LIBRARY Or CONGRESS, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Living Questions STUDIES IN NATURE AND GRAC WARREN HATHAWAY, PASTOR AT BLOOMING GROVE, NEW YORK. A "One God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all." — Eph. iv : 6. NEW YORK : FORDS, HOWARD, & HULBERT. 1889. *,* I? 1 N^k PTBIOHT, in 1889, 15V WARBEN HATHAWAY TO THE MEMORY AND FELLOWSHIP OF Tin: Dear people of 3Bloomlnfl Grove, SOME IN HEAVEN AND SOME ON EARTH, TO WHOM I HAVE MINISTERED IN WEAKNESS FOR MANY YEARS, THIS BOOK IS LOVINGLY DEDICATED. PREFACE. It is in behalf of friends met along the way in the journey of life,— friends both lay and clerical; those filled with faith and those troubled with doubts,— that these discourses are published. One of the thoughts that come to us with peculiar sadness when in our experience we reach the borders of old age, and one whose prediction we would gladly change if we could, is that we must be soon forgotten. No doubt this feeling so universal is prophetic, is one of the promises that God has given us of an immortal life — a pledge that our names are written on an imperishable record. But when we see, as I have seen here amid these hills and valleys, an entire generation pass away, certainly the desire to bequeath some thought or act that may inspire, admonish, guide, or cheer those w T e love and leave, this feeling on the part of parent, pastor, and friend is not vain, but expresses our loyalty to the claims of affection and duty. Perhaps I should say that in these discourses, as in all I have ever given from the Blooming Grove pulpit, there has been enjoyed the widest " liberty of prophesying." In doctrine, reproof, and instruction, the Word of God is authority; while pulpit and pew bow to our Lord 7 8 J'. the In cua Bead of the Church, i my aim if he I Forth ac -illy Dame or Iranian redemption. EL be One that oometh: ire look ■ .But, ander I loy 11-*- ban the war i s evil is Le and vrith var - in in uur i manifested a methods with a tntial — able and spiritual — unity of purp than e ■ . And it would be less than cold ju>t up people among whom I have lived and labored d,uring twenty-th] tor their broad sympathy and the unrestricted theyhai irdedme in speaking the truth as the truth appeared to me. Ajb a nation and an age we i rich, so crowned ial m- of " the mighl of our our eloquence, our - . our p uon in pol mi it is "bythe grace of drod, we what we an-.'* To the guiding hand, the perf< b of the Almighty Father, do we owe our mi! j, And because his grace Eails not do . u we look into the mysterious futui W \i;i;i \ Hathaway. Bloom; -S9. CO NIK NTS. PAGE I. THE GUIDING HAND, n II. 04 >1> REVEALED 29 III. THE NAMELESS PROPHET, 47 IV. THE OFFICE OF CONSCIENCE, 6G V. THE RESURRECTION .85 VI. THE ONE PRICE OF THE PRIZE 105 VII. A ROYAL SENSUALIST, 121 VIII. OUR REASONABLE SERVICE: PRAYER 139 IX. A DIVINE VOCATION FOR EVERY MAN 168 X. PERSONAL LIBERTY, 192 XI. THE MISSION OF AFFLICTION, 215 XII. THE SANCTUARY AND THE CHURCH, .... 234 XIII. SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST, 259 XIV. THE BATTLE OF LIFE, 280 XV. THE REAL ISSUE: I, 298 XVI. THE REAL ISSUE: II, 828 XVII. THE VINE AND THE BRANCH, 348 LIVING QUESTIONS. i. The Guiding Hand. " And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God." — Romans viii. 28. "AxDweknow." Here is the perfection of Chris- tian faith. How inspiring this confidence in one who has endured the full measure of trial ; who by weakness has been made strong, who has conquered by defeat, been cast down but not discouraged ; who did not for a moment doubt the goodness and presence of God — though suffering because of his fidelity, and threatened with death because of his devotion to the Crucified ! So strong is assurance, so complete is trust, so per- fect is spiritual vision, that the heart, grasping the sub- stance of its hope and faith, says, "I know." Not only is the sight clear, but the vision is glorious, — " We know that all things work together for good." Now it seems to me that this just touches with healing the point of our most frequent and painful doubt; comes to our aid just where there has ever been most fear and skepticism. If we could be assured that in things evil 11 12 LIVING Ql E8TI0N8. tii. illapromi food; thai Samson's riddle is r true parable of the world, every lion's cara ..in!,, and that always u out of the er comi nd out of tl rt- >uld w< d thai in the pei tnomy heaven even the losses of sin ma] be again; the tie right, " the wrat h of man be made I ; " u bile that which cannot be utilized strained, bo that at the last "all things shall good/' promoting the welfare of the uni could we be grounded in this faith and in- in- hope, bow blessed even now would be our ditionl \- .d \d it must be bo. God is infinitely perfect, all- Wise, all-powerful ; and " lie must bave created the uni pom a perfect motive, of perfect material, for a perfect purpose :" and as no atom was forgotten, no lected, no soul passed by, in this perfect pro- OU an ktion, so under the hand of infinite aided by infinite Love, "'all things" must •• work together tor good." word of our text is precious. No doubt, in some things Paul Bpoke wiser than he knew ; for his language has a scientific verity of which he was not ire, But conscious of, and resting in. the great truth i universal Providence, he felt that he could not over- far. u We knew that all things work." This is a literal truth, a wonderful fact of the material unive Throughout the realm of matter there i less activ- • int el. Atoms, molecules, worlds, and the Gumnre hand. id erned by the law of continual motion and mutation. u Bach particle, closely as it seems packed with its neighbors, ia believed to be in a state of incessant vibration; and all material bodies, however solid they may appeal', are Supposed to be made up of an infinity of these wheeling parts, which never touch each other, and never fl Thus the study of matter Ives itself into the study of Forces, showing that all things are at work, and leading us to a new perception of that suhlime lesson of science — the unity of nature, u all things working together." Humboldt suggested that * k if the great movements of the stellar universe could be compressed into a short space of time, and we endowed with perfect vision to behold them, we should then vividly realize that there is nowhere such a thing as rest : stars, constellations, clusters, nebulae, unfolding, condensing, breaking up and melting away — motion in every part of the vault of heaven." "And we should behold a kindred spectacle, could we gaze with microscopic vision into the living or- ganism of plant and animal. For, in both, the constitu- ent atoms are in ceaseless movement, — combining, sep- arating, and circulating in paths of fixed and perfect order, in harmony with the motions of the firmament ;" the unity of the vast scheme, from star-dust to insect, unbroken; the movements of earthly life being cadences of the music of the spheres — the whole material creation in perfect accord. The viewless atoms of the green leaf whose ceaseless action is a condition of organic being, move to the same harmony, are vitalized, guided, and bound by the same law, that controls the countless suns 1 1 LIVING QUESTIONS thatshooi their beams ght athwart the univer Hoi wonderful! W • it, but perfect vision and d< all things working together." rerywhere unbroken sympathy and unit;, ion. Aii ; from atoms to worlds, are marshaled in order, and mi erfect step in the march of time and the plan of God. But now v B point in t lie unfolding of our theme where the light of human knowledge and observation grows dim. i jhl we are clearly assured that all things k. and work together, in the material world; but this ion of God's dominion : material nature and <■ Inn a pari of his great commonwealth. It is tainly of interest to know there is this ceaseless labor lomplete harmony in all the realm of matter. • the precious, the practical truth that we need is, ivity and harmony, not the method the u: , but the purpose, the end of all this Why is this material cosmos without a trace of chaos, while the moral world of human industry, of volunt. \hibits so much seeming disorder; etual working with blended harmony and dis- cor Whi wait with breathless interest, the We know that all things work to- That is the end. Blessedness, as the of holi supreme purpose. But that our ultimate welfare, our final blessedness, is p urance that cannot be human discovery or experiment. It oan- 1 by those who walk alone by sight. It is sun or stars. If St. Paul had the 9UIDINQ li.wn. Ifi been versed in all Boience, ancienl and modern; if be had been qualified to be leader and teacher of our "British Association " and "French Academy;" had In* ed all that is ]<>>t of human knowledge, and all thai has been gained to the present hour. -still ac entist he could only have said, "We know that al| things work together." There ho must have stopped. The purpose, the final result, the divine meaning of this w«»rk;: changing world; this sinning and suffering, this living and dying; this hope, toil, and de- spair, — all would be a dark enigma. The greater the ght of know! the deeper, darker, the abyss be- neath and before us. From the highest point of mere human attainment, the vision is limited by a mysterious beginning and a gloomy, uncertain end. That "all things work together for good" is a truth that is revealed alone by the light of God — revealed in the light of his mercy, love, and redemption as seen in the face, as reflected in the glorious Gospel, of our Lord Jesus Christ. Is it difficult for us to believe there is a conserving power, a mighty hand, an infinite heart, a Father Al- mighty who can and will bring order out of the confu- sion of the moral world — bring good from evil, bring holiness and bliss from its sin and sorrow? Is it diffi- cult for us to believe there is a divine economy in which there can be no loss in the material world, no ultimate failure in the moral, but that everywhere and evermore all things must work together for good ? I know this assurance of faith and hope is precious. Does it seem tinged with the fancy of an enthusi; 16 uvnro QUESTIONS <>od for diet faith? Out upon • i ! Banish it from the heart ! Can our ond what God can dof Can •• a brightness thai can gild the glo- • ba1 can increase the luster of an eternal eive of a beauty to adorn, or a gem to enrich the d Jerusalem the Golden? A- to add a virtue or a power to the Infinite God. Why should we doubt? The Lord God Omnipotent gneth: what more call faith demand for its exercise , triumph ? Lei the ! Let the seas be L, and belt our dear old world with a shining zone ! their bright waves roll and thunder as they sweep the march of power ; and let the hills and mountains clap their hands ! Our Father IS OD the throne, and "the whole earth shall he tilled with his glory." While the Goe the foundation of our confidence; yet we . mded by the object-teaching of God ; for behold expressions of divine thought ; d the blackness of sin becomes the foil of holiness, wring the certainty and grandeur of his justice. We readil] ve that nature's laws guard the gen- welfare; but do they Becure the good of the indi- vidual? We see that races live, that types of being are . while the single life seems of small value in the w< of this rough world. Hut I cannot . .-<» far as man is concerned, that lie was made m, order, class, or type; hut Instead of this, it must be that, under the perfect providence of the All- . all things will, when ripened, completed, THE <;nm\<; HAND. 1? blend into thai efficient harmony expressing the dec and triumph of infinite love,- tli«' ultimate good of every child of Beaven. If God clothes the grass and decks the flower — if nol a Bparrow Ealla unnoticed, can a son «>r daughter of the Lord Almighty be forgotten? Yon may forget your child, the mother may negled her babe: God cannol forget. " But, " exclaims the partial, hasty observer, "1 - ition full of waste, wretchedness, and sorrow." 5 men have bo looked upon the evil and the pain that r the Ea nature as to doubt the beneficence of God. Holier it lias horn said in bitterness, and also in row, "If God is almighty and all-wise, he must be unkind ; or how could he have left his creation so imper- fect ? w Ah! that is just the point: God has not "left" his creation; it is not yet complete — neither finished nor furnished. Jesus said, " My Father worketh even un- til now, and I work." And we are assured that Christ " must reign " — or continue his work — "till he hath put all enemies under his feet." According to divine prom- ise, the time is coming when there shall be no curse, no tears ; when evil, or its personification, the Devil, shall be chained, and righteousness triumph. If the present were final, rather than provisional, — consummation, in- stead of trial; if God had finished his work and the end had come, it might be hard, or much harder, to meet the doubter's criticism. But it is always fair to wait until the architect or designer has completed his work before we praise or condemn. Suppose some of our critics had looked upon the earth during the first part of the eventful week of creation; 18 UVHTG QUESTIONS. suppose they had witnessed the storms, looked upon the boiling oceans, the plowing of earthquakes, and the h;n i he tempesi - ? They could nol imagine that fnmi this wild strife of fierce, embattled elements our and i il world would at lasl erne] it think the work of God imperfect, not being ■ •how ■ ail these terrible agencies were working together to evolves beautiful habitation for man. We j well wait. For if God in his infinite patience takes the dateless, geologic ages to build a temporary habita- tion, who can wonder that he has not yet, in the nar- row Limits of historic time, finished his moral creation — the final, eternal home and Btate of man? It is with the husbandry of God as with grain in the field — "firsl the blade, then the ear, and after that the full corn in the ear." We are told in promise that at the end — away yonder, where hope and faith may even now see the swelling domeof consummation; at the end, when God's work BhaU be complete, when the now unfinished temple of his grace BhaU stand perfected in the splendor of his glory, — then there shall hnrst from an adoring world a r like the sound of many waters, like the roll of the thunder. Baying: u Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord our God 1 Great and marvelous are thy works, jusi and true are thy ways, thOD K | M Then we shall see, as we cannot till then, how "ail things work together for good. n Still, our text has a present value, for it expresses an j truth of the divine care; and if we will but look and think, we may see that the strong language of THE GUIDING HAND. 19 the Apostle is bnl the echo of the footfall of our God, as he walks in justice and mercy the eternal round of nature and gift e. Hut we are told thai the laws of nature are inexorable, and that, under their blind power, instead of good to all there are countless evils, dark and terrible. Yes, there are tempests, plagues and famines; we Bee no! only life, hut death,— not only joy and brightness, hut disaster and despair. We may see the gallanl Bhip proudly sailing r a summer sea, BOngfi and danecs on her deck, joy and hope filling every heart. And yonder in wintry Btormand darkness is a steamer,- the ill-starred Atlantic, it may he, — with her thousand precious lives, plunging through the gloom onto the cruel rocks of an iron shore — sweeping through the darkness into the jaws of death. Oh, what frantic cries ! What prayers go up into the wintry heavens ! A thousand souls call to God; but the desert shores and the remorseless breakers seem to mock them, for not a mother, sister, wife, or child is saved. The old tower of Siloam falls, and eighteen men are slain ; not because so wicked, for they were no worse than their neighbors, but because of the law of gravitation. A weak or rotten bridge lets the express train into the river. A neglected switch wrecks the loaded cars, and innocent passengers are " hurt past all surgery," burned and tortured to death. You ask, Is God a present, perfect Providence ? Do all things w r ork for good amid these terrors ? Yes: without the uniformity and certainty of material laws there could be no such thing as nature, and chaos would UVIM, QUESTIONS. come again. There could be no Bafety, experieo education, or pn Law, with itfl perfect Banctio is our protection and our hope. Would you suspend the Ian 'ii. thai Becures the beaut] and sta- bility of the universe, because, if you blunder and <>u arc liable to be thrown down ? Would you blot out the -un, that turns to gold a thousand leagues of corn, 1" your little patch of turnips is scorched ? i bridge is cashed away and the " Limited Exprei attemp 3, it will plunge into the swollen river: and I am glad of it— glad the laws of God are always reliable. If they were not, we might never seethe sun rise again ; the world would be a lost orb, rushing through startled space to speedy ruin. Law is constant, ated with absolute certainty; hence we may learn, that every pain or penalty, every fall or hurt, every pineh, stumble, or disaster is but the pleading of God in nature for us to be true, honest, \ igilant, obedient, — for us to respect his commands and do his will. Do you not see "all things work together for good to those who love " — that is, obey? To tli is there can be exceptions, either in the realm of grace or of nature. [f obedient, every force about us is read] to lock into our hand, and every blessing to crown us with golden diad A crowded steamer may blow up on the river or tl ; misguided engines may rush together, and all the ruin that follows is but the result of law as tixed and ; efieent afi the ebb and How of the tide, or the silent coming of the dayspring. The earlier we know it the better, that it is useless and fatal to mi: a rim Mr BAND, 21 pro tgainsl the pillars of God's throne agaii the foundations or laws of nature; tor we shall ak thrin. but they may grind as to powder. Good is promised to loying obedience, and this promise, like the Boarlei thread in the naval cordage ol England, rone through every strand and fiber of the tackle and rigging of this universe of God. The world has been enriched by sorrow, and is being made perfect through Buffering. There has nol been a needles . or a useless pang, in all thee J. The earth is cleansed by Hoods of grief, and is baptized in blood to its redemption. (iood comes to the good, — comes from affliction, from the wastes of evil, from bitterness and death. The world is wiser and purer because of fire and flood, — be- cause of the pangs of hunger and the frosts of winter. We should not question the use of seeming evil, or doubt the goodness of God, because the cross stands be- fore the crown, or because every victory has its price of conflict. What else could teach or save the wayward nations but the sternest ministers of God I He plows by earthquake; he furrows by torrent or the icy omnipotence of the glacier ; he harrows by cyclone and tempest, winnows by fire : but what else would suffice for his husbandry ? Since the great fire of 1666, London has never been visited by the plague. And every leap from its Indian jungles of that tiger, Asiatic cholera, whose fatal spring and fearful havoc make the nations pale with fear, has increased the health and longevity of the world ! In- deed, all evils that come from ignorance, selfishness, and lust are so many divine advocates pleading for right- 22 LIVING QUBSHOm eousness, and are surely leading the world on to tin* ripeness and glory of the Golden Fear. It is neither wise aor becoming U>v as to donbl the goodness, justice and exactness of God in bisdealii because we are anable to prepare a perfect balance-shed of the universe. So, while we arc not able to see how u all things wori together for good/ 1 yel experience and reason encourage as to walk by the aid of the only guide thai can give as peace and lead us through the dark- ness. While it is possible tor VLB to Bee that the fixed results nature are heiieticent, always working for good to obedience, yel far deeper and darker are our perplex- ities as we look at the moral world, its folly and mad- ness. Who, looking out OB this stormy sea of life where evil BO often seems to triumph, — where robbery and wrong prevail; where vice is often on the throne, and virtue in the dungeon ; where there is a cross for Jesus, and a re- ward for Judas: a prison for Paul, and a palace for ro; the rack and flames for sainthood, and golden crowns for lusl and meanness, — who, with these dark visions, is not liable to sink in doubt or despair unless confidence in God sustains the soul ? Looking at the way things work by the light of our imperfect judgment, how difficull to realize thai over and under and through all there is unerring wisdom and infinite affection! Eel faith in God will, in the deepest night, lead us • To feel, although do tongue can prove, That every cloud, thai spreads above And relleth love, Itself Lb love." THE <;ru>iM, n.wh. 29 may feel that God is "Our Father/'ever present, r wairhi'ul. controlling and directing all to the fmal triumph ot truth and righteousness; whose ultimate purpose will be consummated in the extirpation of evil, in the destruction of Satan, and in the eternal victory of justice and mercy. M I see the wrong that round me lies, 1 feel the guilt within; I heai with groan and travail-crii The world confess its Bin. Yet, in tin* maddening maze of thing! And tossed by storm and flood, To one fixed truth my spirit clings-— I know that God is good." We need this assurance. We need the promise of our text to silver with hope the clouds of earthly sorrow. We need to hear in every watch of the night, amid the thunders of the storm, that "all is well!" AVe need to feel that God can and will take care of us; that whatever happens is foreseen by him; that w r e need fear no evil, for no tempest or revolution, no overflow of corruption or epidemic of sin, can thwart his pur- poses of final good, his plans of ultimate holiness. How sublime and cheering this faith of Paul — "I know" ! Rejoice, ye prisoners of hope ! I know T God rules; and as all things — every drop and atom, every sun and world — work together to ripen the purple vin- tage on all the hillsides of Palestine, to whiten the barley harvest and mature the corn, — so I know that every thing, sad or joyful, is ripening all the seeds of Ll\ l\<, QUESTION'S. truth; ripen iiravni; turning to gold the fields of God's spiritual husbandry; Lb promoting and finishing the good of bis children, the eternal welf; ol his mi! u may still ask, " What of the mystery ol evil ? \\ liv does I «'"i -why does perfect power and wisdom — permit that which perfect holiness abhors? Why is this otherwise fair creation defaced with Bin?" And then again we ash with bated breath., "While we may how all things favor the good, how is it with the bad —the wicked ? What of their destiny P u The fitt< survives." u What of the unfit P" I .-hall not attempt these difficult questions. But it seems to me a theodicy a vindication of God's justice — is possible. Jn regard to Our temporal pains and troubles, or the 61 ils that God may be said to cause as the executive of his material dominion, as when he declares, u I am the Lord: 1 form the light and create darkness: I make peace and create evil: [, the Lord, do all these things," — here it is not so difficult to seethe divine beneficence of our affliction-, and that he is ever " From Beeming evil still educing good, And belter thence, and better still. Jn infinite progression." Bui ii ifl the corruption, the treason of sin, or the transgression ol spiritual laws by Eree, responsible beings,- this ifl the enigma; here is the most painful doubt. Perhaps we can never here reach a complete solution of the permission of evil, or rather of sin. Can the finite comprehend the Infinite P But we may say. ////•: QUID IN Q u.\\i> regarding th< sin: it must be true 1 1 good. t hat there Bhould be a world, this wide realm of nature; that, then- Bhoold be sentient beii though t ht'i pain becomes possible; thai there should be the power to obey, though this implies the ability to I r; 38; it must be b :iat WG Can Ik* virtuous, though nee h a contingency: yes, it must be better to ha rible beings, beings in the divine image, — even though Satan and sin should enter the world. I Bay it is better; for as the loving Father has made man in his own likeness, u there is evidently in the Divine Mind one thing worse than Bin, and that is the absence of all opportunities of moral life and spiritual goodnee Better the growth and completion of the spiritual nature, — better the heaven of holiness and the crown of a divine manhood with its immortal issues, — than the mere suppression of sin! Better the positive, eternal outreaching for good that may grasp the treasures of the universe, than the prevention of evil by leaving the world destitute of moral subjects and moral law. As the Gospel is not a system of philosophy, but a vital power, it does not give us a theory of evil; but, what is far better, it provides for its cure or extirpation. The Apostle John declares, " For this cause was the n of God manifested, that he might destroy the works ' of the devil." And Paul also speaks of the mystery of evil or of iniquity, u whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." He who ajypeared as the Babe of Bethlehem is seen again in Apocalyptic vision 26 HYING QUESTlom a> the "Faithful and True/' on a white horse capari- soned tor royal triumph, with how and crown, riding forth conquering and to conquer;" for he must "reign till he hath put all enema- under hifl feet, that at the I;im ( tod may be all and in all." Does not this vision and promise of the Gospel Bug- the 'i\ of the Psalmist with which all must sympathize, "0, lei the wickedness of the wicked COme to an end; and let the whole earth he tilled with glory"? May we not hope that when the stone of the prophet's vision shall break in pieces and grind to dust the ej'ld. silver and brass, the clay and iron of the world's ambition and power, no place being found for them, and t he mountain of God fills the whole earth, — may we not hope there shall he an end to the wicked- ness of the wicked? In hope" we look for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelieth righteoUS- ness." The doctrine of our text teaches us the perfect pro- vidence of God. It is not so much an inspiration of hope, of what we are to expect in the "great here- after/ 3 hut the precious assurance of an ever-present Power in whom we may rest or toil, labor or wait, iu absolute confidence. It is not a cry from the depths, but rather from the crest of faith— a call to us from the heights of triumph: "The Lordreigneth: let the earth Bfladr Our Heavenly Father is now directing all things — the [ring mote, the wheeling planet, and the beating heart; watching over Bparrow and kingdom; bending :• the cradle and the empire: molding the dew- THE 91 WING EA VD. drop, and marshaling all the powers of his onivei Our faith is often shaken by the Beeming oonfusiou about us. but tin' Almighty is forever Bending the shut- tle of his mercy with the golden threads of hie love through all tin- webs of time, and the moral universe Bhallalsobe a Bpotless robe to the praise and glory of his loving wisdom. Yon to whom trouble has come in a form unthoughl of, and for which you are unprepared, — trouble, it may that closes all the avenues of hope, — do not despair; lighl will come Borne how, BOme way, if you love God, and the very evils you deplore will turn to messengers of m1. to ministers of divine favor. And you who are weighed down with burdens hard to carry and still harder to cast off, you whose hearts are sore from bereavement, — and I see many such before me, — God has not forgotten you; your buried joys shall be like the tulip-bulb, bereaved of the sunshine only to rise and bloom in immortal beauty. You who have striven with wayward children seem- ingly in vain, — who are about to give up the contest in despair, and are ready to cry with the sorrowing Patri- arch, " All these things are against me," — strive on, pray on; good will come: you have the promise of the Great Father of us all. You who are hedged in by untoward circumstances, seeing no escape, with the sea before you and the mountains forbidding retreat, — let me say, "Stand still and see the salvation of God l" His mercy will pro- vide a way, even though it be through the flood. And while to lead you in the way there may be no banner of LI vim; QUESTION illar ot cloud, yel by the gentle whispers of hie Spirit Our Father will lead you ou1 of bondage into the freedom ot his abundant grac ur Dot, doubt not, falter not; for nothing can come to you of joy or sorrow thai will be any surprise to Him who lias ordained in infinite wisdom and decreed by in- finite power that "all things shall work together for good to them thai love God." n. God Revealed, " Philip Baith unto him, Lord. Bhew ua the Father, and it auf- iiiis. I ill unto him. Have I been so long time with yon, ami yet hast thon no1 bown me, Philip? He that hath me hath Been the flather."— 81. Jd B, 9, Av mx in the fresh clover, a robin in a cherry-tr< may be perfectly content Saving a supply for their immediate wants, their every desire is satisfied. They have peace without hope, doubt, or fear. But man is not contented even with the abundance of a world. He cannot rest in nature alone, nor find in material good, peace of mind and soul. Give him the widest range, and there is still a sense of restraint, an unsatisfied desire for a yet higher, ampler flight. Is not this boundless unrest prophetic ? We may well ask in trembling hope, Why is man made an exception to the otherwise unbroken harmony of the animal world ? Why should he alone be at war with his surroundings? Why this unrest, — this thirst that all the fountains and floods of earth cannot quench? With him alone the law of supply and demand is a failure. With him there is no perfect adaptation to conditions, no nice balance of want and provision such as we see in all other crea- tures. For there is this fact, — patent to all observers since 29 Ll\ l\<, QUESTIONS, men began to observe, — thai by do earthly good, do ii-w precious or bow extended, can the heart and bou] of man be filled and made content. • TWO li-:tL r in^ Will cover all wherein I have a part, But all the wif the heart must imply something beyond this world— a promised land where the pilgrim, the nomad of the ages, shall beat rest, Bhall be ;it home. Because of these intuitions, and because we are con- by things that are made, and by spiritual attrac- tion, of the existence of some greai Power, Borne eternal Being, our fear, love, reverence — every power that sep- arates it- from the contented brute — cries out : Whal is God? How does lie regard me? What are his pur- poses? What relation does he sustain to man ? What o be our destiny? Are we like the drifting bubble, Q t<> vanish lorcver; like the meteor shining for a )B REVEALED. 81 moment out of the darkness, then quenched in eternal gloom ? While nn-rt 4 speculation lias endeavored by searching to find out God's nature and disclose the secrets of his being, less idle and far more reverent has heen the de- sire of the yearning heart to understand his character, to apprehend his relations and disposition* Much of our environment is fixed, inevitable : is it the result of chance, or fate ; of love, or law ; of Borne blind tntie force, or of infinite affectionate wisdom? We cannot scale the walls of existence to escape from life, nor can we enter the dominion of another Deity. Hence the thoughtful have eagerly sought to know the mind and plans of the Eternal Being who must be our God forever. Moses was a representative man when amid the splen- dors and terrors of Sinai he prayed, " I beseech thee, show me thy glory!" And Job, when from the depths he cried, " that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat \" And Philip, when lie said to Jesus, " Lord, shew us the Father, and it suf- iiceth us." Thus ever the cry of earth goes up — the cry of the heart after God. Because of this desire men have not only sought to find God, to acquaint themselves with him as a spirit, but they have endeavored to aid the mind and satisfy the heart by some sensible embodiment ; aimed to por- tray their ideal by some symbol or image. Ancient heathendom was full of idols — efforts of a rude, strug- gling age to set forth Divinity. Each tribe and na- tion had its distinctive ideals of Deity, its own peculiar LIVING QUESTIONS, mythology ; for men can build their spiritual hopes and homes only ol Buch materials as they possess. In this respect the world is unchanged, being still full <.f idols — efforts to present in some tangible form the ritual and invisible. Bach age, Beet, and nation carve out by the hand or the mind, by the skill of the artist or the logic of the theologian, from the marble or the imagination, from rock or reason, the ideal which each has attained of God, All the idols worshiped are not in heathen lands ; for Christendom, too, lias its varied mythology, its many and its contrasted Deities. No more does the Hindoo carver of wood and stone present false gods for worship than docs the Christian, often, by his speculations. I would bring no false accusation against the Brother- hood, heathen or Christian ; but all must see this. when they consider the vast difference between the God adored by Knox of Scotland and the God adored by Mary Tudor of England; the Cod of Luther and the God of C< i <) ; the Deity of Ohanning and the Deity of lvl wards ; the Cod worshiped by the peasantry of Spain and the God worshiped by the orthodox people of Mas- ni-ctts. But we cannot believe that men are wickedly idolatrous when they are obedient to the host, and rev- erent to tin 1 truest, light they have, and worship their puresl ideal in spirit and in truth, or in loving sincerity. It may always he said in their praise that men have given to this work of symbolizing or portraying God their highest, richest gifts and their noblest powers. They have no1 withheld gold, gems, or skill: for the most precious offerings ever given, and the fairest crea- SOB RBVEALBD, Hoi genius ever wrought, have been efforts to em- body or reveal conceptions of the Supreme, Bee invention, and imagination have touched the limit of human excellence in religious art and architecture. yet with all its splendid temples and al tat search and yearning cries, how evident thai the world tailed "to gain by its wisdom the knowledge of the wisdom of God" ! del us look al an instance of this failure, that we may realize the abundance of our spirit- ual blee So far as we arc able to judge, the masterpiece of cian, hence of human, art, was I he statue of Olympian Jupiter, by Phidias of Athens. This was the crown and glory of Grecian mythology. It was placed in the vast Doric temple on the plain of Olympia. There, in the holy place of this national sanctuary, on a throne of state, was seated this majestic god of ivory, ebony, and gold. The colossal monarch held in his left hand a symbol of victory ; in his right, the scepter of universal domin- ion. All the Grecian world came at times to Olympia to at- tend the sacred festivals. It was during these national gatherings that the expectant, reverent thousands wit- nessed the unveiling of this symbol of their worship. The epiphany of Jupiter was a supreme moment. Amid awe-inspiring ceremonies and all the most skillful ac- cessories of devotion, as the music ceased and the clouds of incense rolled away, in the solemn hush of waiting thousands that is itself most impressive, the subdued yet excited multitude saw looking down upon 34 uvixa QUESTIONS. thrin the awful hoe of the King of gods and men ! Thrv cried, they fell prostrate, they fainted in paroxysms of tear or delight, as they gazed on that sublime form ! There thrv beheld grandeur, power, authority! Im- perial glory, exclusiveness, and severity looked from that throne upon the awe-struck worshipers. Hut that dead, <•« »1 « 1 ivory reflected no love, nor pity, nor mercy; no sympathy, nor patriality : the worshipers saw only Jupiter the Thunderer ! 'l\u> see God's glory. What they did behold was God symbolized by the skill and wisdom of man. lint we have something better. Jesus comes as the '• Desire of all nations," — comes to meet and satisfy this demand of all souls. Be comes to unveil, to embody Divinity. Be comes that we may see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in Ins fare — see in him the image and express glory of the Invisible, lie comes to prrsnit God to the world in word and in life. When the nations that liavr waited long, cry out, breathless with hope and fear. "Show us, oh show us the Eternal One— show us God \" — He, the Teacher of the ages, the Mrssiah. draws aside the curtain of the invisi- ble world and reveals "Our Father in heaven" ! lie shows us not only majesty, power, and glory, but more : mercy, sympathy, paternity, on the throne of the uni- verse, above all, over all, blessed forever. Yet, Btrangely enough, this cheering epiphany has been in greal measure obscured, if not despised. As we said, turn seek t<> portray God according to their ideal. And OJD UBVEALED. hence we need instruction ; tor, to conceive arighl of moral power, to admire and reverence the kind and title, the generous, meek, and loving, is the result of spiritual growth,— is beyond the reach of the rude, un- cultured mind. It is no1 strange, therefore, that false gods are uni- formly harsh and merciless destroyers. u Thou thought- thai I was altogether such an our as thyself. " And how could those who glorify animal courage and physical prowess, who adore the might that crushes, and who crown as their king the Moodiest champions, — how could such minds, unaided, conceive of a Deity whose glory IS compassion and tenderness, a Supreme Being " merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth " ? But, aside from artistic representations of God, among professed Christians there are two analogies or symbols that have been most common and influential in ouv efforts to apprehend aright and to worship the Supreme. One view regards God as most truly a King — an imperial Ruler. The other regards him as "Our Father/' One view looks upon Divine Sovereignty as the fundamental truth of theology. The other regards Divine Paternity as the paramount revelation of the Gospel concerning the nature and relations of God, We readily conclude the kingly symbol has been, if not the most correct, at least the most popular. As the absolute monarch, victorious and despotic, was the mos*i powerful and glorious of any earthly being ; as he war. adorable because of might and majesty and exclusive ness, so the ruler has been, to the common mind, the l.l VIM, QUESTIONS. Mt and mosl expressive image of God: and by this, men Bupposed they honored, glorified, and Supreme Being. Frmn earthly thrones and courts the prevailing theology has drawn almost all its leading ines and dogmas ; its entire Bystem being based on the idea thai God is more truly a King, Ma- trate, Judge, than Redeemer, Friend, and Father. We should remember that when the current system of theology was elaborated by the great teachers of the Western Church, the kingly idea was Oriental CaBsarism absolute monarchy. 8ays Dean Stanley, "The West- ern theology is essentially logical in form, and is based on Roman law." "The Latin divine succeeded to the Roman advocate." The subtleties of Etonian law, as ap- plied to the relations of God and man. which appear in the writings of Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, and Luther, are unknown in the theology of the Greek Church. Then, again, the Bystem of the Western Church origi- nated when kingcraft was supreme; when the king ruled jure divino; when the man was at zero — by Ear the cheapest product of empire. The character of God was symbolized by kingly rule long before Runnymede wit- sed the granting of Magna Charta; when democ- racy v> warded as treason and atheism: when the end of government was the glory of the ruler instead of the welfare of the people. Since the time of Augustine almost every department human life and action has been revolutionized. Vet here, in theology, that Bhould be the most progressive of all the sciences, we .