The Alaska citizen., 1915-05-31
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HOW GOD SPEAKS TO MEN.

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HOW GOD SPEAKS TO MEN.
For this commandment which |
command thee this day. it is not
hidden from thee neither is ii far
off. 1t is not in heaven, that thou
! shouldest say: Who shall go up for
us unto heaven. and bring it unto
us, that We may hear it. and do it,
Neither is it beyond the sea. that
thou shouldest say: Who shall go
over the sea for us. and bring II
unto US, that we may hear it, and
do it, But the word is very nigh
unto thee. in thy mouth. and in thy
| heart. that thou mayest do it, Deut
| SOFIA.
Cardinal Newman once said that
there are but two luminous, self
/ evident realities in the universe
God and the soul" These realities
are of first Importance. Religion
means vital relation between
them Religion is not a creed writ
/ ten BY the intellect. it is not SEN
timent experienced by the emotions.
Religion is a life communicated by
the nerve uniting these two self
! evident realities.
We look back to the beginning
of the race to find that men looked
| to God for direction and revelation.
When man speaks to God it is pray
er; when God speaks to man it is
! revelation and inspiration. The world
| is full of religious books recording
| the experiences OF the relations be-
/ tween God and man. God speaks to
man in a dream, as with head pill
| lowed upon stone he sees the
angels ascending and descending to
inspire his hope. He speaks to
Moses in burning bush. Moses
driven from the halls of a university
! to listen to the God of all beings
and from the burning blossoms of
bush to know his future word and
work From the days of Paul until
now men have learned that the hui
man heart is the true meeting place
of the soul and God.
/ To everyone God comes and speaks.
Sometimes in the days Of struggle
| and adversely; sometimes at ami
versary periods; sometimes at the
crisis of life when decision must
! be taken, and masters chosen; some
times in joy and pleasure has the
still small voice been heard with
| insistent force compelling an an
swer and a choice. God has not left
man comfortless but day by day
speaks to each heart encouragement,
hope and song The eager question
er need have no messenger go into
the heights nor into the depths for
mis- reply, for it is nigh thee even
in this mouth and heart.
l., woD6a rful thing For
man to be able to carry his library,
his workshop, his amusements, his
religion about with him continually
is the marvel of marvels. With feet
shod in silent shoes the soul fits
from department to department Civ
ing here word Of instruction there
a word of reproof, until the life OF
every man grows more marvellous
even than the world in which he
ives and the universe in which his
world speeds. Memory is making
up the record and We stand now with
sad, now with smiling face. Hours
If retrospection claim us when we
are enacting all the yesterdays. On
the stage of mans soul the plays
are oft repeated, bringing joy or re-
gret as they have moved parallel or
crossed the great, II ought to do
this for it is right" What man has
not seen the curtain rise upon
scenes of yore, and felt the pain of
cowardice or eXhilaration OF joy as
he beheld the drama Of his own
life enacted before his eyes, himself
the actor, audience and Judge!
Oft he would have run from the
scene but his feet are too heavy to
lift too tightly bound seems his
hands for he cannot raise them to
stop his hearing with finger-tips,
nor can he close his eyes upon a
life his own and for which he must
give an account. What thoughtful
nan but would say that the story
of Macbeth or the character of 9th
clio are but the story and character
of the author put upon the page
readable for warming What of
Burns, or Poe, or Coleridge penning
to the world the things that have
stirred them and us. Was it not what
they saw in retrospect as before
them passed events when they knew
the best and chose the worst?
There is Great Judgment day
coming when the Judge Of all the
earth will do right, but is not every
day judgment day, when every
man judges his acts and thoughts
and learns his destiny. which he
daily prepares? Every man and .wo-
man has heard the Messenger of
experience speaking with clear,
sweet voice rebuking, encouraging,
leproving, inspiring as he points
the soul toward heights Of diff
Guilty where stands the Messenger
of Truth truly welcoming each soul
to heights of JOY and happiness,
where abide all that is good and
lovely even God Himself.
To those who are conscious OF
these heavenly messengers within
the soul, it is not necessary to mount
the heaven or cross the seas to
find the truth Of live and the I'M
changing God.
The Messenger of Memory speaks
to every man and its voice Is deep
in mind and heart. Man dwells in
three worlds at once-the world of
the past the world of the present
and the world Of the future. Hope
sits on the coming throne OF the
future, reason occupies the throne
of today. but yesterdays treasury
is unlocked oft and unexpectedly by
servant never to be dethroned-
Memory How true II is that the