Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-11-27
The Broad Invitation

And the Spirit and the bride say. Come. And
let him that hcarcth say. Come. And let him
that is athirst come And whatsoever win.
let him take the water OF life frecIy.-Reve-
lations. 22:l7.
ON the Isle Of patmos. whittier he had been
banished. John, that disciple OF Jesus OF
Nazareth who seemed to understand his
Master better than any OF the other dig
cpes understood Him and, therefore. was
referred 10 by the others as '.thy disciple
whom Jesus loved" wrote the Book of Reeve
latiohs' IL purports to be revelation OF
thihes To come. revealed to him by the now
alleged glorificd Redecmer of mankind II
is writing that has throughout all the ages
since II was given publicity been difficult to
understand. and there have been manifold
interpretations of its mcssage-som OF them
both foolish and fantastic
The text we today. however. is very
explicit in its evident purpose to encourage
the human race to look up in perfect conf
dence into the face OF the All-Fathcr
the invitation is ali-inclusive. IL is OK
pressed In terms that comprehcnds every
phase of religious opinion respecting the
author of all eXistcncc-thc Creative Shirt
There is no race of people low in civilIza :
ton that it does not respond in conception to
mat attempt to define Responsible Innnity
In the use OF the term Spirit When the en-
hehted Anglo-Saxon race crossed the unex-
piored waters OF the Atlantic Ocean and
landed In new world" they found the
aboriginal inhabitant intuitively possessed
or belief In tho existence OF the Great
spirit Anglo-SaNop civilization with all OF
It's boosted achievements in learning has
never been enabled to give the world a more
Intelligent definition of the Ai-prcsencc
1t permcates all existence and its never
ceaslng voice Is, Come. We hear 1t in the
invitation of the nearest human revelation
OF the Father the world confcsscs IL has vet
known: Come unto Nc. all 70 that labour
ana are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest Take My yoke upon you, and learn
OF Me; for am meek and lowly in heart;
ana we snail ind rest unto your souls For
My yoke Is easy and My burden is light"
So John. whether he ravcd I'm fancied
vision OF a reality that existed ONLY in his
hented imagination, or in the lonely isle
was permitted TO look into tho face of Dvin-
fty itself. and hear its welcome voice uave
the world Legacy OF hope that 1t would not
thro" away for all OF the PHILOSOPHERS that
human thought has ever invented
The Spirit and the bride say Come And
let MIN that heareth say. Come"
Who come?
come"
What human soul is there 90 steenea in
aordIdness that it does not during some
period OF conscious knowledge of us relation
TO lnfantty thirst for the pure waters Of eter-
nal truth?
o. faniishing sous that in tho great Sa ra
OF doubt and uncertainty wander aImlesslv
about, hear the sweet invitation "te, hin,
that Is athirst come"
The writer has. in his experience listened
to many pulpit appeals to sinners" to come
to the Lord"-meaning to bow their necks
to the theological vote that is neither rest
'ful to the soul nor lightly to be borne but
he has never heard appeal more forceful
than this: And whatsoever will let him take
the water of life freely"
In the language Of one Of America's purest
patriots and abcst and most unprecedented
thinkers Colonel Henry Wntterson. we sub
nit this thought: My reading of late years
has embraced not n few works which seek,
or which affect. TO deal with the mystery OF
life and death In my mind they leave "a
mystery still. For all their learning and re-
scarch--their postiv!ty and contradiction-z
none Of the writers know more than I think
I know myself. and all that ! think / know
myself may be abridged to the simple re-
script. ! know nothing. The wisest of US
go; the human mind is unable to conceive
the eternal in either direction; the soul OF
man being inscrutiblc even to himself
The night has thousand eyes. the day but
one,
Yet the life Of the bright world dies. with the
dying sun;
The mind has thousand eyes. the heart but
one,
Yet the light of whole life dies, when the
day, Is done
"All that there Is in religion. therefore.
is faith all that there ia to the church. the
spirit OF God shining upon u.s. through be-
lief in Christ our Lord. There ~ nothing
else"