-till cling to systems and dogmas that a: . that attribute to our Heavenly Father &OJD URVBALBD, :>7 the characteristics, the absolutism, even the tyrannic Eastern monarchs. Had Augustine lived in the political light ot Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lin- coln, -had he known and received [heir principles of rernmentj how different must have been his Bystem o( theology ! Is it not strange that we still cling to this monarchic idea in the Church? that we still 086, to represent the most precious hopes and the snhlimest truths, a condi- tion of human society that we now look upon as false and dangerous? [s it not Btrange that we seek to exalt God, and to prefigure him to the mind, by a power we detest, and bya relation that we regard as but tem- porary and as always liable to lead to injustice and op- pression? We deny that absolute monarchy is the true, final system of human government. How then can we accept it as presenting a complete view of divine rela- tions ? Can we teach absolute truth by false analogies, or evolve correct views by false comparisons? Is it not a dangerous solecism to use the unreal, the pernicious, as symbols — not of the bad, but of the high and holy ? While earnestly thinking upon this subject not long ago, I turned to Jonathan Edwards, the great New England teacher, for help. I looked through the copi- ous index of his works in four large volumes. I looked for God as Father ; looked for Fatherhood, Divine Pa- ternity ; but could not find sermon, essay, chapter, nor even paragraph, on this, the Gospel symbol and revela- tion of God. But how r full, how exhaustive is Edwards on Divine Sovereignty— on God as absolute, unconditioned Will and Power ! Turning to other authors, some of 1171X0 QUESTION - whom had been my personal and revered teachers, 1 still tailed to find anything regarding the Paternity of God, but from all the great schools volume after volume, and page after page, devoted to the monarchic idea. Then came to my mind the first stanza I ever com- mitted to memory : '• .Men'- bookfl With heaps of chftfl are stored, God's Book doth goldeD grain afford; Then leave the ehalY, and spend thy pains In gathering up the golden grains Obedient to this voice and vision of my childhood, I turned to the New Testament, and was more surprised than ever to find that the words Icing ^ ruler, sovereign, do not occur in the four Gospels nor in the Acts of the Apostles. Indeed, sovereign or sovereignty — that favorite phrase — does not occur in the Bible ; yet hundreds of times is God spoken of as Father! In the Gospel of St. John alone one hundred and eighteen times is this title used. Over and over again, in every form> and variety of expression, does Jesns teach and dwell upon the Divine Paternity. Yet, dazzled with the false glare and splendor of earthly rulers, we have looked upon simple, natural, everlasting Fatherhood as secondary, figurative, or even as illusory; while kingship, though arbitrary and temporal, has been first and literal. \<»w which presents the Supreme most truly and fully, is it God as King or as "Our Father "? Shall we look upon the world as a kingdom or a household? upon man as subject or child? at God as the embodi- ment of law or love? Do you say he must express both ? &0D REVEALED. 89 Well, both belong to the Father, only one belongs to the king. Shall we think of God as a person, or being goodness and sympathy, (, i as impersonal, as abstrac- tion? shall ire regard government as the end of the divine plan, the honor and glory ol law as the ultimate design, or shall we look at the welfare and glory of man, the child of God, as the end of all Divine Providence? Fatherhood and kingship present striking contrasts. Among kingly attributes are justice, sternness, dignity, severity, haughtiness, Beparateness, pride ; the king is impassible, unyielding, merciless, exacting. Among paternal attributes are pity, forbearance, condescension, tenden iiscipline, severity, sympathy, love. One IS ordained for the execution of law, the other is the embodiment of love. If Ave regard God as literally a king, we cannot confide in him, seek or commune with him as we can if he is our Father,— for then he ie personal, accessible, merciful, and the whole heart can. freely pour out its treasures in love and praise. The kingly relation is not natural, but arbitrary; not personal, but abstract, implying the powers and duties of an officer. It would seem as if many Christians have not in spiritual matters outgrown the old idea of " divine right/' or " kingly prerogative. n This certainly is now a burden upon the Church, for Roman imperialism did not originate in the divine character or government ; but mediaeval theology came from Caesarism. The king was not Godlike, but God was made kinglike, or fash- ioned after a false symbol, — an unworthy, misleading conception. Fatherhood implies rule and authority: not for the sake 40 li vim; QUE8T10N8. of law and government, but as a means in love for the Bake of the child. It rests on natural relation-, demand- ing mercy and goodness. The king punishes, the father chat One is to uphold the institution, tin- other is the correction of love. One is in behalf of law, the other tor the child : and it may be severe, but never heartless. Chastisement is unknown to the king. "We have had fathers of our flesh who chastened us as seemed good to them ; but God [ehastens us] for our profit, that we might he partakers of his holiness." We know that executive clemency is often difficult SUld hazardous: and we know how simple and natural is paternal forgiveness. Hence those who interpret (rod by the monarchic idea, hound by the analogy, make iivine mercy, like that of the government, an intricate, urbitrary affair. There must he some ground for mercy, —something more than penitence and reformation; something to even up or appease justice, lest pardoning the guilty subvert the authority and stability of legal sanctions. Grace to the sinner is foreign to the rule and policy of CaBSar. It was often death even for tin' guiltless to approach the king in his "inner court " without a .special call. But how free our access to God! Is it not much more like coming to B wise, tender father than to a king? The gates of heaven are open, and all, from the farthest point and the lowest depth, may come to Godl Bow natural, fatherlike and childlike, are the mercy and the pleadings, the penitence and the pardon, of the -inner as Bhown in the Gospel! If Christ had presented 00 1 > EBVEALSD. 41 our elaborate, orthodox Boheme of Balvation, how \«»- luminoue must have been the Gospel records! What loads of theologic lumber would have pressed upon us! But instead of this, how plain, brief, and simple are the Divine Institutes! Listen to the Saviour; "And the prodigal said, I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy right; 1 am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he ar and came to his father. But while lie was yet afar oil', his father saw him, and [like a true father that he was] ran with compassion to meet him, and fell on his neek, and kissed him. And the father ordered the best robe to hide hia rags, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and commanded that a feast be prepared at once; for said lie, This my sou was dead, and is alive again: he was lost, and is found." This is Christ's statement of the ground and hope of mercy. But we ask, What king ever so watched and waited, and received a returning, rebellious subject? And indeed is not all expressed in the publican's prayer — "God be merciful to me a sinner !"? We are reminded of the prayer it is said Wickliffe frequently offered — " Good Lord, save me gratis !" When Xapoleon was at the height of his glory, as he was walking in a hall of the palace, a fair young girl, whose tears had bribed the guard — ran to the Emperor, and falling at his feet, she sobbed in a delirium of emo- tion, "Pardon, Sire! oh, pardon for my father!" "And who is your father? Who are you?" said Na- poleon. 42 IJVIMi QUESTIONS, u I am Mi>> Lajolia, Sire, and my father is condemned to die." " Ah, miss," said tin* Emperor, u but this is the second time your father has conspired against the State; I can do nothing tor you." " Alas, Sire !" she exclaim. -d. u I know it — it is the ond time; bnl the first time my papa was innocent and now I do not ask tor justice, but tor mercy— oh, mercy. Sire, mercy for my poor father!" Taking the little uplifted hand in both of his. Napo- leon tenderly raised the Bobbing child, and in a voice shaken by tears he said, "Well, my child, 1 will, — j for your sake, I will pardon your father!" Napoleon was more Godlike in this tenderness than when, robed in all earthly splendor, he mounted the throne of France and the world trembled at his name. He was dressed in more divinity than when he grasped and wore the iron crown of Charlemagne. Did you, my brother, when a child, having sinned against your father or mother, go grieved, conscience- smitten, penitent, asking for pardon? So now you may seek the mercy and find the forgiveness of your Heavenly Father. Vet how difficult it lias been for men to receive this good twins — this truth of supreme Fatherhood, as op- posed to Oriental imperialism! We need spiritual de- velopment to admire and revere as we should that which is far nobler than any kingly attribute. Men differ in defining glory. The rude man or tribe admires brute courage, might of arm in wielding battle a\ and sword: not so the man of Christ. GOD REVEALED* 48 How different mas! God'e glory appear to men like Channing and Jacob Abbott on the one hand, and to •k Hawk and Teeumseh on the other! Ajb men rise in the BCale Oi moral being they grow away from the worship oi physical force and its conquests grow up towards tenderness, compassion, and divine Bacrifica it has been observed by our teachers thai the epochs of history, or the successive dispensations oi Divine Mercy, are marked by different divine names. God lias revealed himself according to our weakness and our growth. As men have been able to receive light, higher and brighter have been the revelations of the Divine Character. "In the Patriarchal age the oldest Hebrew form by which the idea of Divinity is expressed is 'El Elohim/ 'The Strong One.' But to Moses a new name, and with tt a new truth, was introduced. 'And God said unto Moses. I am that I am! IamJehovah; I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the name of El-Shaddai [God Almighty]; but by my name Jehovah was I not known unto them/ . . . Then a new turn was given to this name under the Hebrew monarchy, and God became to Israel 'Jehovah Sabaoth,' 'The Lord of Hosts.'" And when the Great Teacher began his ministry, the Gospel age was also marked by a new name applied to Him who had been called the " Strong," the " Almighty," the "Eternal." At the beginning of his ministry Jesus £ave us the new name of "Our Father;" and but one step more was possible in this progressive revelation, and that we have in the assurance with which the Gospel closes, that "God is love." " God is a Father-king ; his subjects are his own chil- 44 Liviya QUESTIONS. dren, and hia governmenl of them, in its origin, its spir- it, its laws, and its penalties, is strictly paternal God's Kingship ia a figure ; bia Fatherhood lb the profoundeat reality/ 1 * Then, in regard to what is called the philosophy of sal- vation, it seems plain that the vicarious sacrifice of Christ is in harmony, not with law. but love: not with King- ship, hnt the infinite affection of Divine Fatherhood The prinoiple of vieariouaneas— of love suffering in he- half of the sinful, the Lost — is the crown and glory of the Gospel, Bui such a crown never graced a mon- arch's brow, for it has to do with the empire of the heart alone The vicarious sacrifice of Christ is not a legal make- shift, not an effort to evade or chancre the course of jus- tice, pr dodge in any way the law of God : but Jesus "came to seek and save the losl f* "to save his people from their sins :" and he Buffered, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. He came " to justify," or, plainly, to make righteous, to renew, to make clean. He came, and "offered himself to purge our conscience from dead works to serve the living (oxl." standing, not for a legal quibble, but a precious attainment. He came to bear- "to hear away our sorrows and our sicknesses," to take away our sins and reconcile uato the Father; for "through our Lord Jesus Christ we have now re- ceived the atonement." lie came to just ify : that is, to make u> pure, to make us holy. To satisfy a legal demand maybe a trifle, hut to attain to a character of eternal excellence — who can estimate its value? * Dr. Foung'a -Christ of History :" quoted by Dr. Cocker In " Th i ODceptioo of the World." GOD RBVEALBD, ■!.*■ Neither law nor any form <>f justice can possibly de- mand Buffering from the innocent in behali of the wicked : nor can the guiltless Buffer as a ground for the remission ol the pains and penalties justly due the wicked Uw their Crimes. Bui love, and love alone, can and does offer itself to Buffer and die,— to deliver, not from justice, but from sin: that the wicked may repent, and all men, believing in a Father's mercy, may return to God, who will abundantly pardon. Christ is not a ground, hut a power: not a condition, but an inspiration. He redeems from sin by leading US to love righteousness ; and saves by making us Btrong to desire the true, and ir faithful in doing the right. How strange and dark are our theological systems! There is in kingship nothing analogous to the suffering and death of Christ; while we find in paternity that love is essentially vicarious. " There is a Gethsemane hid in all affection ; and when the fit occasion comes, its heavy groaning will be heard even as it was in Christ." Because of this love, and not because of any official appointment, plan, or scheme, did Christ bear our sor- rows, and bear — always to bear away — our sins. Xot that he came to suffer and die ; but he came because of the love of God, and because of love he took hold on man to give repentance, faith, and salvation. There can be no salvation aside from character, and there can be no divine character aside from love. The life and death of Christ were the expression of his great love, a revelation of the Divine Nature, an epiphany of the heart of the Eternal ! 46 LI VI Mi QUESTIONS. •() Bountiful] ( > Beautiful! Can power or wisdom add Freeh features to a life so munificent and glad? Y" spirits blessed, In endless rot, who on that vision gaze, Salute the Sacred Heart with all your worshipful amaze, Anf man." 1- • | — ible that the barbaric splendor of kingship can represenl Bach love, Bucb sacrifice, and such healing of >in? that we might speedily outgrow this false and monstrous sj mbolism ! " He that hath seen me hath seen tlie Father." We truly see OUT God in Jesus Christ. What hope does this inspire ! What ground for comfort, confidence, and peace I A botanist in the Highlands saw a rare plant clinging to the side of the precipice* far down the wall of rock. Calling a little Scotch lad, he desired by means of a rope to lower him down the dizzy height* that he might gather for him the precious ilower. The hoy was tempt- ed, dazzled by the large reward the stranger offered. Be looked at him keenly, examined the rope, peered over the edge of the cliff — but was in doubt. At last he exclaimed, flushed with hope and confidence, ""5 I will L r <> down if my father holds the rope." That is faith. And we may feel in every peril, in every depth, though we hang over the edge of eternity — still our Fa- ther holds US in his love. His smile is heaven, his frown is hell ; and u forasmuch as we are the offspring of God, may he send forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba — that is. Father !" III. Tin: \ami:li>s Prophet. "And the king Baid unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. And the man -nl Baid unto the king, If thou will give me half thine house, 1 will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place : for so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saving, Thou shall eat no bread nor drink water, neither return by the way that thou earnest." — 1 Kings xiii. 7-9. "The man of God" went not back with the king. All the glory of royalty could not seduce him ; but he was not proof against one who came in the livery of Heaven. He went back with a lying prophet — and he went back to die ! His reply to the king — "If thou w T ilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee" — w r as not vain boasting. With courage and fidel- ity he had discharged his divine commission, and all the blandishments of a court were powerless to tempt him from the line of strict obedience. But the preten- sion and falsehood of one assuming to be a fellow-pro- phet — a servant of the Most High — easily beguiled him, and with smooth, deceitful words led him to disobey — led him to speedy death! But let us look more in detail at the instructive his- tory connected with our theme, and seek to enforce some 47 LIVING QUESTIONS. of the 16880D8 that arr presented hy the story of the Prophet. The Jewish nation reached the highest point of its temporal prosperity about four hundred and fifty years after its establishment in the land of promise by Joshua. It was about four hundred and fifty years from the death of Moses to the dedication of the Temple that Solomon built. From this height of power and glory it plunged suddenly down into confusion, disruption, and vreaknt Thia favored nation was not shorn of its glory and brought to the verge of ruin by foreign in- vaders. Xo such enemy thundered at the gates of Jeru- salem. Zion had little to fear — Zion, pure and obedient to Jehovah, had nothing to fear from such foes! Hei impregnable walls and towers defended by her sons, (]v- h"\i\r{] by the Lion tribe of Judah, shielded, guarded by the Almighty — well might the city in her purity and unity laugh all her besiegers to scorn. No, not by invasion but by corruption was Israel overcome. Here lies the danger both to nations and to individuals. It is not so much because of enemies from without that we have reason to fear, but because of ene- mies within: not the defiant champion among our foes, but the traitor inside the lines, among our friends. Not by those who come with bold assault, with martial tread and blare of trumpet, but by those whose whis- per- are BOfl aa love and fatal as sin — by such insidious and home-bred enemies are cities destroyed, nations Overcome, and men brought down to death. The world in arms could not endanger or destroy the chosen people BO long as they were loyal to Jehovah. In their fidelity TEE WAMELE88 PROPHET. 48 he Qod of their fathers they were invincible. u How aid one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight"! And so it is with each heart in our moral conflicts. If we are faithful, God is our shield ; and no temptation, though the Devil show us all the kingdoms of the world and offer us their glory, has power to cast down oven the Feeblest as a helpless victim. The embattled hosts of evil are impotent before a heart that heats with loy- alty to God. It is not the flashing lights that gleam and glitter over the inviting gates of dissipation that we have most to dread, hut the baleful phosphorescence of our own lusts, that light " the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death." Satan must as truly gain our consent before he de- stroys, aa the Lord before he saves ; for hell, as well as heaven, waits on our choice, and it is only when "drawn away by our own lust, and enticed," that our overthrow is secured and our defeat made certain. Lost nations and lost souls are guilty of self-destruction. So it was with this elect commonwealth. The enemy that men- aced and at last broke into quivering fragments the united tribes of Israel was nourished in her own bosom. Dwelling among her fertile hills, with far more politi- cal liberty and religious truth than the kingdoms around, she stood a light of God to the dark, bewildered nations of the ancient world. But the seeds of dissolution were sown by her most splendid king. It is easy to find the cause of the overthrow of the empire of Solomon. Lux- ury, idolatry, polygamy, tyranny, destroyed the unity and glory of Israel. Any one of these sins has often LIVING QUESTIONS. been stronger than a nation's defenses, and many a fair be and opulent city has fallen from luxury or tyr- anny alone : but combined, no walls or towers or ar- mies can preserve from their malignant, fatal power. Prom the purest of youthful prince-, the most pious of youthful rulers, Solomon the Peaceful became one of the most exacting, luxurious, and dissolute of Oriental mon- arehs. Despotic in his demands, imperious in his de- Bires, he laid the world under tribute to his lusts; and yet with all its treasures at his feet, he cursed it, be- cause his appetite was insatiable. He built a house of prayer for all nations at Jerusa- lem, and dedieated it to the God of his fathers. What a prayer he offered at its consecration ! " The first public recognition of prayer, as distinct from sacrifice— of the spiritual, as distinct from the ceremonial, mode of ap- proaching God — ia the prayer of Solomon at the dedica- tion of the Temple/' Yet we find the ideal prince, the author of this sublime prayer, bowing at idol shrines — at the basest, foulest altars that the blindness and deprav- ity of man ever erected ! After his h>ng, gilded reign, so splendid, yet so fatal, u Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David." Then Rehoboam, his son, went to She- chem, a city of Ephraim, to be crowned king. There he met the assembled nation. But it was an unusual gathering, — a solemn, an impressive meeting of "the whole congregation of Israel." It was evident this mass Of people had not come merely to witness a coronation as a festival. Stern, rugged, dissatisfied, yet hopeful; conscious of power, hence dignified; keenly feeling their THE NAMBLB8S PROPHET. 51 oppression, yel patriotic loyal, if the young king will heed their petition and redress their wrongs. Bui thej were not to he trilled with: a great, patient, Iiberty- lOYing people who had long bent under the yoke of op- pression, hut who knew their rights — who felt the time was ripe for reform ; who knew their rights and dared maintain them. Thai B68 of expectant people was just now like the great (\vv\) in a calm ; it was also like the an that slumbers, hut that "in the visitation of the winds" may he suddenly roused, and roll its Coaming bil- lows in awful fury and resistless power. There was vxwx element of moral sublimity in the attitude of this assembled nation. They did not desire rebellion or revolution, but they demanded reform, and in this case VOX populi, vox Dei. Hence, before they bow in allegiance to Rehoboam — before the shout goes up, " Long live the king!" — they humbly present a pe- tition through Jeroboam, a strong man of Ephraim. " Thy father," said the petitioners, "made our yoke grievous; now, therefore, ease thou somewhat the griev- ous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee." Rehoboam re- plied, " Come again unto me after three days." Then like a wise prince " he took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father." They said to him, "Hear and heed the cry of thy people ; yield to their just demands, and they will be thy servants for- ever." But in his madness he turned from these aged counselors, and asked the young men that were about him — the youthful bloods and madcaps of the court — and they said to him in their brainless arrogance, " Tell 52 LIVING QUB87J0m the people this : M v Father made your yoke heavy, but my little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. . . . My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions." S Jeroboam and all the people came on the third day: and the heir to the throne of David, following the counsel of his wild associates, u spake roughly," refus- ing all redress — treating the humble demand for justice with the haughty contempt of a tyrant. "Then when all Israel saw that the king hearkened n<»t unto them/' the storm burst, and that most in- tense, persistent of all people, who had wailed so calmly, was indeed like the sea when the storm drives its slum- ring billows into wild majesty. The loyal, the op- pressed, the freedom-loving, at once started up in their power, and sweeping over all obstacles, their intended reform became in a moment a rebellion, a revolution. How fierce and terrible the cry of the outraged tribes, as, answering the king, their defiant shout went up from the hills of Ephraim: "What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse : to your tents, () Israel : now see to thine own house, David !" Bo the nation was divided. Jeroboam was chosen to rule over the ten tribes that revolted, while Etehohoam reigned at Jerusalem over Judah and Benjamin. T<» provide tor the religious wants of the northern kingdom, Jeroboam established a shrine at Bethel, that patriarchal sanctuary — " oldest of all t he sacred places of brael and of the world." Thereon the hill of Bethel he raised a temple, and set up golden calves, saying. Tin: NAMBLS8S PBOPHBT, 69 u Behold thy gods, <> [srael!" On the day appointed tor the dedication, as the king stood before the altar on which he was to offer unholy incense, amid the hush of the assembled thousands, the solemnity of the imp sive scene was suddenly broken, or perhaps enhanced, by a strange interruption. An unknown, a name prophet was seen on the edge of the crowd, forcing his way towards the king. He looked neither to right nor left: at the multitude, the monarch or the temple. Ob- livious of everything Bave the altar at which Jeroboam stood, he fixed his eyes on that with so stern and wild a look, that the astonished assemblage parted before him and he passed on in silenee. The single aim, the solemn mien, the persistent manner of the strange man impressed the multitude with a feeling of expectancy and awe. A sudden hush fell upon the vast congrega- tion, as if they waited for the voice of God. He drew near, and then, as if alone, he cried, as the smoke of in- cense rose: "0 altar, altar, thus saith Jehovah: Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall they burn upon thee. And this is the sign which Jehovah hath spoken: Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out." The terrified, indignant king flushed with fear and anger at such an uncourtly, heretical interruption, stretched out his hand towards the intruder as he called his guards to seize him. "Lay hold on him I 33 But he was himself seized with terror as he found his 64 LIVING QUE8TI0N8, extended arm suddenly stiffened, as if "dried up, so thai he could not draw it in to him again/ 1 And as the multitude wait in anxious dread to Bee the issue of these strange events, the ground is shaken ; it becomes billowy, the hills tremble as at the touch of God, Kbal and (ierizim, that tower above them, reel on their deep foundations as an earthquake smokes and thunders by. And while they look, " behold, the altar is rent, and the ashes poured out>" according to the sign of the man of God. The afflicted, humbled ruler then besought the prophet "to entreat the Lord that his hand might be restored again." So the man of God prayed for the king, and his hand became as it was before. This nameless prophet — known to us only as "the man of God from Judah" — had thus far discharged with fidelity his divine commission. He had come to reprove ; he had without fear or favor pronounced the judgment of the Lord against the idolatry of Israel and her king. He had been faithful amid the faithless. He had dared to stand alone ; to rebuke a nation for its folly ; to reprove a king even to his face. In all this he had been obedient, faithful, heroic. But there came a more decisive test of fidelity. He could face danger, lie could stand alone : his courage was of firmer fiber than the soldier's who wins a mural crown. But now he was to face, not death, but flattery ; not frowns, but praise and kindness. "And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thy8elf, and 1 will L r ive thee a reward. And the man of God said unto the king, If thou will give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee ; neither will 1 eat nor THE Y.l XBLBSB PROPHET drink in this place: tor bo was it charged me by the Lord, Neither eat oor drink, norturn again by the same way thai thou earnest." Bach was the definite command <>f the Lord. Tin* son tor this peculiar injunction was not given, but it was reasonable, and the lirst duty was prompt, impl dience. Perhaps it was to preservethe prophet from the cruel spirit ot pagan (anacticism, or from greater dangers, the temptations and bewitchments that lustful idolatry might place in his way; for every appeal was made by the devotees of these shameless altars to seduce the pure from their allegiance to the true God. Hut whatever the dangers, his peace and safety would be secured by prompt, exact obedience. Having fulfilled his stern mission, having rejected the offers of the king, the prophet now starts on his home- ward way. Though fasting, he is sustained by the joy of obedience to God, and, conscious of his presence and approbation, lias u meat to eat that others know not of." The rough way becomes an ample thoroughfare ; while sweet peace and light within cast a halo like the golden touch of heaven over the rude rock and the desert sand. But the man of God from Judah was not to escape bo ily. Various are the traps and snares of Satan! The temptation that might entice one would be repulsive to another. Flattery that might beguile one heart would be a warning like the serpent's rattle to another. So here, the friendship, the offers, of a king were powerless. But let not a man boast because he is proof against one temptation, for another trial may reveal his weakness. There are both warning and instruction in the classic 66 LIVING QUB8TT0NB. story of Achilles, who was invulnerable in every part of his body save one — the little Bpace covered by the mother's hand when Bhe dipped him in the mystic river ; yet at last he was pierced in the one unguarded part by a fatal arrow, ami fell even at the moment of his triumph. And this man of God was not invulnerable t<» the arrows of temptation. " The gray-haired saint may fail at last; The snrot guide a wanderer prove ; Death, only, binds us fast To the bright Bhores of love." There dwelt in Bethel an old prophet who had known and served God, but was an apostate now. His sons had seen and heard the events of the day : and as they were hastily told, " their father said unto them, What way went he? And lie went after the man of God, and found him Bitting under an oak. Art thou, said lie, the man of God that came from Judah ? And he said , I am." Then he urged the prophet to return with him and eat bread, lint he replied as lie had to the king, re- peating that he was forbidden to eat or drink in Bethel. Hut said the tempter, " 1 am a prophet also as thou art, and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, Baying, Bring him hack with thee into thine house, that he may eat and drink. Bat he lied unto him. So he went hack with him." And as we said at the begin- ning, he went hack to die ! No warning came. No thunder-peal startled him. No strong hand, no pleading voice, arrested his fatal dis- obedience. He might have had some doubts, some THE NAMELESS PROPHET. B7 sharp misgivings or dark forebodings, some twinges of oonscience. It may be his heart Whispered a warning DOt to trust in man, not even a prophet Or an angel, when he already had a "Thussaith the Lord." fee, he must have feared, ami his better judgment pleaded with him — "Go n<>t back! Did not the Lord hid thee hasten? Tarry not, hut return with all speed home to thy native hills !" Bat he was faint with hunger ; and then this venerable prophet who told of the vision of an angel, and who seemed so fair and good, beguiled him ; so he hushed the whispered warnings and quieted lus fears, — and was led to the slaughter. For as thev sat at the table there came suddenly a strange, wild light into the eyes of the old prophet, as with flushed face, and extended hand like the index of fate, he cried, as the messenger of retribution: " Thus saith Jehovah: Foras- much as thou hast disobeyed Jehovah, and hast not kept the commandment which Jehovah thy God commanded thee, thy body shall not come unto the sepulcher of thy fathers." And so it was. For when he left Bethel — no doubt now in fear and sorrow — he had gone but a short dis- tance, when a lion sprang out of a thicket and slew him. His body was found by the wayside, and the old prophet who had deceived him caused it to be buried in his own tomb. In this story of the Xameless Prophet — or, as the Bible calls him, " The man of God that came out of Judah" — we have presented to us the importance of exact, the duty of implicit, obedience. It presents a divine exhortation and a warning. 68 LI VI Mi QUE8TI0N8 Would you, my young friends, solve the problem of life, BO as to show on every hand and from every point of view that life Lb worth living — that it is a holy, precious gift? Would you tread into dust the blas- phemy thai declares this life of ours to he the work of chance, or the sport of i'ate? Would you reveal its beauty, its value, its sublimity? Then be obedient to the commands of your Almighty Father. Would you find the secret of power and success? Would you win the earth, and have its forces do your bidding? Would you plow and harvest the nlv a> we spread our hand- and how our heads in outward devotion. But how false and narrow ! 0* our hills and valleys are touched* marked by the footprints of God* and are made bright and sacred by his loving presence ! They are as near and dear to Heaven as Horeh or Zion; while his wise, beneficent* resistless laws Becure and make perfect in every part the universe. The commands of I — who shall number them? The scepter of infinite power reaches across the entire range of being* for every- thing is included in the wise government of the Al- mighty. There are laws for matter and for mind, for the rational and the irrational; laws of necessity for the one, and liberty for the other; laws of resistless force for ma- terial things, and a moral code for those who are created in the divine image. We all know that the harmony and adjustments of the material world depend on the execution of the ordinances of Heaven. And we know that in the moral world, in the sphere of rational, responsible action, it is forever the same. We are pervaded by, immersed in, the loving government of the Infinite Father! And there is no peace, lite, success; no wealth, nobility* glory or manhood, unless we are in harmony with the will and obedient to the laws of God. There is no neutral ground, no border- land, without divine precept and sanction; no nook or 60 LTVBTO QUESTIONS, corner where we may be tree from duty as the sweeping train of obligation thnnders by, We can neither fly from ourselves nor from the Divine Presence. Over every avenue and department of existence, over each heart and home, is inscribed the one talismanic word, sdtence, afl the condition of all good,, the shield from all evil, the secret of all power. Fidelity to the ordi- nances of our being is the one price of all complete. abundant life. Not that it is hard to obey these pre- cepts: no, for the danger, the difficulty, the toil, the friction, crash, ruin, and death, come from violating or neglecting divine enactments. When the locomotive engine obeys the law of its creation, how smoothly it glides along its steel track! Hut if its path is obstructed, if the switch is misplaced, if flying trains meet on their one road, then conies the u accident," more truly the manslaughter, not so much by the providence of God as by the reckless improvidence of man ! Not that in this case, or in any case, law is really broken: that is impos- sible. It may be violated, but we are broken, tortured, killed, " by attempting to proceed against law, instead of with it. And the law goes on, more terrible than an army with banners, while the fragments are left bleed- ing and burning behind." Sere is the open secret of all prosperity, both of na- tions and of individuals. And when we see the wrecks of men or the ruins of cities, we see where retribution has followed sin, where judgment, swift or slow, has come upon transgression. It may have fallen like the thun- derbolt, or it may have come by slow decay: but certainly the wreck of mind or the ruin of power and grandeui THE VTA VELB8& PROPHET. 61 must oome, can only oorae, through disobedience b the septa of Heaven; tor the judgments ol God are ae in- evitable as his mere; ia free and bound! "The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to BUCh as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them." Obedience is our r61e. And there is no escape, no indulgence, no compromise; if wo have sinned, "be sure it will find us out." Wo may bury our evil deeds under mountains of creeds and prayers, fathoms deep under the waters of baptism; we may seek to cover them undci hottest Zealand loudest professions, bu1 they will come from their graves to plague, affrighl and whip; corneas the dread messengers of eternal justice. Obedience is our role. It is our life. When we have a "Thus saith the Lord/' however uttered, whether by Scripture or by conscience or by Providence, no fer- vor, sacrifice, devotion, or gift can take its place. How solemn the rebuke of Samuel the prophet to the diso- bedient king ! And Samuel said unto Saul: "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.'' The Mohammedans have a maxim that "One hour in the execution of justice is worth seventy years of prayer:" and this, many Christians might well remember 62 LI VI Mi QUESTIONS. Do n<>t. I beg of y permit or encourage familiarity with evil is to tempt the Tempter — to throw our glove to the Destroyer! We may laugh to scorn the warnings of love, the instruc- tions of wisdom, but those who thus despise are like the THE NAMSLBB8 PROPHET 66 summer moth flying straight .towards the consuming flan 4. There must be no listening to the Tempter, nodal- lying with the Devil, do hearing or heeding man be he preacher, priest, or prophet,— when we have the divine Word. We must obey promptly; uol blindly, but with Bingle eye and united heart ami determined purpose. Hut this is not all; for. ttly, the conditions of all true obedience are, not our will, strength, or courage; but that upon which these virtues also depend — love, faith, and hope. The atesi of these — in trial, in working or waiting, in ad- vance or retreat, in life or death, in achieving or endur- ing — "the greatest is charity. " Without this we are nothing. The prophet, the priest, the apostle, — the loudest profession, the most costly sacrifice, the most zealous Credo — all are nothing. But inspired by love, no burden is heavy, no yoke is galling ; there is no height we may not scale, no chasm we may not cross in behalf of its object, or to do the will of the king of the heart ! Toil is rest, and sacrifice is bliss. With confidence and love the feeble are stronger than the "sons of Anak, v and the timid become heroes and heroines ; fear is abolished, and in every conflict we are more than conquerors. 0, when the bows of hope span our pathway, when faith and love inspire our hearts, the service of our Father is the widest liberty, his commands are our life, his presence a foretaste of heaven ! IV. The Office of Conscience. 