect it Is Infinitely more SO
in religion. Men speak about falling
from grace as II 1t were some mystic
rious process; but what Is easier than
to detect the loss of spirituality In the
tone? He may have been through tho
ceremony of prayer, but he has omitted
the sacrifice. He may have used the
vows. but he has lost the blood. And
only blood is accepted in heaven.
We are eating, always eating All
life is process Of absorption, appro-
priation, assimilation Eating sleep
ing, praying, doing business-in all
these duties OF life we are growing all
the time, either into what will reveal
itself to the poets spiritual eye or In
the beasts vacancy.
When may men be said to eat AN
gels food" the bread sent down from
God? When earth can satisfy no long
er, and the heart aspires to greater
things. Earth was good enough at
one time, but now he feels only Its
Limitations, and the joys and rest OF
heaven beclSon and lure him day by day.
He has been eating angels food. AL
ready no is moro in heaven than in
earth. The food is telling on him
when we see him grow daily In spiri-
tuality He is no longer bound by
alphabets and rules, but he says plain
Iy: II seek a country out of sight. I
will not be fettered by your land flow
| ing with milk and honey, which can
be measured by surveyors. I pant, 1
yearn, for a land afar off. Infinite with
Gods infinity and radiant with His
presence"
| This growth Is not q metaphysical
! process; 1t is concrete larger out
| look. a flrmer grasp Of things eternal.
a growth in preparation and fuller
sympathy with God. Thus growing.
! the whole world changes; its duties
become light. It's burdens more easy
to be borne, its wealth just handful
of dust, it's honors but 1eeting shad-
! ows.
/ a larger feast has been prepared
for us than even angels food--even
Il the true bread from heaven. What
way Christ has of preaching His COS
! pell When He said Bread" the heart
hungered; when He said water" tie
soul thirsted 81 am the Living Bread
/ which came down from heaven; II any
man eat of this Bread. he shall live
/ forever. and the bread that 1 will give
is My flesh. which will give for the
life of the world"
This is a table spread before your
soul for its satisfaction and solace to-
4 day. He means: Take Me, appropriate
4 Nc. have none other but Me. Into this
mystery the soul must enter alone II
4 it partake, if it would become more like
i Christ, and it all hangs on faith. Faith
lis the souls life, and without faith it
lis impossible to please Him. All that
4 is outward and litcral is but initial
IF we stop there we are the men who
5lhave gone to seek the King and halted
outside the gate. The King is not at
4 the gate; we must pass the gate, as
cend the road and demand an entrance
into the presence chamber itself Rea-
son may open the gate, but faith must
complete the pilgrimage, secure the
3 Introduction and establish the exchange
OF communications.
II Lord, increase our faith!
"A ---------.. -
Edward Box is interestingly treated
& on the editorial page Of the Harrison-
s MT :