The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1916-08-11

Life has been defined as the func-
tioning of an organism with its envir-
onment. All life therefore is form
broad or narrow, in accordance with
the environment that Is apprehended.
The worm has low order of life be-
cause it's environment Is simply the
SOIL The worm knows nothing but
mud, and that by the one sense Of
touch. Bird life is higher than worm
life. The bird knows the earth and
the air, the sky and the clouds, and
has delight in the fellowship and song
of its mates. Mans life Is the highest
of earthly creatures, because his range
of knowledge Is the widest. He knows
more about the earth than the worm,
and more about air and cloud and sky
than can the bird. He apprehends the
conditions Of his own country and age,
and then sweeps in thought the con-
ditiOns of other lands and times. He
multiplies his sciences until these en-
brace the multiplied facts Of earth and
air and sky. He forms his phlloso-
plies dealing with the mystery Of ex-
istence. Mans life is thus the highest
of the earthly creation because the
widest in knowledge.
Eternal Life.
The widest circle Of human knowl-
edge has to do with God. Science ex-
ults in the scope Of her domain when
she turns the pages of the rocks to
read the story Of earth, or sweeps the
heavens with the telescope, to mark
out the pathway of the stars, but there
is truth deeper than that written on
the foundations of the earth, and high
er than that written upon the scroll
Of heaven with burning stars. There
is sun behind the sun. God is the
widest circle Of truth.
In the realm of the physical the du-
ration of life depends upon maintain
ing correspondence between the Or
ganism and its environment. If either
fails the issue Is death. The life Of
the fish continues while its inner vi
tality has the supporting influence Of
the flowing stream. Let inner vital
ity be impaired, or let the stream run
dry, death must follow. In like man.
ner man has political life when his
soul interests are awake to political
surroundings, and when these sur
roundings minister to continued in
terest. Let there be change toward
Indifference in the soul Of the man, or
some separation from political sur
roundings, and there is an end Of
what we term political life. Mans
spiritual life has in 1t the element Of
the eternal because his fellowship is
with the eternal God. Through regen-
Grafton the soul of man is made alive
by the life of God. In Christian liv-
ing the soul of man abides In contact
with the living God. The conditions of
an endless existence are therefore fur
nlshed. The redeemed soul has in it
the life Of God and has for It's enyir-
onment God himself the eternal one.
The conditions for both a happy and
an endless experience are therefore
furnished through the Gospel Of Jesus
Christ.
knowledge That 10 Life.
The knowledge Of God which con-
stitutes eternal life Is a personal
knowledge. God may be known me-
chanically through his works just as
men may be known through the build
ings they have erected. Men may be
known geographically in the story of
their accomplishments; but this Is not
the same as a personal acquaintance,
To know Abraham Lincoln as the au-
thor of the Emancipation Proclama-
ton is a way of knowing him, but he
was known I'm a better and personal
way by soldiers who received his par
don when through excessive WEAKNESS
they fell asleep on sentry duty. TIC
know God Is to rejoice in his father.
hood and to feel the thrill of sonship
through. faith I'm Jesus Christ. Immor.
| tally involves an endless blessedness
In the knowledge Of God. Human pa.
rents are powerless to prolong the
lives of their children. The eternal
God Is Lord Of life. The risen Christ
will never withdraw his supporting
life from the redeemed soul. Gle that
| hath the son hath the life; he thai
hath not the son Of God hath not the
llfe," no matter what else he may
have in world knowledge or culture.
Il