11 Having a good conscience." — 1 Peter iii. 16. \\ i; oughl not to be careless or indifferent regarding our reputation. " A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches." "It is better than precious oint- ment." The estimation of our fellow-men is of large importance tons; but reputation is not for a moment to be compared in value with character. How I appear to others is not a triilo ; but what I am — what I am to myself and to the impartial Father — must be a perpetual source of pleasure or pain. It is hard to be censured, delightful to be praised; but the joy of an approving Conscience IS the smile of Heaven, while the tortures of remorse are intolerable. There is no boldness like honesty, no cowardice like guilt. Conscious of purity and justice, we can, if we have any spirit of manhood, stand alone. If the heart approve-, all the idle clamor of the world cannot de- Btroy our repose; but if our heart condemns, there is no peace though we pitch our tents in an Eden, though the skv is cloudless and the sea without a wrinkle; for a nameless dread, a strange fear, will possess and haunt the BOUl. It is only the righteous, or those who aim to do rightj 00 the office of ooirscnuroB. on that enjoy the rich luxury of a good conscience. And there is nothing that bo rewards the pure bo punishes tlu' vile bo exalts the humblej bo debases the proud, — that is such a perpetual " judgment-day, ,J such an ever- sounding trumpet of God, — as this exclusively human gift and power, this witness of all our deeds, this divine tribunal in our hearts, this stern, perfect rewarder of all we do. Man is (exalted by obligation. Duty should not en- slave, hut make free. It is when through love we are bound by the solemn claims of holiness and virtue, that we are truly the heirs of liberty and enjoy the highest, widest freedom of the children of God. It is not power, or glory of intellect, that reveals the absolute grandeur and prophetic dignity of man. It is not when binding the forces of nature, or making her elements serve and enrich him — not then : but when, conscious of obligation, conscious of eternal equity, of an eternal Lawgiver, man says, in view of the noble or the vile in action, "1 ought," or " I ought not," — then is revealed the dignity of manhood, then we have one of the surest pledges that to us belong the eternal years. Our physical glory is like the grass, our intellectual, like the flower ; but right and truth are everlasting : jus- tice, love, fidelity, old as being, are yet as fresh and fair to-day as ever. We are not like God because of wisdom, strength, or riches ; but we are like him, and we are his, when just and righteous, when we choose the holy and love th6 good. When we " exercise ourselves," as did Paul, "to have a pure conscience void of offense," we place ourselves in harmony with all beneficent laws and G8 LTVlirQ QtrXBTTONR powers, place ourselves in the current of the river of God, — the lifting up of whose floods is everlasting peat and the chime of whose waves is eternal bliss Injustice is not violation of arbitrary law. but of the natural order of the universe. Fidelity to our sense of right is justice to our.-elves ; and such are the wise and perfect arrangements of Heaven, that when in the truest sense we are just to our own being, we are just toward all. Hence there can be no such thing as successful wrong, prosperous iniquity. The gain of wroug is ulti- mate loss, its riches poverty, its pleasures turn to pain, its seeming victories are defeats. The man who de- ceives another defrauds himself. The tyrant who hinds the arm of a freeman, or makes of his brother a slave. puts a chain upon his own neck. "Whosoever neglects a duty avoids a gain" and robs himself. If we reject the right we cheat ourselves. The man who boasts of sharp practice is liable to wound himself, at least, for he holds the sword by the blade instead of the hilt. I know that t€ Outward judgment sometimes fails, yet inward justice never. Let a man love and do the Wrong, its swift feet are Upon him, following with silent, muffled tread, and her iron hands are around his neck. He cannot escape from this more than from himself." He is forever shadowed by a sleepless detective. A- Daniel Webster once said : " A sense of duty pur- sues us ever. If we take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, duty performed or duty violated is still with us, for our happiness or our misery. If we say the darkness shall cover us, in the darkness, as in the light, our obligations are yet with THE UFFICI-: OP ' "A - 7//.Y 00 annot eeoape from their power, nor fly from their presenoe. They are with oa in this life, will be with us at its close; and in that Bceneof inconceivable ■innity which li« farther onward we shall still find ourselves surrounded by the consciousness of duty, to pain us whenever it has been violated, and to Ton- us whenever, by the grace of God, it has been | formed." This eloquent language is forever true. All men have a deep, abiding sense of obligation — of oughtness. In other words, we are created with a gift or power by which we perceive moral qualities in human action, and by which we make moral distinctions. Now as auxiliary to this power, making it operative, making it practical, we have the conscience. This is a kingly virtue or attribute, not seated on the tribunal of the judiciary, but on the throne of executive authority. It is certainly important for us to know ourselves ; and judging from the countless theories and systems of philosophy, we may well conclude that it is extremely difficult to understand the action and attributes of the mind. For the same reason, we should also suppose that there must be special obstacles in the way of our appre- hending the character and the office of conscience. How many volumes and essays have been written to tell men what it is, and What it does, all different and all speaking with authority! We shall attempt neither review' nor criticism, but present, as clearly as we can, the result of our limited thought and reading upon this important and, as we have alreadv said, this exclusively human attribute. 70 LlVLxa QUESTIONS, We make no claim of originality either of discovery or statement; for every line of approach and every avenue of the mind that conduct- to this central power was long ago beaten hard by the tread of earn ikera — by philosopher, moralist, casuist, jurist, ecclesiastic : and no word can be used that lias not the flavor of BJ no position can he taken that lias not long since been occupied or abandoned. While avc may he aided by the theories and systems of the philosopher ami the moralist, yet the ultimate authority is the mind itself. As with conjectures re- garding the physical constitution of man, so of those pertaining to his moral nature — self-knowledge is the final tribunal. As Ouvier demonstrated the principles of comparative anatomy, as Harvey discovered the cir- culation of the blood, so must we learn of the character and action of the conscience and of every natural en- dowment, — not by elaborating theories, but by fairly examining and questioning our own marvelous being. When we look at the voluntary conduct of others or at our own, there is a perception of moral qualities — a perception and recognition of justice or injustice, of right or wrong, of good or evil; and. at the same time, a feeling of approval or disapprobation. We have a sense, analogous to vision or taste, by which we perceive moral character in man. We never thus regard the brute animal; but no mat- ter how debased the man, he always thus judges and is thus judged. In all rational minds these ideas, or per- ceptions, of right and wrong, of merit and demerit, of justice and injustice, exist, hearing marks declaring them Tin-: OFFICE OF OOKBi UBNCS, 71 t<» he i ryand universal. The; belong to man as an essentia] feature <»f the divine [mage in winch he was ited. These ideas arise in the mind as the direct result ol <>ur intelligence, — nol bo much the result of our reasoning, as that we are made reasonable, responsible beinj I do not mean that this moral sense, taste 01 vision, is the e; it is rather one of the conditions of that facility, as we .-hall see. Light is not vision, but is an l t in 1 provision for it- exercise, 5Tou know that one of the ever-present questions with us, even in our feverish haste, — a question, at least, with all thoughtful people, as we look at the activities about us,— is, " Is this right?" or " Is it wrong?" And we are continually deciding these cases, crowning the one with our praise, branding the other with our blame. Now our judgment may be correct or false; our percep- tion may be clear or cloudy, fair or sophistical. We may be deliberate or hasty, zealous or careless, earnest or sluggish, in these decisions, as we are educated or ig- norant; according to our habits and our make-up, as we are gross or spiritual; perverse, depraved, or pure and loving. The idea of justice holds a place in all minds, though its applications may be false and its principles perverted. Ideal right and wrong are universal. Sir James Mackintosh says: "There is no tribe so rude as to be without a perception of their difference. There is no subject on which all tribes and ages of men coincide in so many points as in rules of conduct and qualities of character that deserve esteem." Now whence conic 72 LIVING QUESTIONS. these 1 perceptions? Bow is it, why is it, that we look thus upon action, character and motive as good or bad, as right or wrong? Why is it wrong to steal? Why is it wrong U) lie; to rob j to blaspheme ; to slander; to Dllirder? How do We come tO have these ideas, ti: feelings of repugnance against evil? Many answers have been given to these questions. The following seems to me to be the true reply. Notions of right, of justice; perceptions of moral qual- ity; the looking at motives and deeds as praiseworthy or blamable, — all these moral conceptions are simple sugges- tions of our intelligence; we have them because we are made to have them, because God made man in his own image. They are primitive, intuitive, necessary, uni- versal; the result of our nature, not — as we have said — of reasoning, but of reason. Men do not differ in being conscious of right, of duty, for this is intuitive; but men differ in the application of principles to conduct, for here Ave must be guided by our judgment, and this may be true or false, (dear or confused. All feel that it is right to do right, but we often differ as to what right is in particular cases. All have a sense of obligation — of oughtness; but just what we ought to do must be an- swered according to the measure of our light and ability. Love, self-denial, honesty, charity, piety, heroism, fidelity, etc., are admired and commended by all. But great confusion has prevailed, and has tangled both thought and speech, because obvious distinctions have been neglected, and because men have been bound by some theory instead of being free to receive whatever truth might be taught by observation or experiment. 77//-; OFFICE OF 00N8CIENCB 78 Some writer.-, to ascertain what is natural to man, have proposed to refer questions involving moral per- oeption, or a u moral Bel » ." to Borne wild boy bronghl up by a friendly woU or bear, or to the degraded savaj Palrv, in his " Moral Philosophy/' regards such unfor- tunate persons ae competent judges as revealing to us what is in man. And Bavagee are often spoken of as being in "a state of nature." Hut, plainly, no human condition is more unnatural or artificial than that in which we find barbarous tribes, tor in this our noblest powers are suppressed or distorted, often beyond recogni- tion. The brutal, ignorant, degenerate, regressive >a\ is, as Whately says, " decidedly more artificial, more anti- natural, than the civilized. " One who had seen the stately palm-tree or the orange growing beneath their native skies, would not regard the stunted shrubs grow- ing in thumb-pots here at the North as fair samples of them, or as natural palm or orange trees. So, to find the true nature of man, we need to observe him at his best, when every gift is developed by normal use and every power fully exercised. We should treat him in this respect as we do plants and animals. Regardless of the special and the specious pleadings of our philoso- phers, we are sure that the natural man is man in the divine image, — man as near as possible to what God in- tended him to be. There are numberless applications of reverence, fear, love, obligation, worship ; but the recognition of these as virtues, duties, is universal. All men feel it is right to love our neighbor, the question being, "Who is my neighbor?" All recognize the duty of worship: yet our 74 1JYL\<; QlTfiSTIO#& devotions differ as widely as opportunity and intelli- gence. Men do not nerd to be taughl that right and wrong exist, neither thai we ought to do good and hew evd. Our perception of moral qualities, then, has its origin 10 our nature, our constitution. At an early period in our growth, unless there is abnormal suppression, these moral distinctions are revealed, being natural and also anticipated, provided for by the Almighty in our provi- dential environment. There are simple or necessary ideas incapable of being reduced to a simpler form, as there are chemical sim- ples, elementary substances. We know water is a com- pound, iron is a simple : salt is a compound, sulphur a simple. If one asks what water is, you can easily de- tine, and by analysis prove your answer to he correct. But iron with its well-known properties is simply iron, and gold 18 gold. So there are ideas that we may call first truths of the understanding, simple, universal : axioms, intuitions, that are necessary to mental action, to intellectual existence — that are because we have minds. Take for instance the consciousness of our own iden- tity ; the idea of time, of space, and mathematical axioms. 'These you cannot prove, or make plainer by any reasoning. Now to these necessary or simple ideas belong conceptions of the beautiful, the harmonious, the grand, the sublime, and also of right and wrong, of the true, the juM -of ought and ought not. How can you prove your own existence? the fact of time and space? Why is the rose red, the lily white? Why is music pleasing, a discord painful? Why is the THE office of OONSCIENCB, 76 whole more than a part? Why is Niagara sublime? the ocean grand? the rainbow beautiful? Why is it Wrong to steal? to lie, blaspheme? to be t ivaeliep >u> ? to be mean. gro68j cruel, ungrateful, perfidious? Why do we despise a coward, a traitor, a miser? Why do we admire heroism? self -sacrifice ? Why do we love truth, mercy, justice? Why do We look with deep emotion upon Mont Blanc? Why do we detest Arnold and admire Regains? We answer one of these questions as We answer all : because of the nature, the perceptions that God hath given OS. Because of these moral intui- tions, in connection with the understanding and the judgment, we approve or we condemn, we are urged to choose or to reject. Now it seems to me that conscience is not simply this moral faculty, this moral taste, by which we perceive a difference in voluntary actions and motives. But this gift by which we can thus distinguish between right and wrong is a condition, as we have said, for the exercise of conscience. Conscience is always an authority, always something to be obeyed. If you examine the action of your mind in view of some course of conduct where there is enticement to evil, where a moral element or principle is prominent, where you must feel a sense of obligation, you will find, unless desperately depraved, that your experience will be thus: First, the act will appear to you as right or w T rong ; as just and fair, or as mean and dishonest. The mind per- ceives the moral quality of the transaction ; the judg- ment decides upon its character. Second, there will come the impression of obligation, 70 IAVIXG QUESTIONS. urging you to chooee the right and reject the wrong; not only a plain conviction that you ought, or ought not. but a command to do as you ought, because it is your duty. This is what I call Conscience. Third, there will come, connected with your action, a Consciousness of merit or demerit — a strong, sweet >ense of approval or a feeling of sharp condemnation. It is true, the heart may be so hardened; the mind irarpedj we may become so crooked and purblind by selfishness, that this may appear of trifling importance; hut the above is the general experience of those not dead or dying in sin. This, then, is our conclusion : Conscience does not so much tell us what is right, true, and just, but commands US to do it : its office is, not to judge, but to prompt. That which our judgment, our understanding, our en- tire being in the divine image, decides, or sees to be the correct thing to do, that conscience commands, urges us t<> do. It is ever saying. u Vou ought, because it is right ;" or, "You ought not. because it is wrong:'' not bo much revealing our duty as constraining us to obey that which we perceive to be right. It is executive rather than judicial. It does not hold the balances, but wields the sword. Conscience demands light ; it de- mands of reason, of each power, a revelation of that which is just, good, and true; and then witli kindly authority says, u Do justly, act righteously. " How then shall we regard the authority of conscience? We cannot look upon it as an infallible guide to absolute right and truth : indeed, if it were perfect it would Stand alone among our endowments, for OUT moral and THE OFFIOB OF OOFBOIBNl 77 intellectual powers, unlike the instincts of the animal Id, arc oapable of improvement, ore inoompl< approaohing perfection only by trial and effort — hence there i the possibility of mistakes and painful errors. The oiosl conscientious have often fiercely op- posed truth, righteousneg -, said mercy as God sees them. It does not follow that an act is essentially right be- oauG i ommands. I Mir decision is a matter of judgment, and this may be true or false, for it is largely dependent on education, environment, on our moral ripeness or immaturity. Conscientious persons are not always right, yet w\\ others are most certainly wrong. Though not right, still they may he righteous. Saul the persecutor was better than many a pretentious dis- ciple. Better the faults of the sincere than the virtues of the hypocrite. Sweeter may be the sacrifices of the benighted idolater than the spotless offerings of the Pharisee. True worship may rise from false altars, and prayers that pierce the heavens may come from heathen hearts; while from Zion itself there may ascend the mockery of devotion — vain, heartless repetitions may be uttered by the sacred priest and consecrated Levite. What shall we do ? Shall we follow a guide that often has erred, and may still err? Yes, yes; and still ever do- ing as did Paul: "Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and to- ward men." A great German philosopher — Fichte — says: "The formal law of morals is this, Always act in con- formity with your convictions of duty; always obey your conscience. This rule includes two others: first, try to understand clearly what is your duty in every matter; 78 uvnro QUESTIONS. then, when you are convinced what your duly is, do it, for the sole reason that you arc sure that it is your duty. . . . The conscience renders the ultimate decision, which is without appeal. To attempt to rise above one's conscience is to attempt to goonl of one's self." Bui says Paul Janet, from whose "Theory of Morals'-' I quote: "This principle seems contrary to common- sense, and even dangerous in its results. It justifies, apparently, all fanaticisms, all aberrations of the moral sense, all illusions of an overwrought imagination. . . . It seems to me easy enough to solve the difficulty. The judgment pronounced in each particular case is, in real- ity, composed of two judgments: first, such an action is your duty; second, perform this action because it is your duty. Now in the first of these judgments we may he mis- taken, for it may happen that a certain action which I be- lieve to he my duty is not my duty. Bui the conscience is not mistaken in the second; for if it is certain that any given action is my duty I ought to perform it. If , then, the name of conscience he applied only to the second of these two judgments, to the act by which I declare that a certain action being my duty I ought to perform it, it is clear that such a judgment is never erroneous. We may he deceived in regard to the character of an action, hut the will to do one's duty is necessarily infallible. The error, if error there he, lies in the judgment which decides that a certain action is duty. Now, Kant ad- mit- that we may deceive ourselves in this matter, and he advises us to enlighten our intelligence as to what is or is not our duty, thus making a distinction between the intelligence and the conscience. It is the first which Tin: OFFICE OF OONBGIBNi 79 tells us. Such a thing ia your duty. It m the second which Bays to us, Do such a thing because H is your duty." Thiswemusi obey. For the final, the supreme rule must be, after seeking lighl and every help from Within and without, from God and man, we arc hound io what wo Bee and tee! wo ought to do; in other words, always obey conscience. And St. Paul teaches US that we obey God when we are true to our highest convictions of duty. We arc to seek divine instruction; and t lien we violate the law of 1 if we do what seems to us to be wrong. Our obedi- ence or disobedience may not be the keeping or vio- lating of a perfect, absolute, eternal precept; yet the re- sult of our action, to ourselves, may be the same as if our sense of right and wrong were clear, perfect percep- tions of the absolute instead of the relative. He told the Corinthians there was no sin in eating meat that had been offered to an idol if they realized that there was but one God, and hence that an idol was nothing in the world. Yet to such as had not this knowledge there was not this liberty. Those who believed it to be wrong to eat such food were defiled by eating, as truly as if it were forbidden by the law of God. They yielded to ap- petite or to fashion instead of being true to their sense of duty. So again we find the ultimate rule to be, Obey the voice of conscience — that authority which says, Do that which is revealed to you as your duty, that which you believe yon ought to do. If I perceive an act as vile, false, mean, to me it is wrong, and its commission will 80 LIVING QUESTIONS. bring guilt and remorse; for it is noi how it may seem to others, bui what it La to me. We are not only to do right things, but do them rightly: not only tell the truth, but be veracious. Better be true to the false than false to the true. Better he sincere even in the wrong than a hypocrite in the right. Better fidelity in that which is useless or erroneous than to advocate eternal justice with the mockery of pretense, with fair-faced, lying simulation. We say this, because personal integrity is the most precious of all interests — man himself being far more than constitutions or sys- tems. For the end is not simply honoring the law by our obedience, it is not the commission of this or that act ; since there is still a final reason beyond all this why we should obey the right, why God has revealed the pre- cepts of his government and the riches of his grace. " He is love," and love seeks the highest good of its ob- ject; hence personal fidelity, nobility of life, the fullness, ripeness, perfection of the image and child of the Al- mighty Father must be the ultimate, — not obedience to law, but the blessed fruit of obedience, a clear and noble life. You had better be a sincere heretic than falsely orthodox; for the worst possible heresy is, not the muti- lation of a doctrine, but the defilement of the divine image in man. If the supreme end were church or temple, doctrine or creed, their strength and purity, we could not say this; but how much more precious to the world and to (Jod is a free, true heart, is Christ-like fidelity, than assent to any creed, observance of any form, subscription to thirty-nine or to thirty-nine thousand articles] 77//; OFFICE OF CONSCIENCE, 81 How poor should we be without men of such conseien- tious convictions and stern integrity aa have led thou to turn from all the glory of the world and bear alone, amid its hootinga and peltingBj the cross of Ohrisi which Dr. Bacon says "was nol a doctrine, hut a gallows"! The world is rich in "systematic theology." What we need is truth embodied; and no amount of doctrine, though piled high aa Horeh and as true aa the Mount of Law, can compensate for a pure conscience ♦•veil though the intellect may be in error. There are important practical lessons connected with this subject. The need of correct instruction is evident. Help is demanded, [gnorance, prejudice, passion, so warp and befog the mind that it is often difficult for the conscience to command aright. Still we need not walk in darkness. We have the light of God's Word. We may have a light within. Many of the noblest, ripest of men have said, looking back over a long life, "When we have faithfully followed the light God kindles in the heart, we have never had cause to regret the course pursued or the end we have chosen." All our powers are capable of the greatest improve- ment. Reason, judgment, taste, every sense and faculty may be educated until there is a divine beauty and per- fection in both action and character. We may see from all this what a sin of arrogance and presumption is the tyranny claiming authority over an- other's conscience, or the bigotry that condemns sincere action. At the supremest moment of his life, Luther declared, "I cannot and will not recant, because it is neither safe nor prudent to do aught against conscience, " 83 LTVmO QUESTIONS. This is Protestantism. But, dressed in a little brief au- thority, we too have claimed the righl to try and to con- demn "another's servant," when hlfl master required him to be, like Luther, true to his conscience. We ap- plaud Luther's Courage and Ins sentiments, and yet often show the despotic spirit of Home. We garnish the tombs of the fathers who bravely died, or heroically made the wilderness their home tor conscience 5 sake, and still we exhibit towards the same fidelity a despotism limited only by the extent of our power. If it be said that the persecutor as well as the persecuted is or may be conscientious ; yet on the part of the former, the law of charity, the command that forbids us to judge, the sacred rights of the individual, are all plainly violated ; while the reputed heretic, like AVickliffe or Luther, is simply exercising the privilege and discharging the duty that under the Gospel belongs to the humblest follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. What, punish a man because he is so true to God that he cannot do aught against his conscience ! It seems as if the Church in its zeal often sets a trap to destroy integrity ; for no matter how sincere, we are still required to indorse the philosophy of uninspired men before receiving commendation to preach the Gospel. And if we outgrow this philosophy we are in danger of ecclesiastical death, unless by double-dealing and mental reservation we become utterly repugnant to our only Master, who would not, who will not, "break a bruised reed," but who branded hypocrisy with the hottest fire thai ever flamed from divine wrath. What ;i temptation in this case is put in the way of THE OFFICE OF 00N8CIBNCB, 88 virtue, and what a bribe i> offered to pharisaism ! For the empty head ami the vile heart may shout " ( 'redo l n — and shout the lustier tor believing the less. Shall we receive aa a brother the one bo dull as not to apprehend the difficulties ol faith, or bo designing as always to side with the majority or wear any mask that is popular; while we brand as a heretic and bar from our fellowship the man who is sincere, whose heart is transparent, vet confesses his doubts and difficulties in attempting to sp the mysteries of theology? If we do this, we are Ealse to Christianity, in which the man is more than the tem, H we do this, we place the sincere thinker un- der the ban of the Church, while offering a bounty to thoughtless stupidity or designing hypocrisy. Who can doubt that many are tempted to violate or neglect conscience, that they may receive the honors and the gold of ecclesiastical indorsement? But of how much greater value is the assurance that a man is true — true to himself ; true to truth as it is revealed to him ; true to God as he has made known his wisdom, power and mercy? Such a man we should love and help — or rather we should be ready to receive his blessing and seek his fellowship. Who can doubt that such a man would have been looked upon with great tenderness by the Saviour, regardless of race or the letter of his creed ? We ought to say at least a word regarding the power of conscience, its rewards and retributions. The most divine of all our faculties, the most exalted and kingly; badge of man's greatness and pledge of immortality — this power may be the source of the purest bliss or of the deepest misery. How like the smile of Heaven is an ap- M LIVING QUESTIONS. proving conscience ! Then how Bweet is life, how bright is hope ! The crowning blessing and the highest favor arc bestowed upon "the purr in heart." But a guilty conscience will lash us naked through the world. When it condemns we behold in every sight an accusing witness, in every sound a voice of judgment Afl the self-condemned Alonso cried, "(). it is monstrous ! monstrous! Afethougnl the billows spoke, and told me of it ; The winds did sing it to me ; and the thunder, Thai deep ami dreadful organ-pipe, pronounced The name of Prosper." And so it ever is. " Be sure your siu will find you out." No space can separate, no darkness hide, no disguise can Bcreen you from your evil deeds and this dread avenger. Retribution is not theory, but reality. Long ago it was said, "The greatest penalty of sin is to have sinned." There is no peace like the approba- tion of God ; no fire like the burning brimstone of remorse. \\V may evade political and social laws ; we may dodge the sharpest detective ; we may shove by justice with a hand of .-kill or power: but crime or its guilt will make US miserable, for the worm shall gnaw and the lire burn. oh, remember this: there is no poverty, no suffering in this world like the insolvency which comes from lost innocence and the haunting memory of evil deeds; there is no joy, nor bliss, nor fullness like that which COmes from "having a good conscience." The EtRSUBREOnoir. " But some one will lay, How are the dead raised? and with what manner of body do they come?" — 1 Cor. w. 35. Thesk questions present almost a solitary instance in the New Testament of an attempt at a philosophical statement, or of an effort to meet by fact and logic the fears of the doubtful and the cavils of the skeptical. It is true the Apostles reasoned of " righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come;" they reasoned with recreant Jews concerning the time of the Messiah's advent, and the manner of his life: but they appealed to the law and the prophets in corroboration of their testimony. They either appealed to that which men knew to be true by the witness of their own conscious- ness, or to a plain " Thus saith the Lord," as recorded in their Sacred Scriptures. But the questions of our text belong rather to the philosophical, the theoretical, than to the vital, the essential. We know that Christianity is primarily a life, while it represents the absolute, the final, in reli- gion and morals. It is impossible to supersede it by anything better, truer, nobler; for we cannot conceive of any higher demands upon our action, our faith, and our hope. The last words of the last Apostle present the sublimest of all inspired truths — present the ultimate 85 LIVING QUESTIONS. revelation of both God and man. of divine character and of human obligation. Can thought or langu; furnish a more complete and everlasting monograph of tin' Supreme Being than the words of St. John, "God ia Love"? In a higher state there mav be higher revelations; but wi- need not look for another to teach us what God is, and what our obligations are, while we dwell amid the limitations of time. 1 am not saving there can be no progress in theology. There has been progress in revelation, marking plainly each advancing era of God's grace and mercy; and there should be progress in our religious attainments. There should be, with increasing and golden oppor- tunities, a continual growth in knowledge — a better, riper understanding of the Word and the providence of God. The man who attempts to stereotype his theological views attempts the foolish, the impossible, unless he ceases to think, to grow, to be true to himself and to the rich heritage that God has given him. Bigotry, fear, stupidity, cry out against religious }3rogress and theological advancement. But let us rather, casting these gross fossils " to the moles and the bats, " climb the hills and scale the mountains, that we may Bee what God has given us. For he says to us, while we stand on the borders of immeasurable truth, as he said to the patriarch: "The whole land is before thee; it is thine: go in and possess it." We are living in the midst of amazing changes — of revolutions, even, — in science, in social and political THE UESURREOTIi ffl aomy; and we should expect, in the absence of an infallible Church, an infallible creed, changes also in religious thought and doctrine. Why nol P u Finite minds/' says President Finney, u unless they are asleep stultified by perjudice, must advance in knowledj The discovery of new truth will modify old news and opinions, and there is perhaps no end to this proa with finite minds in any world." During the last half-century we have Been, by investi- gation and experiment, the whole world of scientific thought almost completely revolutionized; while at the same time, by invention and discovery, the entire face of society has been so changed that we, to-day, look out upon a new world. And who that thinks can doubt that a great revolution is going on also in the religious world? The scepter so long held by our theologic kings is broken. Hierarchs who from forgotten graves have ruled the Church for centuries are now criticised, or their authority denied. The deliverances of Councils and Assemblies are now questioned, and instead of a slavish assent to the "Fathers" of the Church, there is a free and reverent looking up to the Great Father of all; and now, as seldom before, the questions are: What does God demand ? What does Christ teach ? While both fresh and musty creeds, with all priestly rule, are boldly interrogated or flatly rejected. And no doubt it is as true to-day as ever, that by the stern work of the iconoclast men are brought nearer to the "one Father," to the "one Master," — the one perfect Guide and Teach- er, — whose words are life, and w T hose loving presence redemption. LIVING QUESTIONS, Now pre have in our text an illustrative instance of the rapid and radical change that is possible in Biblical interpretation and belief. 4t How are the dead raised? and with what bodies !'" These questions are of great interest, hut not absolutely essential to Christian hope. For the vital truth is that "our Saviour JeSUS Christ hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel." But there were good reasons why St. Paul deviated in this instance from his usual course, and gave his mas- terly argument on the resurrection of the dead. For here he was not called to meet metaphysical objections, nor any question of casuistry or ceremony; neither Qreek wisdom nor Jewish tradition was here in the way of Christian hope and faith: but it was the testi- mony of the senses, the universal perception and ex- perience of the living that death ends all, that he was called to meet and answer. In the article of death our external senses are at fault, or illusory. Their ex parte testimony leads to skepti- cism and despair; we can trust them only in regard to the material. We see a dear one sicken, waste, and die. We say " Farewell/' and in our loneliness exclaim, u Man giyeth up the spirit, and where is he P 3 It seems a moral, a personal annihilation. We see destruction complete, death victorious. He throws out his ban- ner of triumph on the ghastly, appalling face. If in this experience we have only the sensuous to guide, we too must conclude with the ill-starred, fallen king, "The dead know not anything." "Asa beast dieth, BO dieth man: they have all one breath; so that man the nBBURRBCTION, 81) hath no pre-eminence above a beast: tor all is vanity. All go unto one place; all arc Of the dust, and all turn to dust again/ 1 Appearances are againsl all hope. Those we love so well an- beyond oar right and reach: the person thai was so dcai- and precions vanished like the flame oi an extinguished taper. The tomb is Silent; its tenants are VOiceleSS. To overcome these ohstaeles and .stimulate Christian hope, Paul conies, in this grand chapter on the resurrection, with the historic fad of Christ crucitied and risen from the dead. He comes with analogy and Logic, (dear and strong; with common experience and serration; and blending all with the welding heat of an inspired, impassioned heart, his argument dilates in power, glowing and Hashing with eternal light and hope, as he presents the weak and fallen animal man rising into the spiritual — into glory, power, incorruption, and immortality, — chanting a glad song of thanksgiving and victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus we trace the reason and the course of Paul's argument. With no light but that of our external senses, we are powerless and despairing in the presence of death. No quest of the anatomist can find the soul, or find anything but chemical elements, whether this body is living, or shattered and dismantled by disease and death. Xo astronomer can find a home of im- mortals among the stars. No telescope reveals the jasper walls of the Golden City in the planetary or sidereal spaces of the firmament. Hence- there is ever before us the argument of materialism or of despair — dO livim; QUESTIONS. that the dead have vanished from being with the ex- piring breath; thai "they know qoI anything/' Our modern teachers, Feeling this difficulty, and tying to overcome the infidelity of sense, have failed mosl Bignally, Borne of them at least, by the use of an unfortunate expression, and have made the hope of the Go8pel dim and unreal. We have been told, for in- stance, by those who would aid us, of an " immaterial soul," of "immaterial existence." I > 1 1 1 this makes the future life so vague and distant that Gospel realities be- come like shadows, and Christian hope a dream. With this idea of immateriality "the Father's house " be- comes like the Elysium of Athenian saints, instead of the warm and blessed home of real, conscious, personal existence. But the Apostle comes to our help, not by negations that confound the skeptic and yet leave the devout and trusting in the midst of uncertainty, for he tells us not of the "immaterial n bui of the spiritual, of the "spirit- ual body." "There are," he Bays, "'bodies which be- long to heaven and bodies which belong to earth. So, in the resurrection of the dead: it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body; for as there are natural bodies, 80 there arc spiritual bodies." And then he reminds us that we must not trust these ap- pearances; that spiritual things are only spiritually discerned. Hence we need not fear because V\e cannot the dear ones whose earthly house or tent is de- stroyed. Our power of perception is no proof of a limit to existence. Inability prores little or nothing. The blind have no true conception of the world of lighi and 77/// BB81 RRB( TION< 91 varied beaut] thai surrounds them. The deaf dwell in a world of absolute dlenoe: yel the unwritten harmonies of nature are a perpetual Boorce of delighl to those who have the gifl of bearin So, for us to discern the departed or discern their departure, we need an added the e leer- shi]). perhaps — though what another would be, we cannot conceive. Bui do nol conclude, because you cannot behold the resurrection-body with these organs tion that are adjusted only to material things, that therefore 'death is, as it appears, a cessation of being; for there are bodies so made and so related to heaven that we cannol touch or Bee them. Bince they are spiritual. As God gives a body to the grain of wheat or barley that you plant. 80 he g lead a body — not the body that you see. not the body that you bury, not the body of flesh and blood, but a body that pleaseth him; spiritual, glorious, immortal; a body as perfectly related to that higher world as these fleshly bodies are to this earthly state. The hope of a future, enduring, higher life has been one of the universal, conserving influences of human history. Yet, if we respect the testimony of many able observers, we are forced to conclude that this hope seems; at least, to diminish with our progress; does not, as a power over the heart, keep pace with the increase of light and of scientific knowle< Ige. It is not difficult. I think, to find an explanation. Aside from revelation, this hope is intuitional rather than intellectual: in most minds it arises from instinctive feelings, instead of coming from any process of reasoning. 