The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-24

son and conscience, that they are in
dependent Of myth or miracle or won =
der-working magic, and because we
believe that. the fnal establishment
of the religion of humanity will be
upon the fundaments of these tenets.
But we do not attempt to force them
down the throats of other peoples. be-
cause we believe that IL we ourselves
are intelligently loyal and devoted to
these principles, II we ourselves make
our lives to express this intelligent
loyalty and devotion, that this truth
will find its way into the hearts and i
minds of all men by the convincing
power of example and by the irresist- 4
tble force OF the growing spiritual ap-,
prehenson of the human race.
That which abides. M
Herein lies the necessity for the
maintenance IF the forms of our reli- f
gious observance and maintaining our
identity. These forms are not the same
that the fathers use That which they
symbolic IS the same. The grass
withereth, the flower fadeth. but the
word OF our God standeth forever. The
contemplation of the changes that oc-
cur with the passage OF time, and to
which this New Years Day irresistibly
calls our attention, emphasizes this
thought of the changeabilty of the
real and the unbroken continuity Of
the Ideal. Our homes, our habits, our
language, our customs, our civiliza-
ton. are all transformed by the
alchemic touch Of time. So, too. Is the
outward expression of our religion
But beneath all the mutations of our
material progress there is the same
human nature, the same passions OF
love and hate. of envy and sympathy
of greed and generopsness, the sama
temptations of the world and the
flesh. whether assailing the savage in
his cave or the sage in his study. And
thus. too, beneath all the transforma-
tons of Its vehicle of expression there
is the same, steady demand of moral
ity, the same. steady. still, small VOICE
that sounds the insistent call of the
divine power that is within us. and
that our highest and hottest duty re-
quires we shall energiZe into such life,
! character and conduct, that raises US
above the beast of the field, that sub
dues the tiger within us and makes
us coworkers with God in the grand
unrolling of His divine designs-the
partners of that divine spirit that
foods the universe and fills all the
worlds with life.
Now. then, again put the question
4
you progressed toward the fulhlment
OF this ideal during these twenty
years?} Do not try ts, Judge your
neighbor. Judge yourself. Has your
spiritual progress kept pace with your
! material prosperity? Has your Juda-
ism grown with your commercial or
! industrial growth? This thought l
| New Year stresses. This thought !
I bid you take Us the message of this
day that recalls the past twenty years
! OF our cong gatoRal life We are
| not the same people as were here
| those two decades ago. Many, alas.
too many, have stepped from off the
! neeting sands of time into the stead
fast field of eternity. Almost gen
Grafton has come and generation has
gone. Even we. VINO arc here to-day
and We're here then, are not the same.
We have twenty years OF life added
, TO us-years of experience and thu
wisdom that experience brings. years
OF commingled joy and sorrow, OF
tears and smiles. of peace and pain.
But, please God we are the same in
our hearts unchanged in love for our
faith. unchanged in our devotion to
Its truths, unchanged in our deter
mination to promulgate its principles,
to defend its honor and to demon.
strate our answering fidelity to tha
banner OF our hope. 1t is inscribed
with the letters OF u living love, de-
| claring the unity of our God and the
sanctity of His high and holy NamesS
This was the heritage of our fathers
to us. This be our heritage to our
children. Then may the years roll on
in endless march, generations come
and generations go, the flower of each.
succeeding civilization wither away
hut the word of the truth of our God
shall stand forever" &