02 UVINQ QUESTIONS, Moreover, as all blessings may be perverted, so this increasing lighi may be a hinderance instead of a help to our moral and spiritual completion. If, with the in- crease of knowledge, we arc "puffed up" rather than edified, by recognizing divine wisdom; if we become so blind as to suppose that all practical realities are tangi- ble, or within the reach of the amazing powers with which modern inventive genius has gifted us; if we turn from the still, small voice of communion with (iod, concluding there is nothing beyond the grasp of in- tellect, nothing that answers to faith, nothing correlated to our hope, but that all that is knowable or valuable to us is included in material nature and the revelations of science, — then you may be sure the hope of immortality will become vague and fade away like a dream. Yet this is simply the result of a common law of our moral being. How soon we lose what we do not use! "Take therefore the talent from him" is the judgment on all who refuse to improve the gifts bestow r ed; and, everywhere, u to him that hath is given, while from him who hath not is taken away even that which he hath/ 1 We know that vice breeds vice, while virtue in- creases virtue. If you look only at the earthy, you will soon become blind to the heavenly. If the heart is fixed on temporal good and sensuous treasures, you soon cease to realize spiritual realities, and the hope of im- mortality fades away. Alas, to how many the seen and temporal appear real and enduring, while the invisible and eternal are like shadows and fables! Like the miser, who has no faith in benevolence; the coward, who no longer believes in heroism: the foul sensualist. THE RESURRECTION, wli |] purity, — bo tin 1 person who has developed only the animal soofbal the spiritual, and is faithless in ard to immortality. Another cause of this growing indifference may be found m the popular descriptions of heaven, and the char- acter thai has been given to the future life. We make heaven attractive to the poor by the promise of infinite abundance; to the weary, because there is rest; to the afflicted, because all tears are to be wiped away; to the aged, who long for repose, — and, we mighl add. to the lazy, for, no toil being demanded, their fondest hope will be changed to fruition. But the aspiring, the strong and energetic, whose pulse-heat is not like the slow roll of the muffled drum, hut a reveille calling to action; the nobly enterprising, who gladly welcome toil and danger in conquering the mountain, the desert, and the sea, that they may make the earth their own, — that, according to promise, they may replenish, Bubdue, and have dominion; — what bow of hope bends for these over the portals of the future? The young and ardent, whose hearts are tilled with de- sires that embrace all the truths and treasures of God, — where is their heaven? What shall cheer their spirits if they fall in their noble quest? No matter how pure and reverent, can they look with fond hope to an " im- material existence/" or to the joys of an everlasting con- venticle or 'Move-feast "? And who can wonder that, to all who seek to calm the beating of their fervid hearts by noble action in the pursuit of truth and of goodness, the heaven of many of our hymns and sermons tends to a feeling of indifference instead of a strong desire? 94 LIVING QUESTIONS. Y«t we may rest assured there isa heaven Eor t be young and active, the favored and happy, who may be just as the poorest, the feeblest, and the saddest And then, how arbitrary have been our conceptions of the future: death fixing all destiny by ending all moral action, while in the world to come we have "a palace and a prison on either hand." with nothing for the saints and the sinners bui to sing and to suffer endlessly; the one class to praise Sod forever* and the other to blaspheme ! Fruition and despair; a limitless range of existence, hut not of life ! Do you wonder that faith in immortal- ity is waning? While we may deplore this fact, we are sure Christianity is not responsible for this sad result. For the heaven of the Gospel is symbolized by the one word that leads all to forget theology and think of love: by the one thing that is dear alike to the aged and the youthful, the weak and the strong, rich and poor, Bntist and artisan, saint and skeptic; by the one word that, without regard to time, or tribe, or race, unites all hearts beneath all skies in a common affection, and, by the law of association, brings it in warm reality near and precious alike to all. There is but one word or symbol that can perform this office, and that word our Saviour used when he spoke of heaven as "the Father's House" — the HOWH .' EOW dear, how blessi d | Bee the power of this one word! — the stern, exacting doctor leaving the ecclesiastic behind him at the outer door, a- he enters the dear domestic circle -the home. How different now from his at tit ude in the Church! lie proves tin possibility of an instantaneous conversion. The rigid, punctilious hierarch at once become- the affection- 9URBB0IJ0H 90 parent, as wife and children crowd toembraoe and welcome, lie has no inclination to excommunicate and curse. Father!] 1 is supreme, and the place i> red- olent <>!' love and peace. Ohj if OUT doctors and ed makers had been in this truly divine spirit, — if, as did the Master, they had "placed a little child in the midst," — our theology would have been more truthful, and the world toeonie Ear more real and attractive. I know that language is weak to express the spiritual, the Bupersensual; yet it ifi here — in the tender clinging and the strong defense, in the love and confidence so pure and perfect, in the childlike and the paternal in the home — that we find the hope of the world and the similitude of heaven. Still, our design is. not to speak of immortality, but rather to aid our faith by presenting the Christian doc- trine of the resurrection. In the absence of inspiration, how impossible to account for the words and the silence of Scripture in regard to the future life! Though but little is said, however, there is enough for hope, faith, and love — nothing for curiosity or vanity. Yet in the Scripture we have the divine estimate of death, while life and immortality are brought to light. Death is abolished. It is not what it seems, for "to (iod, all live/' or all are alive. That which appears a deep and dread hiatus is not the annihilation of our consciousness, to await a re-creation at some far-off time; it is the being " unclothed " with flesh and "clothed upon" by a spiritual body — translated from a material to a spiritual state. So the Gospel seems to teach. 96 UYIXCr QUESTIONS. •• How arc the dead raised; and with what bodi( Two answers may be given to this question; that is, there are two prominent theories of the resurrection. One is the rising up at death of the real man. clothed in a spiritual body, — not unclothed, but " clothed upon, and mortality swallowed up in life." Jt is rising from the dead: not of the dead body, for that "is sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body." "We SOW not the body that shall be, but God giveth it a body." The other theory supposes, not so much a rising vj) y us a rising again, of the body, the dust, — a reorganiza- tion, at the last day, of our material forms, their frag- ments gathered and combined anew; while the soul comes from heaven or hell, — or perhaps from some in- termediate place, — and again enters the familiar body now made immortal. The person, complete, then pro- reeds to the judgment-bar of Christ, there to receive the sentence of endless miserv, or to receive the reward of eternal bliss. We should also remember that there is a large and re- sectable class of Christian believers who, agreeing with the common or " orthodox" view of the resurrection of the body, yet in other respects differ widely from the cur- rent doctrine. They deny the native immortality of the soul, claiming that we become heirs of life by working out our salvation, and that through grace we are made immortal by the Lord Jesus at the resurrection, if by holine8fi we are prepared to enter the "Father's house. " They hold that death ends all consciousness, — "The dead know not anything." The sleep is so profound that we are as if we had not been, and but for the THE RESURRECTION 97 resurrection, death would be the eternal end — an eter- nal sleep. All hope rests OH the reorganizal inn, or re- ation of this fleshly body, This is promised through the graoe of God. The righteous will be raised im- mortal and taken to heaven; the wicked raised as they died, mortal, BUbjecl to the doom of the "second death," to be burned ap bodj and soul, " destroyed from the presence of the Lord." There is no immortal sin, no endless misery. Those who are not "meet for the inheritance of the saints " Buffer the perdition of nn- godly men. " Then Cometh the end: and when Christ shall have Bubdued all things unto himself, he shall de- liver up the kingdom to GWfl, even the Father, that (rod may be all in all/' But is this view of the resurrection correct ? Is it a tremendous act of habeas corpus proclaimed to earth and sea, so rich in human dust ? Is our future, immortal tabernacle to come from the graveyard ? Is this flesh and is this blood to enter the kingdom of God? Do the Scriptures teach the resurrection of the body ? We do not question the power, but is this the will, of God ? We think not; but here, as everywhere, we should be charitable, teachable, and easy to be entreated towards the truth. There must be a reason for this theory — a reason felt to be conclusive — or this doctrine of the rising again of the body could not have prevailed as it has, could not have been placed in the earliest creeds side by side with the most vital and essential articles of faith. Hence it is no doubt connected, in some way, with the paramount truth, the great Christian hope, of the resurrection, or the future life. 98 LI Visa qUESTIOim What is this hope p What to us, aside from holi- 11688, is the vital, practical ]>oint in our immortality f It is not, as we have said, the philosophy of the resurec- tion. It is not the method of OUT rising, nor the time when this event i.< due. It is not essential to us whether we arc raised to a spiritual life when we die, or a little later on in time. It is not essential whether we leave these hodies forever by being raised at death to enter a spiritual body, or, as many still believe, whether the corpse that is buried is to be raised from the grave and made immortal. For the vital point is, not the kind of bodies we are to have, or how they are made; but the essential Christian doctrine is our immortal, personal identity: that we arc raised ourselves, with memory and consciousness; with a clear and perfect knowledge of our individual being, — preserved alike from the shadowy negations of immateriality and the despair of absorption or annihilation. This is the hope — not the hope of those who go sounding on their dim and perilous way, expecting at the last to be merged into the central, im- personal soul of the universe,* but the hope of those who hear the Master saying: "Because I live, ye shall live also." "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. and I give unto them eternal life.* 1 Now the doctrine of the resurrection of the body, gT088 as it is, was based on this essential truth, — one of the most precious of Gospel assurances, — the preserva- tion amid all changes, the perpetuity amid all dis- asters, of our personal identity. This is the precious truth of the resurrection. For, however we may be * As held for ;iL r c< by the millions of India. ran RR8URRBCTI0N. D0 M'd. and with whatever bodies we niay be clothed, it .an be of DO value or interest to us if we do not rise in all the COmpletene8fl of our conscious personality — if we do not rise knowing that we are the same beinga that dwelt in these earthly tabernacles. The doctrine of the "resurrection of the body" was the testimony of the early Church in behalf of this sub- lime truth. It was dinging to this Christian hope against the unrealities of pagan philosophy and the Gnostic heresy. As is often the case, so here, a precious truth was defended by imperfect means; and the unseriptural expression, '•resurrection of the body/' or "resurrec- tion of the Hesh," has no doubt aided in preserving the iptural hope of our "enduring identity. " But is the resurrection of the body necessary to the preservation of our personality, our enduring conscious- ness ? If it is, then we must hope to see the graveyards plowed — subsoiled — again; not by the sexton, but by the archangel. We must hope that for our scattered dust the earth may be sifted and the pavement of the sea may be raked by the power of God. If to preserve our being there must be a physical resurrection, then must that marvelous description of the poet Young be real- ized : 11 Now charnels rattle: scattered limbs and all The various bones, obsequious to the call, Self -moved, advance, — the neck perhaps to meet The distant head: the distant head, the feet. Dreadful to view ! See through the dusky sky Fragments of bodies in confusion fly, To distant regions journeying, there to claim Deserted members and complete the frame." 100 LIVING QUESTIONS. But it is now evident, as it was not in the early ages of the Church, that our identity is independent of the gross material thai forms the house or tabernacle of the real person, tin- true image of God. As is well known, our bodies are continually changing, no two days the same; while every few years, through all our earthly life, we have a body entirely new, made up of materials that have been portions of other bodies, vegetable, ani- mal, and human; yet this "I, myself," remains the same in its consciousness, no matter how long we live. This fact renders a resurrection of the body as organ- ized material a physical impossibility, if not an absurd- ity; while it comes graciously to our aid by showing that such a resurrection is not necessary to the Gospel hope of our personal immortality not necessary to the one essential and precious truth of the resurrection, the preservation beyond death of our conscious identity. The particles of matter we wear are no more essential to our proper being than the clothes we wear; while our outer wardrobe is less changeable than our fleshly gar- ment. The wear and tear of one is much like the other, without in the least affecting the true, immortal man. The difficulties in the wav of this theory are so srreat that the ablest of its modern advocates have in reality given it up. and have substituted another in place of the old, orthodox view. President Hitchcock, in an exege- on our text, says: "It is not necessary that the resurrection-body should contain a Bingle particle of the Datura! body in order to make it identical." Now, if Dr. Hitchcock had said this body is not necessary to preserve our identity, — U*v it is nothing more than our ////•; /:/■:> VRRtiCTlOlf. lOl •lily, temporal dwelling, — then he would have uttered peat truth, Bhowing the complete ooinoidenoe of ipture and science. Hut when he talks of identical bodies, — identical material that is not identical; bodies that are the same, without a single particle in common, — then lie talks confusion: like scholastic philosophy rather than modern reasoning. The Doctor's solution becomes more difficult than the problem; the exposition becomes the mystery. If our bodies remained the same through life, as was once supposed, and then were pre- served from mingling with other human organisms, we might reasonably believe in a carnal resurrection, if it were shown to be a doctrine of the Bible. But when the facts of God's providence, as revealed by science, drive the ablest advocates of the resurrection of the body to affirm that the body raised has nothing in com- mon with the body that is buried, we submit that it is a complete surrender on their part of this venerable theory. The portions of our bodies that have been cast off during our lives, — indeed, the several entire bodies that we have, w T hile living, cast off, as we have our garments; — these are no more foreign to the soul, to its integrity, than is the body we leave at death; wdiich will soon vanish, particle by particle, in its disorganiza- tion, as completely as did the body of our childhood. While we bow in reverence to the Gospel, as our only guide, we are often thankful that all its words are so precious and reasonable. That it lays no heavy burden on^our faith and love, nothing grotesque or absurd, is presented to our hope in the Xew T Testament. And this cannot be said of any book, essay, or sermon (and their 103 I.I vim; QUBSTTOm name ifi legion) that lias been given to the world even by our ablest teachers who (luring these passing cen- turies have advocated and explained this doctrine of the resurrection of the body. There is another point we most mention. The great truth of the Gospel, "thai Christ died, was buried, and that he rose again the third day," — this truth, precious alike to all Christian faith and life, seems to many pious hearts to teach the resurrection of the body from the grave. Did not Jesus come again from Joseph's tomb m the same body? Did he not hear the marks of cruci- fixion? And did lie not ascend to heaven as though lie entered a cloud? Yes, so we believe. But let us re- member the resurrection of Christ is the drowning mira- cle of the Gospel, ordained for a special purpose;— not to show us how the dead rise, or with what bodies tl y come, bul to declare that Jesus was the Son of God, the promised Messiah. He arose, not as an example, hut in breaking the Roman seal upon the door of his tomb he set forever the seal of Cod upon his own mission and his authority. His resurrection the third day " was a miracle, not a type." For Jesus arose before his body saw corruption, that his apostles might know him, so that he could say to them, u Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. . . . And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of broiled tish, and an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them." Tin: BBBUBBBOrroD LOS Ho rami' fr<»m the grave in his physical body, thai his might know, blessed knowledge, that he was the promised man. approved of God; God with as; our resurrection and our life ! Hut certainly it does not follow that we BhaU rise as he did, with our u flesh and bones," and hence like him be capable of eating and drinking with our friend-. Neither does it follow from Scripture thai the body that came from the garden tomb ascended from the brOW of Olivet to the righl hand of God, The resurrection of Christ as a type was not complete until he vanished from sight on the Mount of Ascension. We shall rise as lie did, to knotO and he known; we shall rise in our true persdnality — so that we too can say, "This is I, myself;" but with a body spiritual, glorious, powerful, and incorruptible. The coming again, from the grave, of the Crucified, of that marred and broken body, so as to be recognized by his disciples, — this was needful to complete and forever verify the Gospel; this was needful that we might trust him as our "resurrection and our life. n But this official relation of Christ cannot mean that he is to re animate our dead bodies, to restore them from the effect of physical law; but he is our resurrection because through the power of his life, his incarnation and ministry, his love and atonement, we are raised into a new and blessed life. Ife is not our resurrection because he gathers again our scattered dust, — not because he brings the dead from graveyards by a mighty chemical miracle: but he is our resurrection because of his spiritual power, be- cause through him we may rise into a higher, holier life. K)4 LtVIlfO QUESTIONS. As President Finney says: "Christ, as the resurrection and the life is raised in the soul. He revives the divine image out of the spiritual death that reigns within us. Ilr is at the foundation of all our obedience, raising the BOUl from the >Iavery of lu>t to a conformity to the will of God." The vital question, then, is not so much with what bodies we shall rise, as with what characters. We need not fear regarding our bodies, since God will provide for us there as here: and yet we need to fear, because it is for us to say in what spirit we shall be clothed. It is for us to say whether we rise to life or to judgment: whether we come "with all our crimes broad blown, as flush as May," or whether we rise %0 walk in white, cleansed from our sins through repentance and the blood of Jesus Christ our Saviour. VI. Tin: Price ob the Prize, " Strive to enter in &1 the strait gate.' 1 — Luke xiii. 24. We are told that Henry Clay once said, ill a public meeting: "I am not a Christian. I am sorrv to sav this, for I wish I were. But I hope that some day I shall be." This confession and condition of the great statesman were plainly the result of false views — most false and pernicious, as it seems to me — of human obliga- tion, and of our relation to the government and provi- dence of God. Mr. Clay did not mean to say that he was in theory an infidel, but he had a crude, deceptive idea of a Christian life. He regarded Christianity as desirable; yet to him it was unattainable, though he hoped that some time he might be made an heir of the grace of God. But it is most certainly true — nothing is more certain — that every one who hears the Gospel, who is surrounded by its influences, may at once, to-day, become a Christian. There is imposed upon no one the dreadful task of con- tinuing in sin, of living in transgression and corruption. There can be no reason why we should not. if we ear- nestly desire so to do, turn at once from the evil that is in our hands : no reason why we should not at once "do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God." There 105 106 Ll\'f\<; QVE6T10N& are no cruel, invidious distinctions in this matter; no difference is made : but, without resped of persons, all arc equally eligible— if willing — candidates to the election of sainthood; for all arc freely invited and are equally welcome to the priceless blessings of divine grace. How strange the delusion thai our Heavenly Father can tantalize us by placing a glittering prize just beyond our reach! Bow anti-Christian the thought that lie threatens us with endless torment for not doing or being when we arc helpless having Only the ability to hope, suffer, and despair ! Under the influence of the Gospel, this dark fatalism is passing away : yet we sometimes meet it, even in the house of worship. J onee heard a good man — agood preacher — say, while urging the impor- tance of prayer : "God can make all these unconverted people Christians— he can make them Christians at onee : ami maybe he will if we are earnest in prayer." If this be true, with perfect justice every sinner could plead " Not Guilty" before Cod and the world. But I hear the Lord Jesus saying: "Strive to enter in at the strait gate : for many will seek," or desire, ''to enter," but, because they do not choose, strive, they "shall not bo able." I hear the appeal of Cod by the prophet : " And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Do you ask the question, How. when, may 1 becomes Christian ? Listen to the Word : " Behold, now is the accepted time ; behold, now is the day of salvation." u Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saitli the Lord God: and not that he should return from bis ways and live?" "Cast away from you all your THE PRICE OF TEE PRIZE. 107 tran ons, whereby ye have transj 1; and make yon a Dew heart and a new spirit : for why will ye die?" " Today, after so long a time; to-day, if ye will, hear his \ ; harden no1 yonr hearts. " Christianity is the pel o\' God, because it opens the kingdom of heaven t<> ail. "And the angel Baid unto the shepherds. Fear not : for, behold, I bring yon good tidings of great Joy, whieh shall be to all people." christian salvation has often been presented as some- thing to be received in an arbitrary manner, because ot' some arbitrary act, something done for as or put apon as, instead of its being a growth and power of love, a principleof life, action, and being. Salvation is not so truly the opening of prison doors to the convicl as it is his turning from the false, haggard, and wicked to the true, beautiful, and good. It. is not change of place, hut State J being cleansed from Bin, a deliverance from both the love and guilt of moral evil. Christ saves by leading us to love him, — to prefer him above our chief joy, — and hence to love purity, righteousness, and God : inspiring the receptive mind with divine emotions, and ever quickening the sluggish heart with divine life. "Strive to enter in at the strait gate : for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." While this is one of the Saviour's most stern and rugged declarations, it yet brings to us needed instruc- tion, warning, and encouragement. There are many who desire, without choosing ; who seek, without striving: hence, fail of attaining. Their inability is no secret, no fatality, but it adds to their sin ; for they themselves fur- 108 LIVING QUESTIONS. nish that which we all knew is always, and everywhere, a fixed condition of failure and defeat. Taking life as it is, there are not in these word- doubt and gloom, —not the suggestion of a dungeon upon wh< massive walls is written, " No hope/ 3 — but, rather, cheer- ing assurance, as well as solemn exhortation. They should destroy our presumption and rouse US from a false and fatal feeling of security, while inspiring with hope and leading to earnest effort. True, there are dif- ficulties in the way of salvation, but they are not insu- perable ; there are obstacles, but not insurmountable. To enter the kingdom is infinite gain, endless bliss. If the prize were worthless, it would be foolish to strive ; if unattainable, useless. But the value of the prize, and the assurance of BUCCess, should stimulate to earnest en- deavor. If we cannot win, vain is the sacrifice of painful effort Hut we may : hence it is wise to gird for the bat- tle, strive for the victory. The doctrine of the text is: the crown may he obtained, the goal may be gained, the battle may be won; hence, agonize — strive ! In becoming Christians, we are not to wait. Our atti- tude is not watching, but striving; not like one expect- ing some stroke of good fortune, but earnestly laboring. We are not to be passive, like the inmate of a hospital who undergoes a Burgical operation : but active, like the soldier who wins a mural crown or first enters a deadly breach. In becoming Christians, we are not like clay in the hands of a potter, but like the devoted hero who follows his commander. " Patient waiting" is a Chris- tian virtue : but it is rather an attainment of sainthood than a condition of du-cipleship. We may learn to wait TUK PRICE OF THE PRIZE 109 r we have learned to labor. Aft.T gaining the vie- faith and overcoming the world, then comes the .»n <»f patimt continuance : tor to wail patiently in sin, as if it were a virtue or a neees>itv, is to mock at i. The time to rest is after we have 'ffought the good fight and finished our course." Beyond the sea, beyond the wilderness, glistens the land of promise; hut this is n<>t our n It seems eery strange that Biblical teachers should have so long held and taught those paralyzing doctrines that lead the sinner to suppose that his true attitude is waiting, .-till waiting, until God shall be pleased to re- in him from sin. How different are all the figures, all the teachings of Scripture ! To the soul struggling in sin comes the exhortation and the helping hand. " Lay hold on eternal life V s To the moral idler eomes the question and command : % * Why stand ye here idle ? Go, work !" To the dweller on the plains or in the vale of Sodom comes the appeal : " Up, get you out of this place, for the Lord will destroy this city. Look not be- hind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain ; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed." To the careless : u Seek ye the Lord while he may be found ; call ye upon him while he is near." To all, as he passes by, Jesus says, " Follow me !" To all desiring a higher, nobler life the Apostle cries, "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." " Thou, therefore, endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." I w r ould not cast the shadow of a doubt upon the gracious providence or paternal sovereignty of God. He is a sovereign, absolute, eternal ; not as a ruler over mat- L10 LIVING QUESTIONS. ter only, but also over mind. Be rules not by force alone, but also by motive. Men are not like trees, and stones, and -tars: bu1 U'rc. responsible. Man, as a crea- ture, in his formation and endowment, ifl like clay; God, ae creator, in the exercise of Ins omnipotence, — in fashioning body and mind, in bestowing form and faculty, — is like a potter. Be gives to one a talent for business ; to another, the gift of healing, or teaching ; to another, the genius of construction, or the inspiration of the poet : to one man he gives ten talents ; to another, one or live ; here he calls a man to till the ground, there one to plow the sea : — the mind and body of every one being Formed for some vocation, so that a true life is the completion of a divine plan. Bui man. as a moral being, in relation to moral law, is 7iot like an inert lump of clay. And God, as moral ruler, sways the scepter of his authority and love over those who can ehoose good and reject evil — choose life, and live ; or death, and die. And with this lie cannot in- terfere, any more than he can do w T rong or violate his own government, lie makes our bodies — yes, our minds — as the vessel on the wheel is made u down at the pot- ter's house, ,J or by his own infinite force, will, and wis- dom ; hut he makes our characters, molding them into the divine image, by leading us to seek, love, and choose righteousness and truth. It is glorious to guide the sun, to roll the .-tars on their eternal round, to un- fold the splendor c,\' the midnight sky : " to bring forth Maz/aroth in hifi season, and guide Arcturus with his sons" I Bui it is far more glorious to rule mind than any form of matter; to lead the heart to love, and the THE PRIOR OF THE PRIZE. 1 11 will to bow in rolunl rerence and obedience to the commands of heaven, High the tin-one of love, 1 divined is the Bcepter of the moral universe, Your Bllenceasa parenj Lb not in being able to force your ohild to comply with your commands, bui in leading him into ha glad and willing obedience. All you gain e is a total loss; for your success asa ruler and • •tit depends on being able to induce your child, of its cord, to Beek ami pursue righi ways. Those who rereignty of <'«"! consist only of resistless force destroj its moral grandeur, while degrading the I to the condition of a mere machine. They do not realize the infinite realms of love. — the exceeding glory <>f the boundless kingdom of affection and reason, — where God rules, not by almightmess, but because the hearts of adoring millions thrill with love and burn with devotion, freely < -acting their crowns before him, a joy- ous, willing offering. If there is a difference between conversion and the "new birth/' we may regard the one as a duty, the other as an experience. Man seeks, obeys ; God bestows the sealing witness of the Holy Spirit. The prodigal 11 arises and goes to his father ;" the father receives him with a kiss, robes and feasts him. One is penitent sub- mission, the other an inspiration. When one turns from evil and does that which is right, he is converted ; when the heart is filled with such affection that obedience is bliss and sacrifice a joy, when duty becomes privilege and law is forgotten in love, then the soul has passed from conversion to the heights of regeneration. The plain doctrine of the text is, that, as moral, re- 112 LIVING QUESTIONS. sponsible beings, in the affairs of spiritual life, we have something to do ; that, as the price is precious, the de- mand is argent ; that, to gain the kingdom of heaven, we most, like those who would win in athletic games ancient or modern, strive, or agonize ! This condition guards every treasure and sentinels every prize. It is not new ; hut old and universal as human want, wealth, and attainment. The Gospel is in harmony with all experience : for there can be no success, glory, power, nor treasure without the price of earnest effort. There is no excellence, no rational value, no golden fruit of protes- ts trade, or position, — no good of grace or nature, mate- rial or spiritual, — that does not say: "Unless you take up your cross and follow me persistently, zealously, with single-eyed devotion, you cannot possess or win." The wealth of the world is given to us on the conditions of tod and strife. I said: "There are latent harvests waiting to spring from the ground ; latent vineyards whose vines are rich with the purple vintage; gold in the mountain; silver veining the rock ; gems on the floor of the ocean; — all are yours : but you must tunnel the hills for the silver, crush the quartz, and dive beneath the emer- aid sea for gold and pearls. " Then, better, God has given as a universe of truth. JIqvo are treasures of more value than bars of gold, or richest gems ; but there is no royal road to wisdom, no immunity from toil : for over the temple of knowledge, as over the gate of heaven. Lb inscribed, u Strive : for strait is the gate !" We need not wonder or stumble because we are bidden to take and bear our cross, to strive for heaven, Even Mam- THE PRIOR OF THE PRIZE. L13 moil demands tin* same; and human glory, thai withers 'ike its own laurel wreath, baa this oondition. Why not the fadeless crown ? u ( >h, heed the solemn appeal ! The Lord Jesus, stand- like the angel in the sun, with the eternal world tor a background, clothed in garments white as snow, call- ing us to honor, and glory, and immortality, says only, in behalf of these higher things, what the whole world says of its poo^, miserable, groveling things, — * Strive ! ' ,? Hut some hearer Bays: " ¥ou make Christianitya hard and wearisome task; and, because of the strife and saeri- fice demanded, there is not the unity that you claim. Christianity does not harmonize with the laws of our ■ early life, with our youthful impulses, with the fullness and freshness of our physical being; for each drop of our young Mood seems to sing. And see how bright and fair all nature is— how full of music, overflowing with gladness in this our vernal equinox! Does not every- thing harmonize rather with our youthful love of pleas- ure? Does not everything say to us now, 'Be happy '? But religion calls to strife and toil: its symbol is a cross." Xav, stop, I pray you, and take another look b°fore you thus east this cross away. I know there is the bright, joyous springtime, — but how brief and fleeting! "Oh, how this Spring of Life resembleth The uncertain glory of an April day: Which now shows all the beauty of the sun, And by and by a cloud takes all away!" This is certainly a rough, rugged world, more like a battlefield than a festive hall; more like a voyage across 1 14 LIVING QUESTIONS. the emrging deep, than a sail t<>v pleasure on some un- ruffled lakelet. Then, again, the truest inpulses <>f our youth are not opposed to the claims and call of Christ. Instead of being discordant, they blend in complete harmony; for mean, hard, sordid, groreling passions do not ordina- rily belong to the young. Every pulse from fresh, young heart.- is rather towards goodness, fidelity, and generosity; as in the morning we dream less of selfish ambition than of the higher aims and nobler issues of a true life. Truly, it is in the old, not in the young, that nature and grace are most at war. We die daily either to sin or in- nocence, and are always dying to this world. " While man is growing, life is in decrease, And cradles rock us nearer to the tomb. Our birth is nothing but our death begun, AjB tapers waste, that instant they take tire." Yet, strange, but true, unless we die to sin we are more and more alive to death, liking the earth better the nearer we come to it, growing towards the dust in affection and interest, and away from the spiritual; so that the gross man naturally grovels, while the heaven- born heart mounts up with wings. We despise an idle, frivolous life that heeds no call to duty: that Bees no worthy goal, no work to do, no prize to win; that hears no summons inspiring to enter the lists against moral evil, and do battle for the right in the tournament of life. There 18 true harmony between the promptings of the youthful heart and even the stern de- mands of religion There IB often a seeming contradic- mi: PRICE OP TBS PRIZE, llfi tion in life, because our view is partial; while, on its higher plane, perfect accord, ultimate unity, are found. For instance, what we often desire most tor ourselyea we t r* 1 as worthless or a blemish in others. What we fondly anticipate for ourselves in the future, we despise in our past. What seems precious to our hope is often worthless in our memory. We long for rest, ease, as we look forward; hut we rejoice and glory in our toil and strife as we look backward. While we art' planning for peace, for a lazy or aristocratic quiet of affluence, we yel uniformly despise the idler, looking with reproof or contempt upon those who now realize our future ideal. We would avoid strife: yet we feel there is no glory, no grandeur, or value in life save as it stands forth in suc- aful struggles or in heroic, faithful endeavor. We wish to retire from business: yet to the true man idle- ness is more laborious than labor, more irksome and wearing than rugged toil; while, without the industry we would shirk, or the conflict we would avoid, there is in our life nothing of worth or of beauty — nothing but leaves ! We would have our way smooth before us: still we only cherish with satisfaction in our past the energy and daring by which we conquered every obstacle and scaled every rugged height in our pathway. Talk of avoiding the difficult gate, the cross and toil of the Christian, because our young heart says, with its strong, healthy beat, "Be happy"! Is that the great aim, the mission of life? Are there no sublime, infinite realities ? Are there no demands for heroic action, for divine thought, sacrifice, consecration? Is there no work to do ; no battle to win ? Or is life only an empty holi- 116 UVJDST6 QUESTIONS. day — without duty, without a sir* red vocation, without eternal love, aoble purposes, immortal deeds? The idea of many is, to tell it plainly, a youth of idle levity, compensated for byan old aire of severe, unblest, flowerless, pulseless piety, [f anything can be mean in purpose, though there may be Borne dwarfish virtue in its consummation, it seems to me it is in such presump- tuous mockery and robbery of God ! Bow terribly false such an ideal! And it is felt to be so by every youthful, hence generous, heart. To see the young, with elastic energies and noble fac- ulties, formed in the divine image, standing on the threshold 6f endless being, at the entrance of the solemn temple of life, yet standing without reverence, without adoring love or humble offering, without up- lifted heart or uncovered brow; looking along the dim corridors of coming time with empty laugh and jaunty air, with boastful heart and reckless plans, with corrod- ing lusts and polluted lips; — what can be more sad, un- natural, revolting? Nothing, save the counterpart, the companion-piece, to this wretched picture: An old, blighted, shattered man, whose heart has become a bundle of rusty valves slowdy moving with icy blood, from which has ebbed forever all enthusiasm and fresh- ness, all Btrength and affection. And now, when the palsied hand can grasp no more pleasure, and the feel are manacled by disease,— when time and lust have con- quered, to see such a one wait in peevish indifference, or put on the mask of religion to assume a piety that is the mere precipitate of youthful obligation, of claims that were long whipped and hunted from the heart, mis- TBB PRIGS OF THE PRIZE, 1 17 taking now the loss of passion for growth in grace, the impotence of exhausted nature for the triumphs of the spirit, — this is the fitting, terrible sequel of a youth de- voted to Belfish pleasure. Oh, it' there are no tints of heaven, no sweet promise of immortality, no approving smile of God, in the ha/A' of life's morning, we have little Mm to expect them in the light of our noontide or amid the somber shadows of our evenio How different the mellow ripeness, the tranquil rest ami hopeful blessedness, of a soul whose old age is the golden harvest of youthful diligence — of sowing to the Spirit! Then the form may be bent; the u head may be covered with snow, as the hill that is nearest to heaven;" the body may be old: but the heart is young — young the angels are; young, because of immortal life, that seemed so precious and was so earnestly sought for, and so surely gained, in life's rosy morning. "Strive to enter in at the strait gate!" If we must strive, is not youth the appointed, the auspicious time? When we are replete with life and energy; when we love to scale the mountain, and breast the wave, and face the storm; when our limbs are sinewy, and our senses keen; when we are quick to hear the bugle summon the brave to action, or ready to follow the drum to battle if duty calls; when we can shake all languor from the heart, as the lion shakes the dewdrops from his mane; — then is certainly the time for successful striving. How clear that there is perfect harmony between Christianity and the true, natural impulses of early life! How this stern word "strive " thrills and cheers when we think of the possibilities that glisten beyond; of the 118 LIVING QUESTIONS. work and reward that arc before every earnesi soul; of what may be done, even by the feeblest hand, if nerved and prompted bya Loving heart! Strive for the beauti- ful and good — for the true, the fadeless, the noble, the heroic! Let us not forget the best, hut, with corrected estimates of life, seek for the riches of time and eternity, earth and heaven, each according to its intrinsic value. Strive for divine communion, for reconciliation with 1, that you may be consciously, and with an experi- ence of unspeakable bliss, his dear children, in affection- ate sympathy with the universal Father, and in harmony and love witli his whole family. Be not weary in well- doing! " Learn to labor and to wait," as well as to strive; for the promise is, " Be thou faithful, and I will give thee a crown." " Heaven is not reached at a single bound; But we build the ladder by which we rise From the lowly earth to the vaulted skies And we mount to its summit, round by round." As a last word of encouragement, and yet of warning, let me remind you that, in gaining this prize of eternal life, there is upon you not only the necessity of earnest, but of consecrated, united, persistent effort. Here no wavering, trimming hesitation can possibly win. It is, '• Ask and ye shall receive;" " Seek and ye shall find;" " Knock and it shall be opened:'' "Strive, agonize, and ye shall enter the kingdom." Thus, without repetition, there is to be an ever-increasing desire, whole-hearted- nesSj intensity of purpose, until all powers, gifts, facul- ties, fibers, and impulses of your being are one, in their complete devotion to the golden purpose yon seek to gain. ////•; PRICE Of TSB PRIZE. L19 Think not, as we have already said, thai this is some- thing exceptional or strange in the providence of God, It is always true thai the higher, richer, the prize, the ater the price; the more complete must be the conse- cration and the self-sacrifice as conditions of attainment. We are not only to win a precious guerdon, but we are ourselves in this to be made nobler, purer, diviner, by py step, and conflict, and trial; so that we may be like gold from the crucible, so that we may be ripe for heaven. Such are the conditions, under divine providence, that guard even temporal good, that our manhood is often either lost or won in its pursuit. Were it possible to gain wealth, wisdom, high position, power, by accident or at a cheap rate, they would be to us of little use or value. There is ever a seeming divine indifference to us, a pa- ternal neglect, a loving withdrawal of aid, until, through thought, conviction, and desire, the whole being comes at last to be a unit of intense devotion, and the best we have, and all we have, is freely given to obtain the prize in view, to reach the goal before us. When we present such an offering, then comes the fire of God's accept- ance; then comes the triumph of victory, — while the victor is himself the noblest, grandest part of the con- quest. Every great enterprise, reform, revolution of the world gives us grander men, so that we and they are doubly enriched — not only by what they earn, but what they become. God waits in mercy and withholds the prize in deepest love, that, through our heroic devotion and 130 UVIXG QUESTIONS. deathless faith, he may say to the true heart, at last, "Well done;" u Ee that overoometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will 1 give power over the nations: ami I will give him the morning star." The sublimer the height, the more difficult the path; the richer the prize, the more rugged the toil: the more precious the end, the more complete must be tlie saeriliee. "Strive to enter in at the strait gate," not only that we may gain the kingdom, — just pass the barrier, — but that there may be for us " an abundant entrance;" that we may go crowned with the glory of God, while the " harpers are harping with their harps." VII. A Royal SENSUALIST. "Vanity of Vanities, Bftith the Preacher! vanity of vanities; all is vanity." — Eccles. i. 8. Wl frankly Bay we believe Deither this Preacher, nor tliis part of his sermon. These words are not the truth of (ioil, hut expressions of skepticism, of despair, of atheism. You may think this abrupt and startling, as we have read our text from the Holy Scriptures. We believe the Bible, and we believe this book of Ecclesiastes to be canonical; but we deny this assertion of the royal Preacher, though he was one of the greatest and wisest of men. There are many things in the Scriptures that w T e do not believe ; true faith demands their rejection. Some of the words of Satan are recorded in the Bible, and they all tend to confirm the character for truth and veracity he has had from the beginning. How false and slander- ous the unqualified declaration he once made, — "All that a man hath will he give for his life''! We know this is not true. We know there have been and are men w T ho would not give up truth or duty, the service of God or the ministry of love, to prolong their lives. The Devil believes that " every man has his price," — no doubt firmly believes in "total depravity. n But 121 122 LIVING QUESTIONS. there are men of incorruptible integrity. There turae been patriots no tyrant could seduce by flattery or gold; humble Christians who have "counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and for whom they have willingly Buffered the loss of all things. " And wo know that all is not ' k vanity of vanities." Honor, justice, fidelity, charity, exist. There are heroes and heroines. There are men thai no king, or million- aire, or monopoly, or party can buy; whose firmness is like the hills, whose charity is wide as the world. But let us examine our text with less haste and as- surance, that we may learn its lessons and see why it is found in the Bible. Though these words of Solomon are plainly not inspired, yet they are placed before us, by the authority of inspiration, for our instruction — to benefit and bless. " Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vani- ties: all is vanity." Although these words rasp us and provoke contradiction, yet we must admit that but few things and fewer men and women are complete, rounded into perfection, without lack or redundancy, while we confess that real life presents the most abrupt, striking, and often painful moral contrasts. You will not search in vain for sweet flowers even on the street that is beaten hard by the hot feet of ambi- tion or by the hasty tread of avarice. Our marts of traffic are not without moral bloom and beauty, and in all the relations of life — own the most worldly — we may men faithful to conscience and true to holy princi- ples. We may find the Golden Rule prevailing where .1 R0TA1 3UAL2 123 least expected, or maxims of selfishness where ire Looked for justice and charity. Yei we may Bearcfa long and anxiously before we find a character withoul blemish, a life without fault. We may look long before we find a a man without delinquencies, tor wisdoni is often mated with folly, knowledge with ignorance; while the Hike and the brutal, the divine and tbe demoniac, the pure and the profane, lie under the same roof or in dwell in the same soul. We often see combined in the mysterious contrasts of our humanity qualities the most opposite and powers the most divei Eere is a fountain that seems — though it is said to be impossible — to send forth both sweet and hitter waters; here is a heart both tender and fierce — full at times of mercy, and again of cruelty, as if blending in the same spirit the wolf and the lamb, as you open the different springs and issues of life. It is almost impossible without seeming extravagance to present this fairly. We may often see in the same heart that which suggests spotless heights and polluted depths, the pure snow of virtue and the stagnant marshes of sin. AVe may, you know T , climb the mountain whose top glistens before us, crowned with unsullied whiteness; but when we gain the summit there yaw T ns before us the dark, revolting mouth of a volcano. How mysterious these contrasts in human life! We see nothing like this among the lower animals. The wolf is always true to itself — neither more nor less than a wolf. The tiger is always the bloodthirsty terror of the jungle, and the lion the dread of the desert. The 124 LIVING QUESTIONS, lamb is forever the Bymbol of innocence; the serpent, of wisdom; ami the dove, of spiritual purity and affection. Bui man, though of one blood, combines all the ex- tremes of being: he presents the cunning of the serpent, the Biercenessof the tiger; while the lamb and the bird may symbolize his gentleness and love. These contrasts are suggested to us by the author of our text the royal Solomon. A>k a child, u Who was the wisest man?" and, if taught as children once were, the ready answer will be, "Solomon/ 1 And there is good reason for this reply; for we may read in the Good Hook that %> God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and large- ness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the Bast, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men, — wiser than the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all the nations round about." This seems altogether conclusive 4 . Now if you should ask, kk AVho was the most foolish man?" the answer from the authority of Scripture would be the same. For Solomon says of himself, — and he ought to know, — " As it happeneth to a fool, so it happeneth to me, even to me." u I applied mine heart to know wisdom and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and mad- ness." And he learned this terrible lesson not for him- self only, but for us all. Yes, Solomon, the king, touched these extremes. In wisdom standing as the light, guide, and teacher of his age, the foremost man of the world. In boyhood, as l BOTAl SKN8UAUBT. L26 prinoeand ruin-, how pure, gentle, humble, reverend and teachable he was! And how full ol promise, how bril- liant, tin* opening of his reign ! You remember his prayer for divine aid. Hut alas that BUCh a cloudy midday and murky evening should follow such a morn- ing ! How high he soared, going up in the rosy dawn — like the lark singing at the very gate of heaven; then how low he Btooped— swooping down From the pure sky. vulture-like, to batten on corruption! A- thf grandeur of a temple is revealed by its stately ruins, so the greatness and glory of man arc seen in his wreck and fall. This boy-prince was eminently successful. lie was for u time a model, an ideal king, a true leader and shepherd of his people. Anointed by divine authority as the successor of his illustrious father, hailed with en- thusiasm by a loyal, united nation, lie was humbled rather than elated by the splendor of his position, and by the solemn duties that rested upon him. He felt his weakness, and like a true prince, a true man, he humbly asked help from the God of his fathers. At the begin- ning of his career there came to him in a prophetic dream the offered choice, "so often imagined in fiction, and actually presented in real life:" "The Lord appeared to Solomon, and said, Ask what I shall give thee." How wise he was in choosing wisdom! Riches, honor, life, the spoils of ambition, were before him; but his choice was that of every great king— yes, of every young man, both then and now, who, standing on the threshold of life, feels the solemn duties that rest upon him. "lam but a child. . . , Give therefore thv servant 126 LI VIM i QUE8TI0N& an understanding heart to judge thy people, thai I may discern between good and bad : for who is able to judj this thy bo greal a people?" Be was wiser than the rulers of his time in that he humbly asked for wisdom from the invisible God. Asa ruler. Solomon was BuccessfuL The nation pros- pered. Enterprise was stimulated, manufactures flour- ished^ and even commerce, spreading her white wings, brought sudden wealth, strange luxuries, and wonders from the Indian seas, to this people among the hills. lie was also an earnest student, a royal scientist. And then he rebuilt Jerusalem, he enriched the nation, he extended his power until his fame and glory filled all the Orient. And no wonder; for with all our modern splendor we have nothing to compare with his royal magnificence. Over what a court and palace he pre- sided] His story seems fabulous. The furniture of his tables was of the gold of Ophir; none of the vessels were of silver: ; 'it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. For the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance." The daily provision for his household was thirty oxen, a hundred sheep, ninety measures of flour and meal; besides harts, and roebueks, and fallow-deer, and fatted fowl. Bis palace, ol exceeding splendor, was roofed and shielded with gold, for on the side of its tower were hung a thousand Bhields of this precious metal ; his throne was of ivory, his "Gate of .Justice" — that was indeed "the throne of the Qouse oi David," where in judicial an- .1 ROTAL SENSUALIST, 127 thority "he sal on the back of a golden boll, while under bia teet and on each ride of the steps he was irded b golden lions- lions ol Judah;" with the widest and mosi peaceful empire of all the kings of ael — ** his dominion extending from sea to Bea, and from the river [ Euphrates] to the ends of the earth:" all this, with bonor and --lory untold, it would Beam, if ever man did or could enjoy this world and be satisfied, this Eavored king, whose name was a promise of peace, must have hern the man. Yet in vexation. >atiety, and despair he cried, " Vanity of vanities; all is vanity !" There was no Byronic p rion in this: the loathing of life was real: he was honest in his misanthropy and sincere in his despair. Yet nothing that earth can furnish was beyond his reach; nothing that appetite can crave was beyond his power. His wide dominions were laid under a tax to his lust, and all the East was made to contribute to his de- sires. His was the most perfect and splendid earthly success. But can this satisfy the heart ? Can all the realms of sense meet and fill the demands of the soul? Here, if ever, man must be content with earthly good. If men will sin, will attempt to live without God, then we are glad such a trial has been made, — such a royal, perfect experiment as this of Solomon the AYise. He - in history for our benefit. He stands an Eddystone i on the treacherous rocks of dissipation and sensu- ality, easting a lurid warning across the ages, and point- ing the way to holiness, because of the utter failure of royal, sovereign, omnipotent sin. And he seems to recognize this as a part of his mission, 128 UVIXG QUESTIONS. for m his old age, after having tried everything else, he turns preacher and writes at least one sermon. This discourse has been a greal puzzle to Biblical in- terpreters. And no wonder it seems difficult to under- id the royal Preacher, for, as we read, we find things both good and had. At times it eheers the pious, and thm by its unbelief startles the skeptical. It is ortho- dox as Calvin, and. again, as infidel as Voltaire, Over and over again it has been condemned as ancanonical. Parte of this discourse are intensely stoical, though writ- ten long before Zeno taught in the Porch at Athens. It is epicurean, though uttered centuries before Epicurus established the philosophy of the Garden, It is bitterly cynical, though the rough Diogenes had not taught from his fcub; while its materialism anticipates some of the dreams and assertions of this modern, godless philoso- phy. All of this puzzling sermon cannot be true, for it is contradictory. It advocates atheism: yet where can you find a more humble acknowledgment of (rod? It ridi- cule- justice and virtue : yet where will you find Buch ap- peals in behalf of their infinite value ? Truth and right- eousnesfi are accounted shams: yet you cannot find in the Bible more solemn and pathetic warnings against sin. The Preacher tea fatalist, yet declares in favor of the freedom of the will. Be seems to encourage the reckless, the improvident, yet his maxims of worldly pru- dence reveal a grasp of thought, a keen insight, with a beauty of expression, that our prince of economic phi- tphers could only feebly imitate. And, vet, do we not find the truthfulness and value 1 EOTAl SRN8UALI8T \^.) his discourse jusl here, —in its oontradictionSj in its trasta and paradoxes? The appeals of eyi] may be- ne the strongest motiyes tor righteousness, while the retributions of sin are sure pledges of the rewards of vir- tue. Who has not noticed how the sunshine brings ou< the blackness of a cloud, and how the darker the storm the brighter the rainbow ? But, no matter what our theories, we should remem- ber that this favored king fell from grace— fell because and the peculiar temptations of his po >n. He became a royal prodigal, a religious wanderer to Btrai a spiritual adventurer, seeking, out- side the care and guidance of his father's God, to solve the dark problem of life. What is the meaning and the worth of this brief existence? "Who knoweth what is good for man ?" This at least was one of the questions lie would answer. But, not content with theory, he would prove what there was in tins world, or rather in a godless world. Hence, while the sermon may not pre- sent abstract truth, yet it is a true delineation of the heart in such a cpiest, — of the man wandering in the mazes of sin. groping amid the fumes of a sensual idola- try, sinking in a Dead Sea of lust and dissipation. It is easy to see that this is a sad discourse — one of the saddest, I think, ever written. And. though its author appeared one of the gayest and grandest of men, lie was, in truth, one of the most joyless and hopeless of all. While il is not true that " all is vanity," yet to some men everything may so appear: and this sermon seems to voire. in the most eloquent and truthful way, the despair and disappointment of all sensualism. It is the wailing cry L90 l.l VI Mi QUB8TI0N& of thefatherless — of those who have Bold their birthright of spirit for fleshly good, it may be for a paltry mess of pottage, it may be for the throne of an empire ; bat in either case they have wasted their Bubstance, and arc ped in poverty. It is a cry from the far country, the fammr-Miiittcn land of the prodigaL It is the common cry. heard through the ages, of those who have gained the world and losl their souls; who have conquered all but self, and gained all except God, "our portion forever." It is the appropriate, truthful cry of atheism, of every godless heart, whether of king or peasant, merchant- prince or intellectual giant. Bui still it may be asked, how are we to read this dark portion of Scripture so as to he instructed, edified ? This hook of Ecclesia>tes. without doubt, was the work of Solomon's old age, and is a transcript of at least a por- tion of his own life. It mirrors the man. Its good and evil, its truth and falsehood, its piety and impiety, are the expression not merely of the pen but of the practice of the Preacher. It is the man, the king, behind the sermon that gives it meaning and emphasis. s.»me men are infidel in theory, yet live as if they had a d< i faith : that is, it is possible for one to be better than his creed, as we know that some are much worse : but no such discrepancy was found here. For this royal Preacher Bays : " Whatsoever mine eyes de- sired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any JOy. w u I gave my heart toknow madness and folly. I BOUghl in mine heart to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was L r <>od for the sons of men." A- we have said, this great king, seduced from his .1 U07AL 8EK8UAZIST. 131 piety and the parity ol bis youth, bad fallen deep and far: had fallen into the most Bplendid dissoluten into the basest idolatry: ami then, like all men without I, be made theattempl to reach heaven some other way; to reach its bliss by selfishness instead of by sacrifice ; to conquer good and win its crown by the enchantments and divinations of evil : or, in other words, to till and satisfy a BOUl wider than creation's rim with what the eye Can see, and tic hand grasp, and the heart can enjoy. of materia] good. It was the same old effort, still con- tinned, to find life in death, and to solve the problem of being in a world without God, without providence and eternity, in which to ripen his purpog This sermon is the Bumming up of Solomon's career. It is a frank confession : his experience of irreligion and infidelity : the results of his experiments in solving the problem of life, its object and worth. It gives us the result of his apostasy, and also a glimpse of his return. We have in this confession a spiritual autobiography, the outcome of the grandest effort ever made, or that ever will be made, to run a kingdom or a soul without 1 : finding satisfaction in earthly good, knowledge, luxury, lust, and -every pleasure. This seems to ex- plain and harmonize, while it gives to this book of Ec- clesiastes great value. As we have said, it is a beacon on one of the most fatal Ledges in all the sea of time, in all the voyage of life. The discourse is like the words of one who has walked the broad and glittering pathway of sin almost all the way to hell, and then returned to tell the story. This little book is very comprehensive. As Dean 132 UnNQ QUESTIONS. Stanley Bays, u Every speculation and thought of the human ln-art is heard ami expressed and recognized in turn. . . . No part of the Bible is sadder; though hereand there it is lit up with a gleam of brighter hope, yet the first prevailing cry is weariness and despair. ' Vanity of vanities ; all is vanity. All my labor was vanity and vexation of spirit He that increaseth knowledge increaseth Borrow, Therefore I hated life, for all is vanity.' This," continues the I tean, " is the hitter, ago- nized cry of skepticism, and in this sense the most true and characteristic utterance of one who has known all things, enjoyed all things, been admired by all men. lias M through all the littleness and worth&ssness of all these things in themselves, and yet not been able to grasp that which alone could give them an enduring value or compensate for their absence." This kingly Preacher, who gave sin and pleasure such a fair and splendid trial, not only declares that "all is vanity," but rightly bases this despairing cry on athe- ism, the true foundation of hopelessness. There is no Providence: Fate rules. Nature is supreme, inexorable, indifferent to character, blind to justice, and deaf to the cry of sorrow. " One event happens to all." " A wise man is no more than a fool. Indeed, as it is with a beast, 90 it is with man. Man has no pre-eminence: one dies as the other die-. Justice is a sham, for the jtist perish, while the wicked live. As to that, it matters little, for just men are extremely rare- yon might perhaps find one such in a thousand, hut a just woman cannot be found. There is nothing hotter than eating and drink- ing and delighting our senses in the good of labor* * .1 B0TA1 L33 It is no1 Btrange tliai after Buch ;i conf< the king hated life and turned from it with d But there has come to as, since the dark days <>\ this ruler, another Preacher-King, who also studied life at Jerusalem, though amid the ruins of Solomon's kingdom and glory, and who has given us the result of his wider knowledge, of his divine and perfed wisdom. And, though this King, also in the royal line of David, was •n in a stable and died on a cross,— though he was poorer than the birds and the foxes, and the only crown he wore was a wreath of thorns, — yet his views of life have filled the world with hope, with the golden glory of the morning— filled the hearts of millions with a glad light that never shone on land or sea, in hall or court : a light not for vision hut for faith : a light by which the pure see ( iod, see the 1 1 real Jehovah as their own dear Father— "Abba, Father." Through Him who solved this problem of life by re- vealing divine care and mercy, by unfolding infinite love and eternal redemption, we know these hopeless cries, these bitter maledictions and impeachments, of the royal Bensualist to be false. This life of ours is not the result of chance, of spon- taneous generation, nor the vain gift of a careless Creator. It is reai, precious, sublime as the thought of eternity, with glorious, endless, divine possibilities. Still we may, and there are those who do, make life vain and empty enough. All who live and sin as Solomon did will come to feel and think like him. We make our world : we make it a garden or a desert. [94 fJVlMi QUESTIONS. We make it the threshold of heaven or the ante-room of pair. How often have men been like- Solomon in Bin and consequent hatred and loathing, without his splendor ! They arc caught with a bare hook. Bui the rich, the favored, the gifted, the Bona of fame, have found the world — their world — so false, hlack. and empty that they have pronounced upon it the curse of this king : a malediction, however, that is no curse, but, instead, from their lips the highest praise, giving the Btrongesi assurance that it is neither vain nor godless. For, though sensualism leads its victims to atheism, yet the terrors of its hell are a perpetual witness for the presence and providence of a God of love as well as justice. No; " One event " does not " happen unto all." The Lord reigneth : he is not mocked. TAliatsoever we sow we shall reap. There are true souls and grand results : there are false men and wretched failures. There have been those who, neither rich nor famous, and perhaps forgotten now, have yet sowed the continents with seeds of truth, and ages witness the golden harvest. How sad the words, "The labor that a man doeth under the sun is all vanity"! Prince and peasant, the wise and the foolish— alike in t heir labor and alike in their reward — all go to the same place of eternal forget fulness. Sfes, sad, hut false — the mockery of unbelief. For faith has a brighter, truer vision. Faith that is in- spired by the Gospel, that rests on Christian hope, says : u Sour labor is nol in vain." No righteous thought can be lost ; no tear can fall unnoticed ; not a clip can be given in charity, nor a prayer offered in reverent love, that .1 R0TA1 8BNSUAU8T, 136 is not reoorded and the record preserved in the archives ternity. All vanity ? "The w<>rk of one true soul is greater than all the work or waste oi time, tor that has only ming power. Ever] true man is greater, every true man shall conquer more than thee : for he shall triumph over death and hell and thee, O Time V s Yet, when one gives up Qod and spiritual realith gives uv love for lust, virtue for sensuality, future good [or present satiety, looking only at the material, — then no kingly power, or wealth, or greatness can satisfy or hless. All will seem vain, and life at the last be dark and empty. [fl there not occasion for appeal and admonition here and now ? After all the experience of the past, and the wreck of countless souls that have uttered their warning cry from the black rocks of Bin; is it wise for you, my young friends, after so long a time, to make the rule of the dissolute, the theory of the godless, the creed of the epicurean, the law of your life ? Is it wise and best, think you, to live for self, for instant pleasure ; to let appetite rule, and passion bear sway ; to sneer at honesty and piety ; to throw obliga- tion to the winds ; to attempt the drowning of reason and conscience in the wine cup, or in the sw T ift current of dissipation ; to look upon life as a vain 'masquer- ade or carnival-time, and the earth a festive hall, lighted with its countless lamps for the amusement of a night, instead of a temple ? Is this, ye that come from homes long consecrated by Christian faith, whose fathers and mothers are some of them in heaven because 136 I.IYLM, QUESTIONS, they lived for God, and some still on earth, to lead yon thai way, --i> this the path of wisdom, the means by which to make the most of life, the mosl of earth ? Bui you, perchance more fortunate than others, im- agine yon can gain all the sweets of evil and leave un- touched, antasted, all its bitterness ; von will be, though all before have (ailed, a successful sinner ! Perhaps yon aim to be respectable. Sou will avoid the Bewer and the hovel. Xou will avoid the shoals and storms, gaining with a fair breeze and a skillful pilot the haven of the pleasures and rewards of sin. You will win the world and cheat the Devil; secure the delights of sensualism, yet escape the tortures of remorse and avoid the torments of the flesh. Ah. what a mistake ! You cannot circumvent the Almighty, or defeat the eternal order of God. You can- 7iot set aside the laws of the universe, that are fixed in the changeless grooves of infinite wisdom and power. Shall the pillars or the throne of God nod and bend to your desires or behest ? my brother, look at those who, once higher and stronger than you, sowed to the flesh : behold the har- vesi ! Yes, look at the devotees of pleasure, whether of the hovel or mansion, and then if you will, as you turn with disgust from the victims of folly, look at the de- voted followers of Christ. See the Christian in old age ! Look at your praying mother as she stands on the edge of the grave, or your venerable father as he feebly walks beneath the "blossoms of the almond-tree/' — look, for you may see the opening gate of heaven ! (live not thyself to madness and folly. Be that g .1 E0TA1 8BN81 AIJ8T. 137 after pleasure! be he prince or peasant, goetfa as ao 01 to the Bhambl And lei me >a\ to the presumptuous: Solomon, in all his power and glory, oould not satisfj himself, could not make sensualism pay, bo thai life was not worth living hut became a burden, what possible chance is there for you ? [f the great Solomon could not reach the goal of SUCOeSfl over the macadamized road of royalty in Ins imperial chariot and thousands of battle- BCU, with all the marvelous splendor of an Oriental monarch, how can you expect to win with your meager equipment for the race ? This ruler in riches and knowledge exceeded all the kings of the earth : his wine-cups were of gold, his throne was ivory, his material glory unequaled, his power unlimited; lie had ships, and armies, and u seven hundred wives:" yet, filled with despair, he says, "I hated life." Ultimate prosperity and final success are not in the line of selfishness and sensualism, but are the legitimate fruit of purity, charity, and righteousness. Those who have said, " Let us have a good time — throw dull care and sober duty to the winds ; let us sur- round ourselves with the charm and witchery of beauty ; trudges rake the sea and sift the hills to give us gems and gold ; let the genius of dissipation unseal every fountain of earth's delight and give us floods of pleas- ure/' — all such soon find life a burden, and cry out in despair, "Vanity of vanities; all is vanity. He that seeks to save his life shall lose it/' How different with those who gladly bear the cross of Christ to uplift the fallen and console the sad ; to open 136 ■ LIVXNQ QUESTIONS. prison door- and save the losl ! Those who, forgetful of self, arc constrained by love, find life a perpetual source of peace and triumph. How rich, how priceless their heritage! how complete their success! — for they arc " more than conquerors/' more than kings. It would seem as if Solomon came to himself at last; that he saw again the claims and relations of earthly be- ing, and died at home in the faith of his fathers. There ifi a wide difference between the beginning and the close of this famous senium of his. 'render, paternal, and solemn are his final admonitions, his wise counsels, to the young. Then, in more than royal authority, he- presents the simplicity of all obligation, the paramount duties and far-reaching interests of life, in these im- pressive words : " Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter : PeaT God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil/' \ III. OUB RE L80NABLE SERVICE. Prayi r. Pray without ceasing."— 1 Thm.v. 17. "And what profit ahould we haw, if we pray V" — Tob \\i. 15. In this discourse we propose to notice some of the objections that arc urged against the privilege and duty of prayer. We should remember, however, that faith in prayer is no more dependenl on the tacts of science, or on the subtilities of logic, than is the child's confidence in its mother dependent on thought or reason. Both the faith of the suppliant ami the confidence of the child are pri- marily the result of our nature and it- necessities; and as there is a maternal heart to answer the cry of the child, BO there is a Divine Being of infinite love who hears us when we pray. Suppose we cannot demonstrate that prayer is a force in the universe? This no more dis- proves its validity than our inability to explain many of the blessings and realities of life disproves their exist- ence, and forbids us to use and enjoy them. Yet, while prayer is not dependent on our reason, still we should feel assured that it is reasonable; for with no divided heart or mind can we come before God in this holy c.x- ercie 139 140 iJYiyc; QUESTIONS Hut is prayer a means of good; is ii a condition of blessings, the direcl antecedent of any favor? Or must we also echo the despairing question, "What profit shall we have if we pray?" The first answer, and one that every reverent heart will regard as adequate, must be the belief, the assur- ance, that there is a God — an Eternal Being who is the [nfinite "Conservator of the universe, whose omnipo- tence is the force, whoso reason is the law, whose omni- presence is the life of all nature." Now if the assertion of u the Tool " is true, and there is no such being, then the question of prayer is forever decided negatively. But if there is a God, such as creation implies, such as the Bible reveals, such as our nature craves, our faith con- ceives, and our love demands — a God who is "Our Father," — then prayer is reasonable, and every true prayer is, or may he, a positive force for good; then "The Eternal Will, the axis of creation, bows and dips to human entreaty." But we are told with a tinge of dogmatism that this is impossible — impossible in the very nature of things; hence our hopes are fallacious, our conclusions absurd. It is admitted thai prayer may be right and needful as a support and comfort because of its effect upon our own hearts, but it can have no influence beyond ourselves. If this is true, then it is an insult to reason. It cannot he helpful, unless a lie is helpful. How can we derive comfort by doing thai which we know is useless? For it is essential in coming u to Qod, to believe that lie is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him." It is essential to prayer for us to believe thatOod isacoessi- Oil: REASONABLE SERVICE 111 le will hear our cries, bj mpal bize with lis in our sorrows, and be moved to answer our petitions. Without this it is a pious fraud, the pretense of faith, nulation of devotion, the reneering of hypooi ii the cant of piety. Hut lei us h».»k at the objections urged againsl this doctrine — the doctrine of prayer as ii is presented in the Scriptures, and as it is presented in that elder and later revelation that is written by the Creator upon the human heart. Numberless supposed fatal objections, based on our knowledge of the nature of things, have again and again been urged against prayer. Yet knowledge has changed, the objections have vanished, and men continue to cvy to God for help, " Our little systems have their day ; They have their clay and cease to bo : The} 7 are but broken lights of thee ; And thou, O Lord, art more than they." Now again, as if altogether new, the idea is loudly proclaimed from the high places of the earth that the doctrine of prayer for which we plead is false because it collides with the verities of the material world, or with the established principles of science. While unbelief is ever ready with its objections, just now its most sweep- ing denial is based on the well-known principle of con- tinuity, or, in other words, the uniformity of nature. k - This continuity or regularity of nature is the first pos- tulate of science — a supreme postulate without which scientific knowledge is impossible." 142 LIVING QUESTIONS There is do doubl regarding this principle; indeed, it is a truth thai no one thinks of denying or debating. All are glad to believe thai nature is orderly, reliable; all admit that the reign of law is universal —or, to the devout mind, universal is tin dominion of God. There arc no raveled edges, no border-lands of confusion and misrule, no neutral -paces or untamed realms in all his universe. There is no vagrancy or riot in the material world, but cause and effect, antecedent and consequent, moveon forever in " unbroken phenomenal order, or in- variable phenomena] sequence.' 1 The most devout and prayerful do not question the truth of universal law, or doubt the postulate of universal order; for the marshal- ing and adjustment of atoms and worlds, the infinite regularity and beauty of all things declare to us the wisdom and power of (iod. Yet, strangely enough, this uniformity of nature lias been so interpreted as to offer the strongest objection to our trust in prayer and in divine Providence — the most alarming to many pious hearts that has yet been pre- sented. This is the present Gibraltar of doubt. Here it has of late intrenched itself. Dr. Tyndall Beems to be, or is put forward as, the champion. In denying the efficacy of prayer he says: "The idea of direct personal volition mixing itself in the economy of nature is retreating more and more. . . . Nature is absolutely uniform: hence, to produce changes in external nature in answer to prayer would be a violation of its order, a manifest contradiction to na- ture's laws, or it would be a miracle." Clearly, then, this objection to prayer as a means of R RBA80NABLE 8EBVK 1 IS good is simply the u solute uniformity of oatur er musl be idle or absent, because oatun uniform! Tl i tor pi "unbroken causal con- ition " and whai he rails " the tic inception " in direct opposition. That is, he places belief in oni- ride, and faith in God as accessible and exorable on the other; and then claims that reason must l an easy \ oyer our Eaith in prayer and pn dence — a rictory always in tavor of this "unbroken causal connection M thai Becures the order and stability of the w<»rld. Bui this is an empty conquest It has been I said, "Thevictory is impossible, because the rivalry is unreal. " There is no such opposition. Faith and reason arc no1 at war. And the Creator is not — can be — opposed to his own perfect creation. Thank God, our Eaith does not reach up to worship an Almighty Anarch, or to adore Disorder and Confusion enthroned on high! It does not reach up in reverence to grasp a hand that is set against the beauty and splen- dor of nature; but instead a hand that, holding all the tangled mysteries of time, weaves them into a garment of glory; a hand that, holding all the issues of life, directs them in infinite wisdom, so that the absolute order, the perfect unity and ceaseless harmony of the universe, are a perpetual hymn of praise to our Father — who is Cod over all, blessed forever. We fully admit the Doctor's premises in regard to order, but we deny his conclusions. The regularity of nature cannot imply the absence of intelligent power, the absence of " direct personal volition ;" but must in- stead prove the presence of the Almighty, prove by the 144 LIVING QUESTIONS strongest evidence that direct, divine volition dors u mix If in the economy of nature." For nature can neither ate nor Bnstain itself, but is forever the expression of the Divine Will thai is, in truth, the fountain of all force, the beginning and source of all power. The u laws of nature" are the modes of activity of the will of God. Suppose we find a junihle, a disorganized mass, devoid of all harmony, interaction, and adjustment: should we look upon it as indicative of a wise, personal presence and direct volition ? Certainly not. On the other hand, when we find order, utility, and beauty in arrange- ment and const-ruction, we necessarily regard it as the result of mind — not as the result of nature, but of in- telligent, personal design. This conclusion is irresist- ible. Now there is in nature no jumble, but universal regu- larity and utility. Shall we then, because the marvels of nature are beyond the pow T er of the human hand and the finite mind, conclude that it is mindless — without in- telligent direction? Does then infinite power indicate weakness; infinite wisdom the absence of thought? Is it true that when this absolute order is so great, wide, and high as to require boundless space for its exhibition and divine mind for its comprehension — is it true that this perfection, so worthy of God, reveals to us the ab- sence of personal action, the absence of divine volition? A small engine requires an engineer. A small chro- nometer must be wound up. Small affairs and trifling adjustments must receive direction and care. In these relations even "unbroken causal connection " needs a jog now and then, needs our personal attention, or the OUR ERA80NABLR 8BRVK 1 15 ark we have pal into its hand will no! be done; \'*>v without mind even tin* laws and forces of naturej afl fchey r\ us, will Tail t<> perform their task. Hut is there virtue in bigness; wisdom and energy in mere bulk? Would an engine of perfect symmetry, with driving-wheelfl as large as the BUB and a tender aa lar^e as Charles's Wain, he any more >el f-d i reet ini;, Belf- BUStainingj than the smallest one ever made? My watch reveals a maker finite skill: doea the dial- plate of heaven, that faultless horometer, heeau>e of its infinity and perfection prove the absence of mind- in- finite mind? Is it not worthy of God? We seem to be dazed, confused, by the vastness and completeness of nature, and especially because the hand that guides is invisible, cannot be recognized by science. And because it is only "by faith we understand that what is seen hath not been made out of things which do appear, but by the word of God," we are tempted to conclude that this frame of nature is without mind — without direct personal oversight. But could we see the universe, or even our world, so as to grasp it as a whole — see it with all its exquisite adjustments and skill ; its marvels of thought, fore- thought, and arrangement ; its combinations of matter and force, from the most simple to the most recondite ; from first principles to illustrations of the highest math- ematical knowledge, involving the most abstruse prob- lems; its countless relations, depending upon the most exact comprehension of all material things, so that if you report and copy nature you have a perfect text- book of universal physical science; — could we see all 146 LIVING QUESTIONS. this, bo complete in every plan and prevision, its unity perfect as a dewdrop, its harmony without a jar, on every side "unbroken causal connection," and all pre- sented in one comprehensive view, — there would not, could not be a human being this side the blackness and chaofl of idiocy and madness who would not at on necessarily, feel ami know "the presence of a direct, personal volition, mixing itself in the economy of na- ture." — all the doctors in the world to the contrary notwithstanding. We full) admit the fact of the perfect order, the ab- Bolute uniformity or regularity, of nature. For it seems to me a mistake is made by some of the able advocates of prayer in attempting to deny Dr. Tyndall's position or premise. They claim as a possibility that nature has been, or can be. interfered with. Says Dr. Cocker: '•What ground have we for the assumption that the order of nature is so absolutely persistent and chan. less that it never has been and never can be interfered with by an act of intelligent volition? . . . There is no authority for the assertion that the course of nature or the procession of phenomena must be absolutely uni- form. "* But what is the order of nature, except acts of intelli- gent volition? As law implies an agent, an executive. * " The Theistic Conception of the World," by B. P. Cocker, D. I).. LL.D. (pp. 822, 827). This is a work of gnat ability and power. It Beems to me the author is unjust to himself in a few passages, for, in his complete view, he rejects the mechanical ry and presents forcibly and eloquently the doctrine of the :ne immanence in nature. /; RBA80NAB1 11? so the order of nature implies the action, the volitioi this order, this perfect regular bial to matter, bul declares the presence of Him who contains the un'w Bu1 aside from this, the quotation just made is qo doubl false in Bcience, and al- rether unsatisfactory in religion. It is like grasping the blade, while the for holds the Bword bythe hilt. It is no! enough to know, or conjecture, that there is a bare possibility that God can act in our behalf; bul ire need strong, uplifting assurance, inspired by Him who said with authority, "Ask, and it shall be given you; knock, and it shall be opened unto yon; seek, and ye shall find." And as Jesus presents it, how plain and reasonable the philosophy of prayer! u U ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which IS in heaven give good things to them that ask him !" If you can hear your children's prayers, and often answer their requests, even using the order of nature to express your love ; if you as a force, a self-determining, self-originating power, (because created in God's image,) can make the material and spiritual worlds serve them, ae is often plainly possible, — shall not the Almighty Father hear and answer his children when they cry unto him? The pious will derive but little help or hope from the sibility that God may interfere with the order of na- ture, or interrupt causation in their behalf. If answers to ourcries to Heaven depend on something unusual and extraordinary, rare and exceptional, our faith must falter and our lips be struck dumb. Who would not 148 UVZNQ QUESTIONS, shrink from making bo much trouble? And who would Dot dread to ask God to i€ interfere with n or " contra- dict natural laws"? But I beg of you not to throw away your Bible, nor your text-bookfi of science, but to rejoice that nature is reliable, loyal, exact, and that its laws and relations are never empirical, but always scien- tific, revealing absolute knowledge, infinite comprehen- sion, and eternal goodness. The idea that the presence and action of Almighty mind in nature implies u interference," "contradiction," the disruption of any wise law or relation, seems like an impossible thought; for that a perfect mind should act in perfect order and in perfect harmony with, by, and through a perfect system, whether it be of nature or of grace — certainly this needs, admits of, no proof, for it is a truism to every reverent mind. Because nature is absolutely uniform Dr. Tvndall concludes that God cannot answer our prayers — at least for any material blessing ; for if he should exercise per- sonal volition there must be contradiction, disorder, miraclel Is there not here a tinge of superstition? We know that children and savages always connect seeming confusion and unrestrained power with the presence of (iod, with his direct action. That which to them seems a derangement of the order of nature if loud and destruc- tive enough, proves to the untutored mind that God is near. Hut is he not in the " still small voice" as well as in earthquake, fire, and cyclone? The wisely rever- ent mind sees God not alone in frowning powe., but in the sweet and gentle; beholding his personal will in every form of beauty and in all the marshaled order of OUR BBABONABLB SERVICE L49 atoms and of worlds. HOW Strange lliat profe880r8 Ot UlOe should thus reason ! Aj God in creation and providence, because of infi- nite wisdom, must -elect the best — the hest material, the hest means, the hest end ; as he cannot he imperfect in plan or law — we should not expect a changing, empiri- cal system, or any interference with the order of the universe ! When it is said, however, that this order shuts out mind, forbids the exercise of personal volition, — whether human or Divine, — then we stoutly object, for we know that at least in part it is not true. Divine volition op- posed to the order of nature | God opposed to his own wisdom and action ! Life at war with the body it ani- mates ! Why, this perfect order, this unbroken causa- tion, furnish the only ground or condition by which mind can and does act through nature to gain the end it has in view. If creation were a jumble, man would indeed be pow- erless as inventor, machinist, artist, and architect ; as farmer, gardener, sailor, horseman, and shepherd. But with everything so reliable what can he not accomplish? On the coast yonder he makes the moon grind his corn, though in doing this she never falters in her orbit. Of the tidal wave that rolls around the globe he catches a little as it swells along the shore, and pours it back at his leisure over the tinv wheel of his tide-mill. He can hitch his wagon to the sun. He makes the winds his coursers as he drives them in tandem across the seas. See how man has changed the face of the world. We are told it is folly for us " to pray for rain or fair 150 UVING QUESTIONS. weather," because the laws of nature arc "so persistent that they never have heen. and never can he, interfered with." of course, ae we have repeatedly said, there can be no interference in. the Bense of breaking or setting aside a law of nature. Who can do thi8? Who wants to do it? If we should make the attempt it might be fatal — not to the law hut to the interfere! 1 , while nature would move on stately as ever. And if. when we pray for rain, there is do other way forGod to answer us, except by contradict- ing the order of nature, then we devoutly hope no BUCh prayer will he offered — above all, answered; for, as Dr. Tyndall suggests, the result might be disastrous beyond our conception. Hut what folly is such a supposition and limitation! No one can tell us how any natural phenomena are pro- duced. No one can tell how mind acts upon matter. No one can tell how God sustains and guides the world. u He sendeth rain upon the just and the unjust." " But can any understand the spread in its of the clouds, The thundering of hid pavilion '.'" 11 Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds. The wondrous works of Him which is perfect in knowledge?" These questions are as old as human thought, and still unanswered. When we can comprehend the Almighty and advise the Infinite, then we may he prepared to tell all about what prayers God can answer and how he can answer them. But most precious of all — beyond all other knowledge — is the assurance thai God is love, that his providence is perfect, that he is not far from even- one of US, B UXA80NABLB SBBVIi L61 how man, even with his imperfect understanding of its laws, changes nature, thus realty accomplishing the supernatural. Hv inventive genius Ik mult i plies hifl natural powers so as to produce the miracles that till the modern world with wonder. He ontflies the eagle, nut- dives the dolphin, outruns the horse — the wind: he makes the lightnings his messengers, while his speech is heard far beyond the loudest crash of the thunder: he girdles the earth, bridges the sea. and weighs the sun. Whether prayers for rain are answered or not. man himself has changed the rainfall of wide realms and dried up rivers. He has turned the wilderness into a garden, and lands like. Eden into deserts. Like an angel or a demon lie has scattered about him flowers or desolation. Thus has man, in the divine image by the gift of free volition, produced the super-natural and the infra-nat- ural — not by contradiction but by coincidence with the order of nature ; by finding and using — not abusing — u the law of unbroken causation. " Is the use of steam, of electricity, of the sunshine, of winds and waves and sounds, the violation of any law ? Yet when I look at the speeding locomotive, at the graceful ship, at the ma- jestic ocean steamer, at the face of a friend caught in an instant on the point of a sunbeam, I see "personal volition mixing itself with nature," using its absolute order to produce the supernatural — to produce effects above nature, effects of nature plus mind. I see na- ture's regularity plus finite mind. Suppose instead of these little views we could see this beautiful, boundless nature plus infinite mind ! We should have before us 162 LIYIMi QUESTIONS. the universe as it is: the miracle of creation filled with the influx of the One living, loving, working God and Father of us all, "who is before all things, ami in whom all things consist: for all things are of God; and in him we live, and move, and have our being." No wonder men object to Divine Providence, if God can exercise his will only by capricious action, or only by a raid into the harmonies of nature. But instead of such an absurdity, we see in the constancy of nature a witness of the wisdom and presence of our Almighty Preserver. For it is a fundamental truth, that law — law per 86 — has no power: hence it is a conviction of rea- son, an assurance of thoughtful piety, that the "laws" of the material world u are but names for our observa- tions of the regularity and order with which God gov- erns, lie is in them, behind them, and is all the force they have." Yet Materialism — the bane of religion, the advocate of death, the prophet of despair — with a sneer at hope and faith puts the scepter of universal authority into the dead hand of Matter as supreme executive in a god- less world! Here, in fact, is the ground of disbelief in prayer. It is not this or that difficulty, but the theory — as Carlyle defines it — of "an absentee God, sitting idle, ever since the first Sabbath, at the outside of his universe, and seeing it go." It is this that makes faith in prayer absurd. Not so much denying that God was: but it is the revelation at the Burning Bush, the I AM i hat I am, which is rejected ; it is the precious reve- lation, Jehovah-jireh of the mountain-top, that is BCOmed; it is the sublime announcement, " He is not 01 i: nSASOlTABl 8 8SBVI( 153 far from every one of as, and will judge the world in ghteousness," lifting Mare' Hill into eternal light us a landmark of the agea — it is this which still excites the old philosophic mockery. For modern materialism, with all its veneering, is the old atheistic dream or nightmare of an independent, •ntially mechanical Bystem of the universe, without purpose, design, or beneficence. But in this theory the law <>f "unbroken causation" must be rejected, for here both hope and fruition depend on spontaneity. A spontaneous world, organization, and order — spontane- ous generation — everything fortuitous ! Of course, if nature is thus independent, prayer is useless : not, however, because of its absolute regularity; for this we must expect under the rule and in the pres- ence of a prayer-hearing God. The cosmos was the echo of his footfall over chaos. Plainly, it is not because of the " order of nature," not because of "unbroken causation," that prayer is without avail. Xo fatal objection — no objection at all against it can be found in any truth or principle of science. Such objection can be found only in this black dream of atheism. Xot because the universe is well ordered — every atom and star in its place forever — need we doubt or falter; but if there is no wise order, no design, no ultimate purpose, but instead the reign of fate, the sway of the causeless and spontaneous — then we may indeed cry in ©ur despair, " What profit shall we have if we pray ?" It is not, then, by the exercise of arbitrary pow r er, or by any means exceptional or disorderly, that we are to 164 uviya QUESTIONS. hope in the providence of God. We believe in prayer. We arc sure countless blessings crown us because of our supplications. Prayer is more potential than the elo- qnence of statesmen or the decision- of senate.-: might- ier than armies, more redolent of hope for the world than all the plans of reformers, theschemesof socialists, and inquiries of scientists. The world is preserved in mercy by prayer. And yet by the Mighty Father, the Gracious Rewarder, no order is deranged, do harmony made discordant, no principle is unsettled, no law an- nulled: the poise of nature is perfect, its unity com- plete, its rhythm without a jar: while these answers from above are no less direct and personal, no less an expression of the Divine Will, no less an assurance of paternal love, than if they had been brought about by the most arbitrary means, by disruptions and convul- sions of nature. As an aid — or as a parable that may enable us to real- ize the presence, the immanence, of God in all things — I will quote what Balfour Stewart says of life : e€ Let us suppose a war is being carried on by a vast army, at the head of which there is a very great general. . . . He is never seen by any of his subordinates, but remains at work in a well-guarded room, from which telegraphic wires lead to the headquarters of the various divisions. Thus he sends his orders and receives information from his otlicers. His room becomes a center into which this information is poured and from which his Commands are issued. " Now that mysterious thing called life, about which we know so little, is probably not unlike such a com- OKB REASONABLE SERVICE, L56 mander. Life is no! a bully, who swaggers oul into the !i universe, upsetting the laws of energy in all din tions, hut rather a consummate strategist, who, sitting in his secret chamber, before his wires, directs I be move- ments of a greal army. ,J This may help us in our conception of God as con- trolling and guiding all things. II<' is indeed the Life Of all. So dose, intimate, and universal are his rela- tions, that it may he said of every form of vitality, from the monad to the nation. "I am the vine, ye are the branches/ 3 There is do force, no energy in matter: matter is dead, inert: force belongs alone to mind or spirit : while the Internal Spirit is the primal source of all power, the fountain of all life: proclaiming to us from every flaming and flowering hush, every beaming eve, active hand, and heating heart, a present God — the I AM THAT I AM. It seems to me there is nothing more precious, or more essential to vital piety, than the doctrine of the personal love, care, and sympathy of our Heavenly Father clearly taught in the Gospel. And this reminds me that we must guard sometimes against our friends as well as our foes. There are forms of skepticism BO in- sidiousthat oven the elect may he deceived. And there may he a defense of prayer that the unbeliever cannot answer — that strikes him dumb, hut 'that also leaves the earnest suppliant speechless, or at least without that unction that makes our prayers real and acceptable petitions. So anxious are some of our religious teachers to meet the imagined difficulties of science — to harmonize ma- L66 LIVING QUB8TI0N& teria] order with divine Providence, to include theoloj in the u Connection of the Physical Sciences 95 — that they have adopted the mechanical theory of the aniveree; only going a step back of materialism, making mind or spirit, instead of matter, the first or self-existent can It would seem impossible that pious men. with the Bible before them, could be led to look upon the order of the world as so independent of the Divine Will that there can be no direct action, no personal providence, on the part of our Heavenly Father, without some kind of " contradiction 9 ' or collision with this order — some Btartling interference with this harmony. It would Beem impossible that great religious teachers should nrge us to believe that the perfect and continued order of the world depends on the absence and the inaction of God. Yet, to maintain the hope of divine help, and at the same time to preserve this order of nature and, above all, their theological system, some of our ablest teachers tell us that at the first, in the beginning, perfect pro- vision was made for all possible contingencies — all possi- ble demands and needs of providence, judgment, miracle, and prayer — as they should arise in future ages. God in the councils of eternity by his decrees so arranged that the perfect machinery of the universe would of itself work out all the answers to the prayers of his children, and bring about all the gracious means for their re- demption. Sere there can be no clash, no law can be broken or contradicted, for the prayer and the reply are both included in the very order that forms*' that principle of continuity which is the first postulate of OUR RBA80NABLE 8ERVK E 167 And ro j M'j-ft •■ -t . -<> fixed, is this mechanism that, even Bhould God vacate his throne, still the universe might roll on, evolving every meane graoe and Eaithf ally answering every prayer of faith. At least, all divine blessings, ever] judgment, mercy, and miracle, are the result of an eternal prearrangement, and cannol express to us the immediate presence and voli- tion of God. While I might quote from several advocates of this theory to show its high authority, I will mention hut one or two. Dr. Buchanan, successor to Dr. Chalmers, Bays : " It is this solution that has obtained the sanction of some of the highest names in science and theology/' Be then with approbation quotes from ESuler: "Phi- losophy instructs US that all events take place in strict conformity to the course of nature, established from the beginning, and that our prayers can effect no change whatever, unless we pretend to expect that (iod should be continually working miracles in compliance with our prayers. . . . But I remark that, when God estab- lished the course of the universe and arranged all the events that must come to pass in it, he paid attention to all the circumstances which should accompany each event, and particularly to the dispositions, desires, and prayers of every intelligent being ; and that the arrange- ment of ail events was disposed in perfect harmony with all these circumstances. When, therefore, a man ad- dresses to God a prayer worthy to be heard, that prayer was already heard from all eternity, and the Father of mercies arranged the world expressly in favor of that prayer, so that the accomplishment should be a conse- L5S UVUSTQ QUESTIONS. quenoe of the natural coarse of events. It is thus that God answers the prayers of men without a miracle." And Dr. ftfcCosh says: "God dors not require to in- terfere with his own arrangements, for there is an an- swer to prayer provided in the arrangement made by him from all eternity. . . . When the question is asked. How does* God answer prayer? we reply, It is by a preordained appointment, when God settled the con- stitution of the world, and set all its parts in order." S.» I suppose, when we seek to commune with our Father, yearning for his comfort and his love, this communion and sympathy also must be from all eternity. How pernicious the ancient heresy that limited and localized the Holy One, placing him far off in space and time ! And yet how many, could they fully realize the truth of Paul's. words to-day, — "He is not far from everyone of us," — would exclaim in surprise, "Surely the Lord LS in this place, and I knew it not !" And our splendid churches will not be "the house of God and the gate of heaven" until their worshipers feel ami know the immediate presence of the God of Jacob — the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. To me such a theory seems hard, heartless. Our petitions musi he without unction and the soul without love when we thus look upon the world as a great mill and God as an eternal millwright, giving us the product of our prayers by the gearing of natural forces that were arranged and pui in motion at the beginning, or from all eternity. This theory cannot meet our wants, cannot supply that large place in the heart that God made for himself. Oil: REASONABLE BEBVIi 159 This view meets only the exigenciee of a system of theol- , while the bou! bangers tor the assurance thai our Heavenly Father cares tor as, and comforts, u even as a mother oomfortfl her child." And when we ask for this bread of life, will they give as a machine? How different when we open the Bible! The Psalmist, Bfl expressing universal desire, exclaims, " My BOUl thirsteth, my heart erieth out, for the Living God." The apostle oi the Lord JesUS declares, " We are the chil- dren f the Living God. We trust him. We have come unto the city of the Living God." It is true Be was in the beginning, but He is still our refuge— "a very pres- ent help m every time of trouble." " I will fear no evil, for thou art with me/' is the heritage of every child of l_not because everything was once arranged, but because " the Lord is our Shepherd," forever guarding and leading his flock. When I pray, it cannot be to reach back into a past eternity and petition a God who was exorable then, who could hear and answer then, but now is bound— like an architect who, while the building is in progress, may make changes, may listen to prayers, and interfere with what is partially done, but when the structure is com- pleted cannot alter its plan or appointments. St. Paul declares " the word of God is bound by no chains ;" while the Saviour teaches that we have complete access to the Father, who can open the windows of heaven and flood us with favors— open his heart and pour upon us his mercy. Jesus does not tell us of a God whose theologic love was prepared in a past eternity, but whose tender appeal comes to us now, saying, " Behold, I stand 160 LIVING QUESTIONS. at tin* i\ and knock : if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and ho with me." Our teachers, whether of religion or of science, who advocate this mechanical theory, arc agreed in rejecting tin 1 idea of direct divine volition in the world because of the absolute uniformity and changeless laws of nature ; and hence either utterly deny the efficacy of prayer, or provide our petitions with answers from all eternity. If this theory is true, we have at host a God distant — an absentee Ruler and Father, who cannot now bless, rebuke, or redeem without contradicting established order. But we reject this materialism, however labeled or advocated, as false — utterly, totally false; and we cling to the Gospel, that is such glad tidings, because it assures us of an ever-present, living, loving God and Father, by whose power and wisdom the universe is now sustained, vivified ; whose personal will and presence are forever revealed in the order and beauty of Creation. This may appear dogmatic, but we are sure the phi- losophy of the Gospel not only satisfies the heart, but alone contents the reverent mind. Christianity as a Bystem of truth has its difficulties and mysteries to our finite minds, but, thank God! it presents no absurdities. And where will you find fewer difficulties? For in- stance, the law of gravitation, on which the entire har- mony Of the material universe depends, cannot be a product nor an essential property of matter. We know it is an expression of mind, for we have lately come to know that this law involves a mathematical, an intel- lectual, combination, the discovering and analyzing of OUR REA80NAB1 i L61 which :«h'il as '• tin- -ivai^ entlfic 'TV vwy made," and made bj entific j that ever lived. Who enacted, who executes, this sub- lime law? li is literally true, that QOl B BparrOW I' without the Father. Now the greal truth implied or expressed in all we have Baid a truth that gives hope, that Bhines like the sun ; a truth that makes the | >f the dear old Bible glow as with the smile of God, and to which reason b< in reverence; a truth suggesting no contradiction oi nature, no disorder, >ct assuring us of a persona] provi- der tlu' precious Gospel doctrine of the eternal presence of the Living God in all thin/-. For all things derive existence and iife to-day, as at the first, from the ceaseless outgoing of his virtue and Spirit, so that we Bee perpetual tokens of this divine immanence, though we cannot behold the divine essence. Nature is but An emanation of tin 1 indwelling Life, A visible token of the upholding Love, That is the soul of this wide universe." "My Father worketh even until now, and I work," said Jesus, presenting a truth in harmony with all Scrip- ture concerning the relation of God to the world ; show- ing that his action is no interference with the har- monies of nature, hut that the order we behold ifl the method of his working. Every rising and setting sun proclaims his omnipotence as truly as when "God said. Let there }»> light : ami there was light. " How strange thai men seek to pervert these witn so as to make them testify falsely : seek to Buborn these 162 LIVIXG QUESTIONS embodiments of truth — to corrupt lips that cannot lie ! The very stars in their harmonious courses, and because of their harmony, being summoned to testily, "to fight against " their Creator : bo that the plainest possible evi- dence that can be given of his will and working is made to prove his absence — made to prove a divine alibi! But they refuse to be perjure*]. "The earth is full of the loving-kindness of the Lord ; the heavens still de- clare his glory ; while day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night showeth knowledge." AVe believe in prayer as a means of grace, not because of the discoveries and truths of science, not because of the deductions of logic, not because we can see so clearly or can prove BO much; for the wisest see through a glass, darkly, while all are weak indeed who are strong only by might of mind and power of knowledge : but we believe in prayer because we believe in God, the Father Al- mighty. And we are thankful that what the Bible says of prayer we can see and feel to be reasonable — to be in harmony with the works of God: with the grandeur of the mountain and the golden splendor of the night, with the abundance of the autumn and the mysteries of the spring-time ; with every law, and with universal order : in perfect harmony with our deepest wants, our highest hopes, our truest, noblest life. We are thankful that reverent reason, together with all the light of human knowledge, may serve to guide us to the mercy-scat and point us to the Lamb of God. IX. A Divine Vooattoh pob Evert Man. "To this cud was I horn, and for this cause came I into the Id, that 1 should bear witness unto the truth."— John xviii. It was thug Christ spoke of himself as he stood before Pilate, — not, however, speaking of himself as an official, but as a man: simply as a true, divinely commissioned man. Hence our aim is to show that these words ex- press a universal truth and admit of a common appli- cation. This language is not only true of Jesus, but of all. Of every one it may be said, in view of some definite, some worthy purpose, some divine plan, "To this end he w T as born." We claim that in view of some special vocation it may be declared of every child, whether prince or peasant, whether born in a palace or a stable, " To this end — for this cause — it comes into the world." There is not only work for all, but a divinely ap- pointed task for every one. The motto of the careful housekeeper, " A place for everything, and everything in its place," is the rule of the universe. In the mate- rial world, that is a parable of God, nothing is acciden- tal or chaotic, but every atom and world rolls in the deep grooves of a wise design. The curve of the comet's orbit and the position of each grain of sand, the swell 163 164 livixi; QUESTIONS, of tin 1 ocean wave and the glitter of the dewdrop, arc alike the result of divine wisdom and power. All things are included in the laws and relations of nature. The opening of a violet, the germination of a >rv(\. are much a part of the plan of the nniverse as are u the splendid diagrams and the sublime mathematics of the S every man has a divinely-appointed mission — an end to gain, a work to do, a place to fill : not the greal alone. Imt the humblest; while usefulness and happiness depend on fidelity to our calling. For each life must have to God a definite purpose ; for thai we are created, to that we are called. There is no doubt of the truth of this doctrine in its application to Jesus. His mission was Foreordained; his work and coming were plainly foretold. Be was the result of ages of preparation, the culmination of a perfect plan, the end of a Bublime, loving providence. We have b.-cn taught to regard this case as exceptional; to look upon Jesus as mainly an official, a hierarch. But it seems to me that his high office is fulfilled in being a representative man— a true "Son of man; 5 ' so that what is true of him is also true of every true man, true of every bou] that is submissive to the Divine Will, He was born to a certain end. came to do a definite work; for this he was guided by (he Almighty; while his glory, joy, and perfection were in filling the place and doin-- the work assigned him, so that, when dying, lie COUld say of his part of the plan of God, " It is fin- ished. " So every one is included in a divine plan and purpose, and, if true, Loyal, maj Bay at the end as did A Divisi: VOCATION FOB BVBBT MAN. 166 the Master, " I too have finished the work thou gavesl me to do." Do not mistake. I would not in the least weaken re- gard \'<>v Baored things ; 1 would not lessen by one pulse- beat your love and reverence for the spiritual, the eter- nal: but I would thai we might look upon all tin' works of God with greater veneration. Lei us not think of pulpit, altar, and pew as leS8 s but of our homes, hills and valleys, our shops. Hocks, and gardens, as more sa- cred. Wo should not look upon the service of the sanc- tuary with less respect, but we should look upon every- thing about us as more holy ; Tor each act of life may be like a psalm of praise, and all we do in the home, the field, or the counting-room may be as truly to the glory of God as the most impressive ceremonies. Nay, the service of God is not fulfilled under the reign of Christ, under the law of supreme love, by singing, praying, and preaching at stated times and places. As Buskin says: "Unless we perform divine service in every will- ing act of our life, we never perform it at all." We may be ready to believe that there are, and ever have been, a favored few whom God elects to some special work or office. We have been taught that preachers should be divinely called to their holy work. And then we also see an occasional genius — one who is born an artist, a mechanic, a mathematician, or with an appetency for leadership, invention, or discovery — quali- fied by creation to seek a particular place, or to work out some special result. But these rather exceptional cases do not disprove the general rule that there is for all a divine vocation. 166 HI 1NQ Q l TBB 770 AX You are ready, perhaps, to granl that some who lived far away and long ago were called to a special life- work — men like Abraham, Moses, Samuel, and Elijah. Then there are heroes in secular history who have been looked upon as the chosen instruments of Divine Provi- dence. Alexander of Macedon has been made to pose before the world as a military John the Baptist, pre- paring the way of the Lord, making straight across mountains ami deserts a highway for the coming King. And because of their greatness and the value of their labors, reverent people may believe that such men as Columbus, Luther, Knox, Wickliffe, Cromwell, and Washington were upheld and guided by the Almighty. If men are only great, sensational, and notorious enough, it is supposed that we honor God by placing them under his care. But is not this an unworthy view, — unworthy of the perfect providence of God, — and tinged w T ith supersti- tion? As if God would heed the formal petition of a king, while deaf to the low r , bitter cry of the orphan and widow! As if he too, like selfish gods and servile men. were ready to help the strong and bless the rich ! But how utterly opposed to all sycophancy are divinity and duty as they are revealed in the Holy Word; for if the Almighty shows any partiality, or if he employ- any special guards, it is in behalf of the feeble and de- fenselc Then, as we intimated, supcrst ition is ever ready to see or hear the Supreme in the mysterious, the loud and startling. We hear(iod in the tumult of the storm and the awful thunder of the earthquake, and never .1 ni vim-: VOCATION fOB EVERY via. 167 doubi the Bound of bis footfall ; l>ut how deaf and heedless *re are when he speaks in the vernacular of his love and gentlei The pious, affectionate "Auntie" of my childhood would take me in her arms and. as the thunder rolled along the dissolving >ky, would tell me it was the v. of God, — and I believed her. But she did not tell me that the song of the robin and the sweet voice of my in- valid mother were also the echoes of (iod's loving pres- ence; hence, the God of my childhood was the Lord of the storm and thunder, instead of love; the Prince of terror, instead of a Being gentler than the mother who, with all her Btrength, so often pressed me to her feebly- beating heart. But the Gospel presents to our faith and love a uni- versal, impartial Father, who sees the sparrows fall as well as an empire ; who clothes the grass and paints the flower as well as causes the sun to shine ; whose angels care for infants as well as monarchs : who calls a Dorcas as truly as a Paul — the humblest child of grace (is well as an Abraham or a Luther. God is no respecter of per- sons, and in his perfect providence has a plan for each human life, whether great or humble; for every heart, whether beating beneath a bishop's robe, a soldier's uniform, or a farmer's frock. Why not ? Should we not expect this from a wise, loving, infinite Parent? All cannot be great or famous : yet al] souls belong to God. The most of us must be humble and unknown workers. I suppose the world may need an occasional genius now and then — a man whose tread shakes a conti- nent ; but it is the meek and patient who are to work IJYIM, Ql BSTlOm out its regeneration, and bring our prodigal world back to the Great Father. The silent Bpringa and modest rivulets oi the Empire State are of much more value than our far-fame. i Niagara. One Buch torrent is enough tor a continent. One such prodigy is suffi- cient for America. Ami it is childish superstition that makes the thunder of the cataract vocal with God, but does not hear him in the ripple of the gentle stream. Then how often we are mistaken in our estimate of the relative importance of events ! That which seemed a trifle lias often become an epooh of history, changing the Course oi' nation.- and shaping the destiny oi' millions. " A pebble in the streamlet scant Has turned the course of many a river ; A dewdrop on the tender plant Has warped the giant oak forever. " Streams that are the highways of commerce, and that en- rich an empire, take their rise from springs hidden away amid the mists of the mountains; and so. also, the riest moral results have often come from the humblest sources. The sailing of the Mayflower from Delftshaven in July. 1620, excited no wide surprise, attracted no spe- cial attention: hut all Europe watched with breathless interest the sailing of the Spanish Armada. Vet how Boon the proud licet of Philip disappeared — vanished like the foam of the sea. while the little storm-tos-cd hark that anchored at Plymouth came freighted with the seeds of empire, came to dedicate a new world to the claims of God and the rights of man. The birth of .1 DIVINE 70 v FOR ttVBRT M I \. U an heir-appareni to the throne of Austria vras heralded by the thundi innoD and the unfurling banners. Bui who in all the great world cared tor the birth of Luth \ HYING (>n:ncrs; plainly Bhowing that he doc- not sanction our pride of birth or family, that no condition is beneath his notice, no life but may liave even a special divine purpose ! Who was the most honored ruler of the chosen peoplt The mighty prophets and leaden of Israel, and indeed of t lie world, have always been chosen regardless of the outward, as if to declare the equality of man. Look for a moment at a brief roll-call of God's heroes — those who have been workers together with him. Wil- liam Oarey, the missionary, whose great heart embraced mankind, and who, by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, gained "the gift of tongues," until he could preach the Gospel in forty Oriental dialects — William Carey was a cobbler. Whitefield was the son of an inn-keeper, and, U a boy. waited on the customers of the tap-room. Isaac Barrow was a draper: Dr. Williams, a farmer: Wil- liam Jay. a mason. Jeremy Taylor, the English Cicero of the pulpit, was the son of a barber. John Bunyan, the most popular writer of the world, was a tinker. His wife taught him to read and write, and God called him to be the teacher of millions and the leader of a count- less multitude from the city of Destruction to the city of Eternal Light. John Howard was the son of a grocer. Cranfield, the founderof ''ragged schools." was a tailor. Morrison, the missionary to China, was a last-maker. Milner. the historian, was B weaver; Eugh Miller, a stone- mason; and Sir Isaac Newton, the son of a farmer. Joseph was a slave : David the king, a shepherd-boy; Amos the prophet, a herdsman; Elijah, a vine-dresser; Elisha, a plowman; and Paul, a tent-maker. Peter, James, and A I>1 vim: roCAK >B EVERY MAN. 171 John m shermen; whil raa a carpenter* But need qo1 i the list, for we cannot oame or number all the s In the next place, the i I nature teaches that there must be a place and mis-ion for each souL u shall gain thai which the Dei il promises bui cann< , by becoming through holy obedience partakers of the divine nature. The crowning of your life depends on yourself alone; and your corona- tion IS BOCUred when you fully realize that alone you must fail, without God you area waif, — like a straw in the torrent, like a withered leaf in the storm. We have no more right to leave our Father's house as adventurers than we have to ir< > as prodigals; no more right to attempt what he did not intend us to do and be than to squander our substance in riot. To attempt to live without God is not only to live without hope, but it is to demand our portion and waste it. This doctrine of adventure, of practical atheism, leads us — because of a base pride or a mean, fawning spirit ; because we are beguiled with glitter and spangles — to despise honorable toil, a useful vocation, and to attempt what we cannot do well, thus making our lives perfect only as a cheat and a failure. One decides to be a physician — not be- cause he has the gift of healing, but because it is a re- spectable, lucrative profession. He thinks not of the solemn issues before him, — that he is to enter the lists a champion of hope and life, to defend the weak and dy- ing; but thinks it fine to be called " Doctor," and to ride in a gig. So teachers, lawyers, and preachers are often guided by the same arbitrary reason — or lack of 174 LIVING QUESTIONS. reason,— looking upon life, not as a precious Bteward- Bhipj but rather as a dream or a game. In our youth we were taught that preachers must have a divine call or be guilty of Bacrilege. We believed the doctrine then, because we were so taught: we believe it now, because it ie in harmony with the character, the providence, and the Word of God. But we were also taught that there wasin behalf of preachers a special call, a miraculous intimation of duty, and a preparation for the sacred work of the ministry altogether exceptional This we do not believe, because " God is no respecter of persons;" because we have no right to call any man "common or unclean" who is obedient to the will of Beaven; because the man who swings the sledge-hammer may be just as near the heart of God as the man who holds a scepter: because one who works with his hands may be as noble, as divine, as the one who works with his brain; because the laborer — the producer, " though clad in hodden gray," and not the idler, though clothed in royal purple — is truly noble and Godlike; and because the artisan is just as needful in building the temple of God as the architect. The hewers of wood and of stone in the mountain and the quarry are as truly "laborers together with Him" as the king who is inspired to plan and build the " house of the Lord." The man who digs the coal from the mine, or rives the oak. or quarries the marble, or turns the furrowed sod for the grain, finds beneath and around him not the foot- prints only, but the handiwork, of God, — just as truly as does a Newton or a Luther, a Robert Fulton or a Cyrus W. Field. .1 DIVINE VOCATION FOR EVER! MAN. L75 It w;^ an Infinite Hand that firsi reared the masonry of the mountains, and carved the hills, and unrolled the prairies; that furnished tin- coal, the granite, and the iron, the copper, the diver, and the gold: and shall Ho — or shall we despise t he servant that brings onl the ex- cellence and the value oi his own precious treasures— the marvelous results of God's wisdom and love? It is our own vapid, childish fancies and felse conclu- sions, our selfishness and pride, that lead ns to make scornful, invidious comparisons between the children of the Most High; while the Great Father, impartial in his love, makes no <>ne wise and strong and rich and spiritual for himself alone, hut for the good and the blessing of all. We were talking of preachers, and Baying that a preacher Bhould have a divine call. There can he no doubt of this. But so also has the true former, teacher, mason, shipwright, and artificer in brass and iron. As if to prevent all mistakes, we find special callings and special inspiration bestowed upon laborers — upon those who shape and utilize the material. In the olden time •• God called Bezaleel the son of Uri, and filled him with his spirit." that he might devise cunning works in gold, silver, and brass; that he might be skillful in cutting stone and carving wood. And God gave him as a fellow- workman and helper, Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and God gave them wisdom that they might make his sanctuary according to the vision and the commands of Closes. We arc not to feel that the preacher's vocation is less 176 UVINQ QUESTIONS. sacred, but thai all honest callings are more divine, and that whatever we do we are to labor with God. No doubt there are those bo submissive and reveren- tial to the authority of the Church as to feel that the first and most essential thing for a preacher is to receive lesiastical sanction, so that he may be able to answer with propriety the inevitable question, " By what au- thority doest thou these things?" — to be able to answer this question by duly presenting his denominational cre- dentials. Hut, notwithstanding this reverence for church and clerical power, it remains true that no act of ordina- tion or of installation confers upon the candidate any quality or gift of mind; and many a man has been cere- monially consecrated to the work of the ministry whom God had previously called to follow the plow, hew the timber, or guide the ship; while no doubt there are those on the farm, in office, shop, or store, whose true vocation it is to " preach the Word," to break to the fam- ishing the bread of life. The minister's call comes not from academic or theological halls, but "to this end was he born, and for this cause, or work, came he into the world." Many of us get tangled or misplaced by attempting what we are not called to do; and this breeds confusion in the moral world — such confusion as is never seen in the material. We never see the least disorder or dis- placement among the lower animals, — the ant never at- tempting the work of the bee, or the beaver that of the oriole. The woodpecker taps the hollow tree, and the swallow builds amid the rafters of the barn, or finds a shelter beneath its eaves. The lion knows his hunting- .1 DIVINE VOCATION FOB EVERT KAN. 1 ml thf tiger, always the tcrr<»r <>f the jungle, provides her whelps with bloody food. Hut rising in the scale of creation wc miss this perfect «>rd oares Less for us than for birds and bea8ts, but because he care> for us as he cannot care for them. They are under the law of instinct; we are under the guidance <>f reason: they act by necessity; man made in the divine image is free-born. He is not altogether subject to the fixed succession of cause and effect that pervades the material and organic world beneath him. He is created a conscious, responsible power, having the ability because of his spiritual nature to originate action — for all force in heaven or earth must have its source in mind, in spirit. But man has the divine gift of self-determination: he can choose the path he will pursue — can mar or can make complete the creation of God. Having such prerogative, and being often swayed by temptation, w T e therefore see in the moral world such disorder as cannot exist under the dominion of physical law. Inasmuch as we are to secure the glory of virtue and the rewards of holiness by choos- ing the good and refusing the evil, there must be the possibility of our taking the wrong course; the possibility of prostituting instead of consecrating our powers; of rejecting instead of obeying the will of God. If we look fairly, we shall find that among the most fruitful sources of evil is the refusal to be guided by divine counsel, and thus fill the place assigned us in the holy purposes of God. "Ye shall be as gods/' was the 178 LlVnrO QUE8TI0H - ■ml enticement of the firs! temptation; and men are still the victims of the Bame burnished lie and gilded promise! Dazzled by the Bplendid offers of selfishn< we often torgel the claims of the Almighty: forgel thai Infinite Love lias a place and a work for every one; has a throne and crown priceless, eternal, for our fidelity, and to which we shall succeed when we hear "Well done, good and faithful servant." Let mi develop the germ divinely implanted, content to be ourselves, and ambitions only to fulfill our own mis- sion. Useful work, well done, not only has its reward, but is equally, whether high or humble, the Lord's work. We are dishonored when we fail; and fail we must in attempting what we cannot do well. Better succeed as a plowman than fail as a king. Better Le a good, manly blacksmith or ditcher than a poor, dull preacher. Be what you can he, and attempt what need- doing, and what OUghl to he done by you hecause you can do it well. We should do what we can do best, and he assured we are always called t<> that life-labor in which we can best build up a noble, Godlike character; for the highest possible result of all labor, the more than golden reward of toil, is a divine manhood, a divine womanhood. No, let us not teach the young thai they may become anything, or succeed in any pursuit ; hut that in their vocation, whatever it may he, they can be true and manly. And if not great amongthe ambitious, yet they may he reckoned honorable among the best; for within reach of the hardest hand, performing the humblest duty, there is a crown that no wicked prince, no sharp mil- ;ure, no faithl<>> kin-'., can ever purchase or emu- .1 DIVINE VOCATION WOR EVERY v.i.v. 1?'.) ma ml, the crown of an immortal manhood, Wecannol all reap the rewards ol genius thai is, its special, Let rewards; bul We may all win that which Lfi better, that which is highest: tor with all that art, power, inspiration, knowledge, and gold can givej we may be something than a true man. For Borne end you were horn, for some work endowed; yon are girded for some race, armed for Borne conflict, Ordained for some divine mission. He who made the bird for the air, the fish for the sea, the goal tor the mountain cliff, and the camel for the desert, has not forgotten man, hut made him for a vocation that shall honor God and bleSfl the race. Again : That each man has his place and work is plainly a Bible doctrine. The Prophet Isaiah says : "() Lord, thou art our Father: we are the clay, ami thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand." And St. Paul asks: ''Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?" The potter makes one vessel for a high, another for a humble, place; hut in all he has a definite design in molding the clay upon the wheel. So God makes men: one for an exalted posi- tion, another for common service; one to be a lawgiver, another to till the soil; one to be the leader of a nation, another to keep his flocks upon the mountain-side; one to hold a scepter, another a marline-spike. As the potter can make one vessel for fruit, another for wine; one a vase for flowers, another a platter for food, — so God created man, forming his body, endowing his mind, in- spiring his soul, guided alone by His own love and wis- 1 81 1 LIVING Q UEBTION& dom. And we have HO reason to complain of our bodies, our powers and faculties; do cause for complaint because we have not ten senses, or the wings of an angel; because we have not the eves of Argus, the arms of BriareuSj or the swiftness and cunning of Mercury. Lei Qfl not make the mistake of supposing that God's Care and election are limited to what we call the religious world, or to ecclesiastical affairs. God's providence is too full and wide, wise and loving, to be comprehended within any such boundary-lines : for all things, the secular a.- well as the sacred, have a moral purpose; while the universe in its entirety is expressive of the holiness as well as the power of God. No one can doubt that in subduing nature, in reveal- ing its wealth, force, truth, and beauty; in bringing the ends of the earth together and uniting the nations in trade and fellowship, — no one doubts that in this men fulfill the designs of God. Looking at the busy, earnest world of to-day, who can doubt that the mission of engineers, shipwrights, inventors, architects, farmers, sailors, scientists, may be as truly for the glory of God and the good of man as the calling of preachers and prophets? Yes, the work of God — of redemption — is going on in the wilderness, the mine, the quarry, the work- shop ; on the prairie, on the ship, and the black wharves of commerce, — as really as in the theological school or prayer-meeting. ( J od's glory is promoted on the farm, in foundry and machine-shop, by the locomotive and printing-press, by the manufactures and trade of the wide world; hence men are divinely called not only to preach, but to build, invent, to unite the nations and .1 DIVINE VOCATION FOB EVERY MAN 181 bring the oontinenta p their bands" both above and beneath the sea. How narrow to suppose that in -Dine Little conventicle, by the dull routine of pn prayers and exhortations, we can alone glorify God! But he is not thus limited in purpose and sympathy. lie calls men to work with him in the mill ami market; in living the oak ami the rock: in building railways ami steamships; in laboratory ami studio, as well as in chan- cel ami pulpit,— in everything that may exalt, enlighten, bless, ami save. It is our duty thankfully to accept ourselves, body and mind, brain ami brawn; with ten talents or two, with the soul of a poet or the muscles of an athlete, — and then reverently, cheerfully, till our place ami do our work with manly fidelity. This is true greatness; this often reveals the highest heroism. And in the lowest, humblest stations you may find those who, unnoticed now, wear invisible crowns that shall one day Bash into eternal brightness. There is a world full of work waiting to be done, and I am manliest when doing well that for which I am fitted, and to which I am called. How grand, how solemn, the thought that every one is thus included, not in the fixed succession of cause and effect, but in the providence of Heaven, and is a recognized power, who may be honored as such in the final consummation of the purposes of God ! Truly "the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way." While firmly believing the doctrine presented, we are aware of an important and difficult question that must 182 LIVlMi QUESTIONS. have been suggested to the mind of every hearer. If it be true that each life has to God a plan, a design that we should work out, yet how an* we to discover that plan, h«>\v ascertain that design? Have wo a right to expect supernatural aid by dream or vision, by voices in the air, or by any striking means that shall forever ban- ish all doubt concerning the Divine Will? This would load to fanaticism and the most malignant spiritual pride. And no form of madness is more to be deplored than a moral, a religious craze, in which conscience and reason are "Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh." No doubt the supposed difficulties surrounding this subject may to some minds greatly les>en the practical value of this doctrine. Yet the solution of this life- problem need not be so hard. If we maintain a childlike spirit, if we comply with the manifest laws of moral be- ing, if we exercise our reason, if we recognize the pres- ence of God and the power of prayer, if we are submis- sive teachable, trusting, we shall find our place. We cannot overestimate the importance of early guid- ance and wisdom, so thai we may in the freshness of our youth begin our life-work. Alas, what waste of mind we see on every side! How many from the end of this journey look back with the feeling that life is a failure! They have been idlers, adventurers, neither in sympathy with nor acting under the orders of the Greal Master Workman. Now it is too late. Instead of having transmuted from the leaden Eacts and duties of life a golden chain — a crown, one stands amid a heap .1 DIVINE VOCATION FOB BVBBT MAX 188 Token links a mass of dross and rubbish. It need qo1 have been bo; tor we look upon another who ap- pears glorified, transfigured, in the evening sunshine. Hr is rich —ripe like the purple clusters of the vintage or the golden corn of the harvest; or, to change the fig- ure, — after life's voyage, bis vessel is jus! now rounding into port, deeply freighted, Btowed with wealth from keelson up to deck. He, having Fulfilled his earthly mission, can Bay with infinite peacefulness, u I have finished the work given me to do/ J But how shall we find our place and vocation? Be- fore giving a direct answer, and to save words, let Die ask why men make such frequent and gross mistakes? For there is confusion in society, there is waste, discon- tent, and chagrin, because men are BO often misplaced. The young man who is endowed with the gift of teach- ing studies medicine, while he that has the gift of heal- ing becomes a lawyer. The machinist becomes a mer- chant, while the boy built for the sea is never launched, but remains forever the hulk of a landsman. Mechani- cal talent is hidden under clerical robes, while the man made to build barns and bridges attempts the construc- tion of sermons. No wonder there is failure. Some- thing more than industry or will-power is demanded as the price of success; something more than courage is needful to be victorious; fidelity alone will not crown us with earthly honor and confidence. 1 . Among the causes of this confusion we may give the first place to Pride. True to its malignant character, it still snares and deceives, pointing to many useful call- ings as mean, low, servile. So, as its devotees, we shun 184 LI VI Mi QUESTIONS. and despise them aa dishonorable, — as if it were more respectable to stand with a smile behind a counter than t<> till thesoil ! It may seem a higher vocation to sell cal- i than t<> cultivate potatoes, but how contemptible the spirit that Fosters and approves such a brainless conceit I Bow blind this silly pride ! It docs not consider that the to}>, no matter how high, rests on the base; that the root sustains the tree; that the civilized world, the world of fashion, with all its glitter and froth is de- pendent as a baby on the hard hands of toilers; that all our luxuries and refinements depend on the humble artisan. If the fanner and mechanic should withdraw their support, it would be like a Lisbon earthquake, — the "upper crust'* of the earth would be shattered, and down would tumble all the idle grandeur of the land. On despised avocations rest all that pride and avarice covet. Strange that we despise the very antecedents of our life and welfare: and it reveals the marvelous power and skill of Satan that even professed Christians — fol- lowers of the Mechanic of Nazareth, the Carpenter of Galilee — are beguiled to exhibit their supercilious con- tempt of those callings which God has supremely hon- ored, and that more than all else symbolize his hand of mercy by feeding and clothing the dependent world. 2. Another cause of confusion and waste is Ambition. There is a justifiable unrest, a holy discontent, a hunger of the soul for sweeter food, a reaching out and up lor the higher, nobler, — for the spiritual, the eternal. But selfish aims, no matter how high they soar, how bright they shine, are earth-born, ending in the dust. There is a pernicious idea abroad that "if a young ,1 hi vim-: I- \ FOR EVSBl v.i.\ man would be anything or anybody" he hum a professions >r. [ndeed, with many this is the ideal of lit'f it- :'. ! ><> you wonder that the lower itr of our honorable professions of law, literature, theoloj ami medicine are bo dishonorably crowded? Bow con- temptible the idolatry of mere place, or of the empty symbols <>f power, leading us to xmd- or a third-rate lawyer, doctor, or preacher as superior t<> a first-rate blacksmith or farmer; whereas they are in- ferior to a first-rate anything, — no matter how humble, if the calling he useful, manly ! :;. Avarice often blinds US to the path of duty, mis- leading into false, forbidden ways. This passion is perhaps the most to be dreaded of the many dangers that threaten our ruin. As a people we have more to fear from the love of money than the love of wine : much more to fear from the intoxication of wealth than whiskey. To us avarice is more dangerous than appetite. With many the question is not, "What will make list What will make us noble, useful, Godlike?" — but, "'What will make money?" All excellence and honor because of fitness, because of the Divine Will, are disregarded if we can push into a place that is lucrative, though Satan counts out the gold. There is one other point we must notice. Men do not always choose unwisely because of th 1 influ- ences; for sometimes good persons are beside themselves, — made mad not by much learning, but confused by a mild kind of religious fanaticism, in which pure desires are mistaken for a divine call, for divine intimations of duty. Enthusiasm may prevail over reason; and sin- ISC LIVING QUESTIONS. cerest love, unaided by wisdom and good counsel, may lead astray, Hence, after seasons of special religious interest the devout and sensitive among the young often think they are called to preach; when they have Only the common, blessed experience of Christian love; the heart expanding with the spirit of the Gospel, and echoing the song of all who find the Christ. — " Glory to God in the highest, and good-will to men !" But with these emotions there is not necessarily the knowledge, the ability, needed for a public teacher of Christianity. For this high office one should have not only great love and holy desires, hut a message from the Lord: not mere- ly an impulse to run — run at all hazards, like the swift, restless Ahimaaz from the camp of General Joab in the "wood of Kphraim;" hut we must have tidings to de- liver — tidings from " the Captain of the Lord's host," or we too, like this empty messenger, shall run in vain, and like him shall soon be told to stand aside. Of course such mistaken zeal is not like the debasing sin of simony, — not like choosing falsely because of any form of selfishness. Neither would I dare sav that one must have what IS termed a theological education, be attractive in person, both fluent and eloquent, before entering the pulpit. For how often the one who seems weak, who is humble, childlike, is yet made even a mighty instrument for good, "a sou of thunder," or a "son of consolation"! Though one may not be the Lord's Niagara or Amazon, yet he may be an humble channel for the Water of Life, making green and fruit- ful the blasted wastes of rfn. But how may I know my calling? How find my .t hi vi\h: VOi AT10H FOB EVERY i/.i.v. 1ST place? 1 1' we are honest, pur*-, obedient to the Ian of low, most of tli*' diflft Burrounding this question once vanish. To those who have strong proclivil who come gifted by nature with special powers tor sonic work or mission, the 0886 Lfl plain, the answer unmis- takable. To on( gifted like Benjamin West, who made the first picture be ever Baw, there can be no question warding his vocation. But our Beavenly Father docs not offer a prize to thoughtlessness: even blessing hue a pric tcrifice, is the fruit of earnest effort; and hence there are few whose childhood is bo prophetic as to free them from all painful doubt. In general terms, to learn the Divine Will we arc to consider three things : 1. The character of Ilim who calls you to participate in his labor and to share his glory. He is wise, holy, just, and loving ; hence your vocation must be pure, useful, honest, and merciful. He appoints to nothing that can degrade or injure, but to labor that will enrich, bless, and redeem the world. 2. Obedience. The breathing of the heart must be, "Thy will be done." Then, like Paul, we shall not be " disobedient to the heavenly vision," whatever it may be; and you may expect divine direction to that first, best prayer, — " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Let me present our relation to God by a familiar figure or parable. Suppose you enter a large shipyard. To your ignorance, inexperience, all is confusion. There is the blended sound of hammer, ax, saw, and mallet. Now you have a mind to work, you would gladly aid. It will not do, however, for you to seize ax or saw or 188 LIVING QUESTIONS. mallet, and eul or drive or fashion as impulse dire* There ifi no confusion. Bach man among these hun- dreds of stalwart workers has his place and mission. "And though throughout the shipyard's bounds Arc heard the Intermingled sounds of axes and of mallets, plied With vigorous arms on every side," — vet every sound has its meaning, every block and pin and plank has its place: for there is somewhere a master- shipwright, in whose mind there is a perfect plan of all this work. Yonder he is, quiet, attentive; clothed with supreme authority, directing all these hands and these instruments of labor. " In the shipyard stands the master With the model of the vessel That shall laugh at all disaster, And with wave and whirlwind wrestle.'* \ow, if you would work to any purpose, if you would aid in promoting instead of marring the plan, it must be under the direction of the shipwright. To him you must saw " What wilt thou have me to do?" And it is the same with architect, engineer, farmer : if you would work in the shop, on a farm, or a building, to the master who designs and directs the work you must, if you would he helpers, offer the same prayer. The application is manifest. There is above all One who in supreme wisdom "worketh until now," — One whose workshop is the universe, whose purposes of mercy till eternity, and who would have each soul in its true place, employed in its appointed task, by the or- dination of mora] law, by spiritual influences, — as each i DIVINE I rON F 'KHY V.I.N I Si) grain and ind drop is in its appointed place bj of physical law. Ami uv in.iv . thai the i I and believing will be directed ; that upon Buch hearts will fall a light that oever Bhineson land or sea; that an invisible hand and "a still small voice* 9 will guide the humble in the right way " Not always with an outward sign ( )f lire or voice from heaven The message Of a truth divine, The call of God, la given ; Awakening in the human heart Love f^r the true and right, Zeal for the Christian's better part. Strength for the Christian's fight" 3. Consecration of heart as a condition of divine guidance. Service is a condition of knowledge. u Ee that doeth the will of God shall know," not only of doc- trine or precept, but of practice; for it is by walking in the way that the path itself is clearly revealed. All trust in God is honored with increasing light. Reason, conscience, emotion, every gift and faculty, by their consecration become the means of revealing the will of Heaven. Elizabeth Fry said to her daughter during her last illness: "I believe I can truly say that since the aire of seventeen I have never awakened from sleep, in sickness or in health, by day or by night, without my first waking thought being, how I might best serve the Lord." Such devotion cannot walk in darkness, Again: It is both safe and wise for the young to seek the advice of friends. In the church, in spiritual mat- L90 uvnra question tere, there are those who have %i the gift of the ^scorn- ing of Bpirits:" saintly, childlike hearts, who seem in- stinctively to recognize the qualities of mind as well as the character of those aboul them. But in all cases we must examine ourselves, listen to the inward voice and watch the inward light Question ability, taste, and desire. If you find you have color- blindness you may he sure you are not called to be an artist or a pilot, for in either case accurate vision is de- manded. The dumb are not called to preach, nor the blind to paint. If you are so destitute of musical per- ception and expression as to be unable to distinguish a chord from a discord, a dirge from a waltz, you cannot glorify God u in the service of song," nor bless the world as a composer. "The pure in heart" hive the gift not only of seership. but of prophecy; and God imparts a love, a taste, for the work lie requires: for '-'his com- mands are not grievous/' As a general rule, it maybe said of those who are successful in life, — " What the child desired. The youth endeavored and the man acquired." I need not remind you of the disappointments, the vexations, and the waste — the prodigal waste — of mmd, of spiritual wealth, arising from misdirected energies, from misplaced lives, that is so greatly to be deplored. Those who might have been candles of the Lord, or his flam- ing heralds, are hidden under the bushel of some secu- lar or of some sacred calling, and their light quenched; for not only the world, but the Church, may ad as an extinguisher. .1 DIVINE VOCATION FOB EVERT VAN. 191 Bad G< Stephenson been persuaded to enter the clerical profession, how the English pulpit would have quenched a divine liirht! Or, if (Jeorge Wliitefield or John Wesley had andertaken the task of engineering, how little the world would have gained by his efforts I But by having the righl man in the righl place, it may be said of these prophets of God as was said of Caesar, **lli' found Rome brick, and left it marble;"— so they find the world poor, corrupt, and ignorant, and they leave it prosperous, enterprising, hopeful, with the moans of making it, not marble, but golden. The conclusion of the matter is this: How important for the world and \'ov Qurselves that we consult in a teachable spirit the Great Ruler, whose wisdom is in- finite, and whoso plan of grace embraces all moans for the consummation of his love — the ultimate blessedness of all his children! Lot us be reverent ami obedient. If you stand on the threshold of life, I pray you be not adventurers, but the bosom friends of God, Let all your plans accord with his will; then your path will be under arches of triumph, and your future will be 1 spanned with bows of immortal hope. Pebsonal Liberty. •• stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath set free. . . . For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty ; only use not liberty for an occasion to the tlesh, but by love Berve one another. " — QalaUam v. l, 13. The blessings of God to a chosen few, to his elect, are always promises of his impartial love, of impartial care and merry for all mankind. His regard for one Bon, whether it be the elder or the younger, is not a limitation of his paternity, but the pledge, the assur- ance, of his universal Fatherhood. The Scriptures teaeh that God u elected " angels, pa- triarchs, prophets, the Jewish nation, apostles, saints, and above all his Son, — ik My Servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delight et h, v — not, however, for their sake so much as through them to bless and save the lost. No : his elect are not chosen because God 18 a respecter of persons or of nations, but because he would redeem the least and lowest — the feeble ones — of his wide family. And so, in the spirit of our text, we may safely judge and hope concerning God's love — his love for the least — by the crowns he puts upon the highest ; for he exalts the mighty not for the sake of the mighty, but by them to uplift and bless the weak and fallen. He 192 PERSONAL UBBBTY. L93 makes the rich richer, qo1 ko make the poor }>«»«. ■ , is the oase in Satanic dominioi] and society: but the rich arc for the poor, the strong for the feeble, the \\ i - < • \\f the world. Hence, as the apostle says in our text. u Ye have been called unto liberty/ 1 — not to gratify selfishness by license, u but by love to serve one another." These words of the apostle derive new light and force from our surroundings ; for it is amid special blessings and national mercies of opportunity and freedom un- known before, that this appeal is made to us. How great our indebtedness, how imperative our obligations, in view of the boundless "liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free"! For is not this civil heritage of ours included also in the liberty that Christ bestows? We accept him as the author of our spiritual freedom ; but if we would take in the full, grand meaning of these words of Paul, we must not look at them as cramped or narrowed by mere ecclesiastical interpreta- tion. Christ is infinitely larger and more glorious than he is often presented by the Church. He is not the ruler of some little conventicle, or the special property of a 194 LTVnrQ QUESTIONS sect. Be U not the Saviour of a limited pharisaic club, the glory of a Belecl guild of Bpiritual monopolists, who (Maim andj that contains a full appraisal of all human rights, and the divine pledge of the world's redemption* Our design Lb not to speak of national freedom or of our special political blessings; hut taking B wider view, and aided by the Word and the Providence of God, let us look at the rights and privf I man. It is plainly the Gospel idea, that while man must be in subjection, he is yet in the highest sense to be free: that he is not oppressed l»ut exalted by obligation ; and while conscious of service justly due, yet in yielding this he is to find, not bondage, but liberty, — the comple- tion, the crowning, of his manhood. His good is not in license, nor his glory in the loss or mutilation of self- hood ; but they are found in being a subject, a minister, and in being a law unto himself by the exercise of his reason, reverence, and love. By these means he attains to his majority, — he attains the only complete freedom. In the Gospel the individual comes to the front, grand and sacred as the u image of God :" and his rights are not to be invaded, but promoted, — not de- stroyed, but secured, — by governments, by all social or- ganisms. As an entity, a unit, his individualism is to be recognized and honored by his union with any body, politic or ecclesiastic The use of government is to serve, to edify, the individual. All systems, all institu- LI vim; QUESTIONS, tioQ8, arc to bold tile stirrup for man and aid him into , Lie : fur unless they fulfil] the office of helpers, even to the little ones of God, they are more than use- less, and their final doom is scaled. Men may he united, — federated and not saerilieed, united into a close and complete union, blended into perfect organic harmony, —and yet retain their indi- vidual rights, Onity without loss or oppression; liberty without li- cense or anarchy; society complete, and yet perfect per- il freedom ; BOCiety and government for the man, — yes, Church and State, Temple and Sabbath, are to aid and bless ; this is the grand idea of the (iospel em- bodied in the Christian commonwealth. We must have organism where there is life, we must have society regulated by law, and we must have the individual with his divine powers ; and in harmony witli these demands Christianity teaches the supremacy of the man over all,, — society, church, state, home, altar, throne, empire ; every order and system exists for the individual. The Blaster said : " In this place is One greater than the temple." Evidently he meant more than that as Immaniicl he was greater than those marble walls. It Was in bifl representative character as the Son of man that he spoke of this comparative greatness. He said this not for himself; hut in this place, in any place, in any land, wherever the [mage of God is found, there is one greater than temples and institutions: for man him- self musl he of greater value than his works, as "the builder hath more honor than the building." PBBBONAL UBBRTT. 107 And Jesus presented the same precioue truth when hesaid, "The Sabbath was made for man, aol man tor the Sabbath." What a howl oi hatred and bigotry this doctrine called forth ! It was like the howl ol the woU when it Bcents the blood ol the lamb. These brave words vrere the death-warrant of the Saviour. The priests never forgave him, and uever ceased to hunt him until he was crucified. In Ihe rights ot man as man, in the sanctity oi his selfhood, in the blessings Of unity and liberty, in the ideal commonwealth where all are brethren and all are equal, — as presented in the Gospel, — we have a vision so holy. Original, and blessed that we may exclaim with full assurance, "This is the finger of God!" This miracle was not designed or wrought by earthly magicians, hut declares the presence and love of the Seavenly Father. Vet how hard it has been to realize the true value of man, to secure his recognition ! how difficult to heed the divine command, "Honor all men!" Human his- tory is but a record of the struggles of man for this recognition, a dark record of almost continued defeat and oppression. Just between organized society, both political and ecclesiastical, and our conscious personality, between the claims of the one and the rights of the other, — just here has been the border-land of conflict. To us, as citizens, this conflict has virtually ended— ended in the triumph of human rights and freedom. But the question, What are our relations to our breth- ren, our fellow-citizens iii the kingdom of Christ— our religious relations and our rights? — this has been and 108 LIVING QUESTIONS. still is a subject of intense interest How about our per- sonal freedom? We cannot be independent; yet, as the children of the Highest, it would seem that we must inherit as our birthright the widest liberty. What is the true relation of the Chureh to the disciple, and of the disciple t<> the Church, — the relation of all human authority and power to OUT personality, our conscience, and our gift of Belf -determination ? Just bere, I say, between the individual, as the image of God, and the powers of State and Church, has been the hot, fierce struggle of the age8 past. Here the dead lie thickest and the blood is deepest, plainly showing where the battle raged with greatest fury. Here persecution, in- spired by ambition and bigotry, lias shown no mercy, but lias geared her engines to the machinery of torture, sharpened her sword, kindled her fires, planted the cross, and slain her millions. How fortunate our position ! How little we know of persecution ! And, thank God, we know nothing of toleration ! For in our political life we have nothing to do with conformity or non-conformity, with priest or bishop, heretic or heresy, subscription or dissent, as before the law all are equal. Until the adoption of our Federal Constitution such liberty was unknown. Tolera- tion towards those who did not hold with the party iu power was the most that could be expected by the minority. For centuries it was "a settled maxim that the only sure way to convert a heretic was to put him to death;" at least this was the popular method of dealing with heresy. Hence it was a long step in the right direction when those who were so manly as to think for PBH80KAL URSSTT. L90 themselves were permitted to live, and had doled out to them mutilated rights and -tinted privileges under the jealous eve of the government, as li suspected of crime; vet such toleration was hotter than the burnings <>f Queen Mary, the oountless murders of Charles the Fifth, or the ma88acres <>f Catherine de J Medici. We should remember that until a recent period all good men believed in the right, the necessity, of State authority in religion. All believed in the necessity of an "established church;" the only difference between conformity and dissent, the orthodox and heterodox, being the character of the established faith. For a time ardent reformers feared and denounced liberty almost as much as did their opposers. Luther, Calvin, and Knox did not especially differ from Mary Tudor and Cardinal Pole in regard to the use of the power of the State in aiding and defending the Church. Protestant Elizabeth, with the Archbishop of Canterbury, de- manded conformity by arguments that martyrs alone can meet, and no difference in this respect can be seen be- tween the hierarchy of England and the hierarchy of Rome ; between the hierarchy of Massachusetts Colony, with Kndicott at its head, and that of Geneva, with the great Calvin as supreme hierarch — zealous even to the kindling of orthodox fire for the golden purity of the faith. We should remember that at this time, no mat- ter how much cruelty was involved or barbarity perpe- trated, all men, from Rome to Edinburgh, from Geneva to Boston, were united, or were agreed as to the necessity of keeping the Church pure even by the heroic practice of beheading or burning. 2oo uvl\<; QTfttBTtOM In tin* light of to-day, impossible seem the theories that once prevailed, oven in recent times. The indi- vidual was bo nearly at zero, prerogative bo nearly su- preme, thai all the rights of the one wore swallowed up by the aggressions of the other. Not only marriage — the union before heaven of loving hearts— hut eonimun- iod with God also, and even the immortality of the soul — the hope ami glory of eternal life — were made to depend, even in the eighteenth century, by the teaching of some, at least, on the intervention and good-will of a bishop I Dodwell, a learned theologian of the Established Church, taught that " Our souls are naturally mortal, but become immortal by baptism if administered by an Kpiseopal clergyman. Pagans and unbaptized infants cease to ex- ist at death; but Dissenters who have neglected to enter the Episcopal fold are kept alive by a special exercise of the divine power in order that they may be, after death, eternally damned." * We cannot think that God lights his paradise as Nero lighted his gardens at Borne. Earnesl dissenters have had a higher mission than " to be damned for the e^lory of (Jod." It has been a part of their heroic work to give freedom to the world. Yet how servitude clings to us, debases us! Thedeep scar of the iron yoke is on our necks. And who can he 4 - dressed even in a little brief authority " and not play the miserable despot? With all our progress, we are still ever on the verge of superstition, on the edge of thrall- dom. In 1851 a prominent official of the English Gov- ernment, in addressing his constituents, said: "Tolera- * Lecky'fl " History of England/' vol. i. pp. 94, 05. B802TAZ LffiBBTY, 301 n is thf great corner-stone ol the religions liberi <»f this country. Bui do not abuse thai precious word 'toleration. 1 A> I understand it, it means complete lib- erty to all, freedom ol worship among Christians, who worship upon the same Foundation/' This is about the Bame religious liberty thai was enjoyed under the reign ol the royal theologian Henry the Eighth, u Defender of the Faith;" about the same that prevailed under the rule ol Hildebrand, the mighty pope. We thank God for the mighty men who oame as help- to our fathers; but while garnishing their bombs, let us not kill between the temple and the altar the prophets sent to heal the present generation ! We turn to the musty utterances of the dead, as if grace were exhausted, when we should seek the ever-living Christ. We haunt the graveyard of buried divinity, while truth in golden floods comes now from the eternal throne of Love. We may, perhaps we should, turn from the advocates of false doctrines; yet how strange the truth, how true the experience, and how undeniable the fact that the liberty of the world, all the freedom we < i njoy, comes from these hated and persecuted heretics, comes from the life and influence of those who died on the cross or were burned at the stake ! It is painful to follow 7 the long, bitter conflict between the person and the State, between the individual soul and the ecclesiastical body, or between the disciple and the Church. While lust of power bestrode the ages like a mighty Colossus, yet there was never perfect peace by the submission of the man, by the entire subjugation of the individual, to the authority of king and bishop. 302 LIYIXtr (>CK alone at the call of God, and to seek it in any Bpot beneath the blue cope of the Father's temple, — this is mine by every assurance that can be given in creation and redemption ! 3. If I have any absolute personal right, any personal freedom, it is to hear and heed the call of Christ, to fol- low him as the only Saviour and the "one Master," to obey his commands, read his words, do his will and trust his promise.-. If there is any place and person to which and to whom I have the right to go alone, and may be trusted to go alone, and where indeed 1 must go alone, it is to the mercy-seat and to the Lord Jesus Christ. 210 LIVING QUESTIONS For as every one of as must give account of himself to God, bo in faith, repentance, and devotion no proxy can be employed. 4. To enumerate still further, to continue the ap- praisal oi that which belongs to man in fee-simple and to his heirs forever, as declared in the original gift and confirmed by the New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: we find that man must have the right, the liberty, to he true, loyal to his conscience. This is a sacred, individual duty, and any one who de- prives the Least of the privilege of obeying this divine voice is not only guilty of oppressing man, u of Lording it over God's heritage," but of robbing him; for the very existence as well as the value of all moral service depends upon freedom, kk Had I five heads, I would give them all BOOner than be false to Christ and conscience," said the heroic Luther. The right to the free use of our reason in the discovery of truth, and the duty to act reasonably, is as evident a- the fact of our moral being or our personal entity. "Come, let us reason together/" is the appeal of the Heavenly Father to all his children. And no worship or service can he sincere, can be acceptable to God, that is not felt by the worshiper to be reasonable. Then there is the right to think for ourselves, to search for wisdom, and the consequent obligation of "private judgment " in all matters of opinion, of doctrine, and of revelation. because of our moral outfit, and because we are called to he hel pers, called to labor witli the Lord Jesus, there rests upon us the imperative duly to read Grod'sWord- to read it for our own instruction and PERSONAL LLBBBTT. 21 I roh the Scripture inspired of God, u i hat is profitable for beaching, tor reproof, tor correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of 1 may he complete, furnished completely unto ever; od work." To u> belong the unsealed treasures of divine wisdom. "The Becrei things belong unto the Lord our God," said Moses; "hut the things that are revealed belong unto us ami to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this Law." And tons is given also the last ami most previous revelation, the Gospel of the Son <>t' God — "the good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.' 1 By the claims of individuality for which wo plead, wo do not mean anything like [shmaelitish separation, or independence. It does not imply isolation, but society for the sake of a perfected personality. Jt is not the severance of ties, but by all means the ennobling, honor- ing, and completing of the personality of man that lias its foundation in the personality of God, — and that "is the steepest, loftiest summit toward which we can move in our attainment" It is such a union with the vine that the branch cannot wither, but may be fruitful; the vine not destroying nor absorbing, but aiding and supporting the branch to fulfill its true branch life. It is such a union with the State as secures to all men the oppor- tunities of a ripened manhood, the government pro- tecting all and each in doing every good and seeking every blessing and obeying every truth that God lias placed before us. It implies that in our union with the Church "we are called unto libertv;" and that in "the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free w T e are to 212 LIVLXG QUESTIONS, stand fast." In this union we arc to call no man mas- ter, to be DO man's double or echo, no man's servant in the of servility, — only in the holy sense of ministry, of helping. Ami as we approach the 4i one Father," the "one Lord and Master," we are to be made one by meeting all apon the level of Christian fellowship. It is not the sacrifice of the individual, of the greater tor the jer, hut the Church is for the restoration, the round- ing into completion, of man, to whom alone — ahove priest, or creed, or rite, or system — the promise is given, " Because I live ye shall live also." In relation to political rights, so rich are our posses- sions that we have little to hope for; but in our eccle- siastical relations it seems to me we have not attained to perfect personal liberty. Even as the children of Puri- tan ami Pilgrim, we are yet the heirs of hope instead of fruition. As John Milton said in the midst of the Struggle for individual freedom, "This iron yoke of outward conformity hath left a slavish print upon our necks: the ^host of a linen decency still haunts us." Is it not true that in reading the Bible, while open- in-- it and holding it as Protestants, yet in thought, in u private judgment," we are nervously anxious and pain- fully careful to shape our judgment precisely according to the Church standards; and while we read, do we not feel hound to interpret according to the creed, accord- ing to established orthodoxy, whether of Oberlin or Princeton? Is it not true that, instead of feeling the utmost freedom in seeking God, or in following Christ, we look around with a kind of fear to see what is authorized to see what men or the Church sanction, rather than simply, treelj . alone in the world, seeking the divine will, aski •• Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Ami yet, why imt look ap for direction ju>t b ire alone r i t Where i m we look ? Who else has aul I (an any hninan power answer tor as when we come to be judged \'<>r our stewardship of the truth, and the d< we have done? Then we must stand tor ourselves before God. 1 know thai many sincere and uoble men fear that such liberty as we hope and plead for would had to license, to confusion. Bui can anything be Bafer tor men than God's truth? Can anything I r than perfect freedom in going to God? Should not every harrier be removed, and every priest Btand out of the way? Is there a privilege more sacred than the personal following of the Lord Jesus Christ? Can we nol with safety put the Gospel in every hand and say, "It is yours — yours to read, to believe, to obey — freely, wholly yours"? If this is not safe, then Protestants are wrong and Catholics are right. It will be a great day (so it seems to me) for the world and for the glory of God when "all things are ours" in the building of a divine manhood or person- ality, and when it shall be clearly seen that this is the great end of the mission and Gospel of Christ; when man's purity and perfection shall be recognized as more precious than church or temple; when his worth shall be above doctrine or dogma: when the Christian shall be more than orthodoxy; when priests shall think more of saving the soul and honoring the Man than of 214 IXVIirO QUESTIONS. Baying and reverencing all the dead things and dry bones of the past, when all sects and all issues Bhall yield to Man and boif down to him, and tin* idea of sacrificing him to a sect, or of excommunicating him Tor the exer- cise of his u private judgment " and Christian libertj a seeker after truth and God, Bhall be indeed a crime blacker than any heresy. Yes, it will be a brighter day than we have yet seen: yet it will come, when every Christ-like man shall find the doors of the Church on earth like the gates of heaven — open to receive him, not because he comes chanting the Credo, hut because lie comes as a man and a brother, leaning reverently on the arm of the beloved, — because he comes simply as a dis- ciple of Jesus the Saviour. XL Tin: Mission op Affliction. "I have Choseo thee in the furnace of affliction."— IMah \iviii. 10 Oub text refers to God's dealings with tin 1 .Jewish nation. Ho called them for a special purpose, but his treatment of them was according to the common law of the moral aniverse. They enjoyed a particular election, out experienced the usual discipline of sorrow. Indeed, these words do not limit attention to Israel, but pre- sent to us a universal principle of the government of God. Though Abraham and his seed were chosen to be the Lord's candle, — chosen as the medium of his special rev- elations to the world, — and thereby were exalted and blessed, yet they were subject to the same laws of trial and growth as mark the divine administration among all nations. Not for Israel's sake, not that God is a re- specter of persons or nations, were the Jews elected ; but "God so loved the world " that he called them, bestowing a knowledge of himself and committing to them, for all people, his holy oracles. Rut our text speaks of a common election. Not only Jacob and his children, but all men have been, and still are, chosen, whether for some special office or for the great salvation, through the tuition and drill of 215 216 uviMi Qtrssnom affliction. Ajb with nations, BO also with individuals. Not only thf king and prophet, but the nam* int has Celt the scorching of this fire of God; tor the gift and discipline of pain belong to all: not only Jesus, but every one is u made perfect through Buffering In this common sorrow and chastisement that belong to the Fatherhood of God, the Christian often finds a special Occasion for thankfulness and praise. How is it with us? A- we look over the past, can we say with the Psalmist, "It is good for me that I hare been afflicted"? Among mankind there is difference of rank, intellect, opportunity; difference of form, color, condition. Men are divided by countless contrasts and seeming inequali- ties; are severed by mountains, seas, rivers, deserts; by faith, hopes, and traditions : but there is a universal brotherhood of Buffering — all are the children of sor- row. Our earth Lfl full of grief; every rood has been plowed by the sexton's spade, been sanctiiied or d( Crated by tears or blood. There are times when every eye tills with sadness ami every heart throbs with an- guish. There is no home whose hearthstone has not been scattered with ashes of bereavement, or whose halls have not echoed with the farewells of departure. Rising and setting suns shine through a mist of tears. "The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain." " Care has iron crowns for many brows; And Calvaries are everywhere, whereoo Virtue lfl Crucified, and nails and spears Draw iruiltlc-s blood." Augustine said, " God had one Son without sin: he has none without sorrow." THE ¥18810$ OF AFFLICTION 219 Bui this sni)j. ct lias a pergonal, practical meaning and value, ami should prompt to candid Belf-examina- tion. The philosophy ol Buffering maybe attractive, and some have a morbid delighl in studying the anatomy grief. We are ((uii'k in observing the uses of afflic- tion to those about ns, and arc quite resigned t<> the pain that bores into other hearts, read] with Borne plati- tude to give OOmforl — and, so long a8 we arc fat and robust, glad to observe that saints and heroes an- made of such st u tT as nobly endures. Hut how is it when theory becomes experience; when we exchange the chair of philosophy for the couch of Buffering; when we are the Subject instead of the student — no longer holding hut feeling the scalpel? How- drossy is the sentimental patronizing of the grief-strick- en ! how grand the faith that endures with patience! how divine the love that weeps with those that weep ! Can we, like Paul, " glory in tribulations"? Or do we repine, complain ? Are we fretful, censorious, despairing ? Our griefs may be bitter. We may see no good reason for them; all may be dark, mysterious: yet it is not Christian to complain. Despair is never a Christian virtue. How evideiit, even to the casual observer, that the ministry of affliction is precious, needful for the ripen- ing of the heart! "For where, think you, does the Heavenly Father hear the tones of deepest love, and see on the uplifted face the light of most heart-felt gratitude ? Xot where his gifts are most profuse, but where they seem most meager. ' Xot within the halls of successful ambition, or even the dwellings of unbroken 218 LJYlMr QUESTIONS. domestic peace; but where the outcast. Hying from per- secution, kneels in the evening on the rock whereon he deeps; at the fresh grave, where, as the earth is opened, heaven, in answer, opens too; by the pillow of the wasted suiTerrr, where t he sunken eve, denied sleep, eon- verses with the silent stars, and the hollow voice enu- merates in low prayer the scanty list of comforts, the easily remembered blessings, and the shortened tale of hopes, denial, almost to a miracle, is the soil of sor- row; wherein the smallest seed of love, timely falling, becometh a tree, in whose foliage the birds of blessed song lodge and sing unceasingly. And the doubts of God's goodness — whence are they? Earely from the weary and overburdened; but from theoretic students, at ease in their closets of meditation, treated themselves most gently by that legislation of the universe which they criticise with a melancholy so profound." * The bitterest cries of complaint come from stately homes rather than from the dwellings of the poor; while the incense of gratitude rises from stricken hearts instead of the hearts of the rich and pampered. Men, and women too, whose lives have enriched the world, who were moral levers beneath society, lifting it to higher, nobler issues, have in this regard left for us a good example. They suffered in hope, and, though called to trials and fiery sacraments, yet endured with- out complaint. Let me quote the glowing words of one of these heroic men, the great Apostle to the Gentiles, every liber of whose being was instinct with Christian courage, and whose heart was redolent of fidelity and * "Endeavors after the Christian Life.' 1 James Bffartineaa THE MI88I0H OF AFFLICTION, 819 low. "1 take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, tor Christ's for when I am weak, then am I Btrong. ,J " Wr glory in tribulations also; knowing thai tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experi- ence hope, ami hope maketh not ashamed." Be thus enumerates his manifold trials: " In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft Of the dews five times re- ceived I forty Btripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I Btoned, thrice I suffered ship- wreck, a uighl and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen., in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, m perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painful ness, in watchings often, in hun- ger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness." And yet he could say, "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." They were nothing when thus compared, yet they were neither ac- cidental nor useless: " For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." " Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; never- theless, afterward it yield eth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." In these passages the Apostle Paul presents the Christian view of affliction. He did not attempt to air 220 LIVING QUESTIONS. his logic or his philosophy, but how like an anchor hid hope, how sublime hie faith ! To those who walk by Bight what a trial is tins fact of trial, and how painful to them must he tins painful dis- cipline! I know that faith docs not solve this problem of evil, hut it docs sustain the heart by the assurance that "Our Father" doeth all things welL It is evident that the world is so constructed, and man so related to it, that pah) and sorrow mu>t exist. Human life has by inevitable law its evils — not sins, but its trials and afflic- tions. This has ever been regarded as one of the great mysteries of time and of the government of God. If God is infinite in power, love, and wisdom; if he is our Father, how then does his creation, his family, groan and travail in pain? why "pestilence that walketh in darkness; and destruction that wasteth at noonday"? Why does man enter life with a cry, and depart with a groan? The world is full of evil, and we ask. Could not God make a habitation for us [vcr from trial and misery? Then we are told that "the finite must needs he conditioned. Is not pain incidental to t he develop- ment of a finite being endowed with freedom?" No doubt it is, hut this is no solution of the problem; it is merely the statement of another manifest fact of life. But our design is, not to form a theory concerning evil or affliction, hut if possible to see the presence of God in its uses. Better than the philosophic ability to answer these questions is the childlike confidence that can realize even now goodness and wisdom in many of the deepest afflictions that come upon us. Sow much more precious than any theory the faith that can assure THE 10381011 OF AFFLICTION. 32] us that our Borrows are never the result of indifference or partiality, bul are in perfect harmony with the Fa- therhood of Godl We may not understand the reason of our trials, we may no1 be relieved of our u thorn in the flesh," though we pray tor Its removal; yet faith is better than knowledge, and the "sufficient grace" ol our Heavenly Father is better than relief. Evil is not the result ol accident Trials, afflictions, have a mission —they belongfa the government and order of God. As ho declares by his prophet — i€ \ form the light, and create darkness; I make peace and create evil; I am the Lord that doeth all these things." Wo should remember that while sin is an evil, yet all evil is not sin, ami this evil Grod can in no wise he said to create. Sin does not belong to the divine plan or government, hut is a rebel in the cam p, an interpolation in the volume of I : but discipline, chastisement, affliction, belong to the divine economy, are the legitimate children of grace. When the world was created it was not designed to be altogether smooth, fair, and bright, rolling forever under the hand of infinite softness — one wide Eden peopled by perfected spirits. This is not the method oi- design of creation. Sin and its effects may have been anticipated; but the world was not made fairer than it is, for it hears no mark or sign of divine repentance, no change of plan appears. Hugh Miller says, "I need scarce Bay that the geologist finds no trace in nature of that golden age of the world, of which the poets delighted to sing." There is nothing in our world, rough as it appears, like the blotted, interlined manuscript of an author whose first draft of thought is full of imperfec- 222 LIVING QUES7T0I tions, ami is rounded out by emendations, Bhowing how the theme has grown Ear beyond hie first conceptions. In the perfect thought of creative wisdom the earth was made to yield both tare and wheat, rose ami thorn, bramble ami fig-tree. It was to be swept by tempests a- well as fanned by gentle winds ; to he meadow here and upland there, garden now and desert yonder; prai- ries unrolled upon their level hase ; while stern, rugged mountains were reared as the symbols of the presence and the power of God, And man, finite, ignorant, with only glorious possi- bilities, was placed at the first, as he ever is, at zero, with an endless, upward range of scale, lie is to reach ideal manhood, to iill the outlines of the divine image, by a series of efforts, failures, and painful lessons. That he was thus to be educated was no doubt the original in- tention. Hence the earth is made a wilderness, hut holding in rudimental affluence the promise of paradise. It is rich in crude supplies, full of all needed good- — not to pamper the idle, but to reward the diligent. In the wisdom of God every blessing has its price of sacrifice ; for man is completed, not as the acorn grows into the oak, not as the cygnet grows into the swan, not as the whelp of the thicket grows into the desert lion ; but by trial, by the exercise of energy that is orig- inal, self-caused, — in choosing the right, choosing life and rejecting death and evil. All the social, moral, economic, esthetic elements of life that enrich and adorn modern society; every latent power that has been developed into use and beauty; every victory that has been won; every point of excel- THE UIJS 1I0H OF AFFLICTION. Iciicr gained, has been achieved only because Boughl fop, ►nized for, died for, u Almost all things are by the law id with blood," and there is do remission of oppression, of corruption, of weakness, ignorance, pov- erty, do gaining of power and glory, without sacrifice, u without the shedding of blood/' While man is endowed with sublime, moral, intel- lectual possibilities, ye1 Gfod leaves him not in the sense of abandonment, bul in affectionate wisdom; leaves him, that by pain and want, by the pinches of poverty, the goadingS of unrest and disappointment, he may discover and develop these rudinieiital gifts and graces of his being. Providence never coddles men or nations; hut like the eagle that shakes all BOftness «»ut of the nest that her fledged eaglets may he driven to try their wings, men who attain to excellence are often the wards of hardship, while they learn self-reliance under a stern teacher. If we would grasp the noblest prizes of life, if we would make true progress, we must pise by tail- ing, win by conflict, "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling :" first learn even to .-tumble before outrunning the wind; through weakness become strong, through penury come at last to command the treasures of the world. Men have grown and conquered as they have been pinched by famine, scourged by frost and storms; as they have yearned for light, thirsted for truth, hungered for righteousness. Would you change this order? Is the world ill- made as a school for us? Is it not rather, with all its rigor and stern fidelity, a good guide and master to 224 LIVINQ QUESTIONS. bring as to our* -to bring as to the charity, the heroism, the ace, the purity that filled the heart ami robed in Godlike Bplendor the life of Him win our example and \. is lark bifl afflictions," to theglorio ing the world ! Instead of Bhunningand complaining, lei as oome, "i cheerfully endure, the sufferings of purity, the sacrifices of charity, the toils of mio I we too may bless, uplift, and redeem. Suppose tii« re oould be taken from the world all thai me from grief, all that baa been gained by trial and pain, by hearts bereaved and broken, all ti: com.' from tin' furnace of affliction; and everything remain of good th.it has resulted from ease, luxury, gayety, gladness, pride and every form of self-gratifica- : hew poor, how infinitely poor should we he ! What an unbroken waste; nay, what a dismal swamp would human life and history present ! There would he no L-action <>t' heroism, virtue, or immortal character. We should he destitute of all moral grandeur; without man as the image of God; without Christ the Saviour; without piety, or progress, or faith. Let us not com- plain. Holy tears have made moral deserts green; blood has enriched all history, sanctified mountains and valleys — -and, strangely enough, by it robes de- tiled, statute-books and banners black with crime, and souls black with sin, have become clean and white as snow. Now, to educate, to lead up and along the starry heights of virtue and holiness, up to the home eternal, that we may associate with God as his children, he uses all means, temporal and spiritual; not only afflic- tions and difficulties, but mountains, rocks and rivers, winds and oceans, are the ministers of his grace. Do we not read that "He hath determined the bounds of 230 i.ivixn QUESTIONS. human habitation, thai men Bhould seels the Lord"? And that we maybe led to seek and find him, "though he is rmt Ear from every one of as," is the divine reason not only for the rough and trying scenes of life, bui also for the mountain-peaks and river-bottoms for all the ordinances of heaven and the boundary-lines of the nations. *•(). that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men V s We close with a tew words of application. 1. God afflicts for our good. CJnder his perfect provi- dence sorrows are do< to be regarded as marks of divine displeasure. The afflictions of his children are not penal, bui disciplinary. When bereavement or dis- appointment comes we need not ask, u What have I done?" "Ofwhai am I guilty?" But we may repeal in hope, "Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." The fondesi motliei-. if wise, often pains and disappoints her child, Bhowing as true and tender love in withholding as in bestowing. u Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, bui grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness." If yon have attained to any ripeness or excellence of Christian grace, if you arc like precious metal in the Lord's treasury, or like fruitful plants in his garden, then yon know the truth of this " afterward. " If yon are like the minted gold, you have been tried in the furnace. If you are like the vine with its purple clusters, or the tree meek frith abundant fruit, then the husbandman has caused ////: vmaiOA OF i /•'/•'/ ft i m\. 231 you Lure the pruning knife of discipline and the purging hand of trial. ••Ho purgeth it that it may l »ri 111;- l"»»rtli more fruit . The Rev. Richard Cecil, passing one daj through :i garden ;it Oxford, < ed with delight a fine pome- granate-tree loaded with its scarlet fruit. A- he Looked he' was surprised to Bee a deep cut in the body of the plant, lie turn* -(I to the gardener, demanding how Buch an accident could have happened to the beautiful tree. "0 sir," he replied, "that i> not tin- result of accident. Thi grew so rapidly, s<» luxuriantly, that it hope nothing but leaves; and I was obliged to cu1 it almost to the heart before it would produce I'm it." "Ah I" said the clergyman, " what a lesson there is here! How often in our prosperity we to6 are fruitless! And it La only when some sharp affliction strikes as to the heart that we bring forth fruit unto fighteousness." If we would be rich in Christian graces, we too must glory in tribulation. Patience, experience, hope, faith, love, and devotion are nurtured and perfected amid storms and darkness. In the midst of his royal abun- dance, men might doubt the genuineness of dob's good- ness and faith. Satan said with a sneer, " Doth Job fear God for naught?" But when message after message of disaster and havoc came, until, at last, all were taken, nothing left except his wife, whose possession increased his poverty; when thunderbolt and cyclone, sword and flame, left him bereaved and desolate,— then how genuine his piety, how sublime his faith ! He fell upon the ground and worshiped, uttering that immor- 232 LI VIM; QUESTIONS, tal cry, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." ;„\ Not only does consecrated Borrow purify and strengthen, fait it may inspire and enlighten. Grief that blinds as to earthly objects often gives glorious views of God and heaven. The day lias but one sun: the night has its thousands. ll<»\v much farther we can in the starlit darkness — not earthward, but heaven- ward ! The sunshine obscures celestial objects. Bow limited our upward vision at midday: at midnight how boundless ! So, in the gloom of adversity, worldly things are hidden; but heavenly glories are revealed as they never could be in the coveted glare of temporal success. Thus for our encouragement are the unwritten par- ables of nature, and the radiant lives ofry may be revealed, his truth declared, his Gospel freely proclaimed, and his salvation from this spol the light of the morning. Such a service may well be an occasion For joy as we remember that no earthly structure, no building of rarest beauty, of massive strength or grandeur, no historic hall or storied monument— nor any work of human hands, is devoted to so high, so holy a purpose, as even the humblest house of prayer. And have we not reason to hope that here in the years to come will he heard the Gospel of the grace of God ; that hearts shall here glow with love, and, through faith, "behold the land that IS afar off , and see the King in his beauty" ; that here the thoughtless will consider and the sinful repent, the sluggish he aroused, and the dead raised to life; that here the servants of God shall preach with holy zeal, and, inspired by the spirit of the Master, " Try each art, reprove each dull delay, Allure to brighter worlds and lead the way"? For, while we may build and preach, all true success must come by the favor of God. Vain alike, except for show, is the work of architect and of preacher, unless "Our Father" gives the increase and bestows the blessing. •• Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain 236 UVlMi QUE87T0NS. that build it. . . . Even he, the Lord, shall build the temple, and he shall bear the glory/ 1 he Psalmist and the Prophet said, speaking of the Temple at Jerusalem; but how much greater our depend- ence "ii divine help iii building that spiritual house whose foundation i> the Rock of Ages, and whose living walls are immortal I Ii is true, we may be helpers, '•workers together with the Lord," hut in submission to Him who Bays*, u I will build my church ;" for bis relation to the church as its head and master-workman belongs to all time. In the study of our text and in view of these special services, let us consider these three topics: 1. The use and mission of consecrated places; or, rea- sons for the Christian Sanctuary. 2. The Church, or Spiritual Temple. :;. The Perpetuity of the Church of Christ. First. The mission or use of the Christian Sanctuary. There has ever been a necessity for sacred place.-; not because of any limitations in God, not because he is con- fined to some sacred spot or holy place, but because of our wants and limitations. Bending to human weak- ness, Cod in the olden time placed his name and author- ized his worship in Bethel, Gilgal, Shiloh, Zion: and here patriarchs erected altars and felt that Jehovah drew near to bleSS. And as in a former dispensation these sacred spots were needed, to preserve the knowledge of the Lord, their altars being monuments of the frailty of man, of the fullness and mercy of the Almighty, bo with us there 18 a demand for the place of worship — the Chris- 7V//; SANCTUARY AND THE CHURCH, 237 nan altar where we too, with united hearts, maj br our gifts and pre.-. 'in on ftcea of loving devotion to •;. \\ e si ill need the help of the outward, the ma- terial, and no doubi we ever shall until we reach the in which no temple n : where we -hall DO longer look through "the lattice-work of symbolism," hut behold God and the Lamb in the (»j>cn \ ision <»!' eternal love. Bui now and here we deed, as means of grace, the aid of memory as well as hope. Borne place, made sacred by communion with Heaven, that Bhall, like "the hill Mi/ar and the land of the Eermonites" to the heart of the Psalmist, suggesl to us the tender mer- 3 Or the special blessine> of God ; sonic place like the mountain-top that Abraham called, in his gratitude, Jehovah-Jireh, made sacred tons also by the experience that " the Lord will provide." Not that we need the temple with its massive walls and golden roof, its divided assemblies and various altars, — not these: not the priest, but the man; not the holy place, but the holy life; not the impressive ritual, but purity of heart; not clouds of incense, but prayers winged by faith; not religion in symbol or form, but in spirit and power. We need simply the meeting-place for the union and equality of all: not for one to enter the most sacred adytum in fear, hut, with Jesus stand- ing in the midst, all may come together before the Lord, the curtain rent, the wall of partition broken down, no longer Jew and Gentile, but all one in Christ. Yes, a meeting-place, and there the multitude, — all priests, all kings, servants, and brethren, "Parthians, Medes, and Elamitcs. the dwellers in Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cap- 238 LI VI Mi Ql ESTI0N8. padocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, strangers of Rome, proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians," — all brothers now in the perfect fellowship <>f* Christ, meeting upon the level as children of the one great Father. This is the sublime idea of the kingdom of Jesus. Blessed brotherhood ! Mountains and rivers no longer to divide warring tribes, but wide as Hows the blood of Adam, bras sweeps the love of Christ, BO far ami wide extends the Christian brotherhood, the family of Godi While it is true that Christianity is essentially a life, U-n' from a burdensome ceremonial, yet in all dispensa- tions Cod has used the outward and material to teach his truth and enforce the claims of his love. Among our helps to holiness, one of the most common and pre- cious is the sanctuary — the place for public worship. To the devout Bucb a meeting-place, — be it temple, chapel, or cathedral, — by the law of local association, becomes deai- and Bacred to the heart. Its holy memories inspire as with feelings of love and reverence. Because of this principle, the pious may often exclaim, on entering the humblest house of prayer: " How amiable are thy taber- nacles, Cord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even Eainteth, Eor the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God." Cue of the incon- ceivable attributes of the Almighty is his omnipresence. "This knowledge is too wonderful for as; we cannot attain unto it." Hence there is ever a tendency to local- ize the presence of the Father; and we should remem- ber that the expression " Souse of God w is nevei used in the Scriptures as conveying the idea of any limitation THE 3AH( TUABT AND THE CHUBCH, of the power an I "..I. Ii ia nol where tie especial!} dwells, bui whei may worship. de celebrated English deist, one Sunday morning mel a plain countryman evidently on bis waj to some church or chapel. u Wliere are you goinj Led Collina "To church, sir." "And why go to church?" "] go to worship God." " Well, pray," Baid the skeptic in a bantering manner, u what sorl ol a , do you worship? is he a great or a little God?" With the utmosl reverence the man replied, "Osir, la' 18 BO -Teat that the heaven of heaven- cannot contain him, and BO small that he dwells in my heart." Yes, he dwells with the humble; the pure in heart shall see him; and whether at Samaria, Mecca, Home, or Jerusalem, whether amid the highlands of the Eudson or the Jordan, those who worship in spirit and in truth shall commune with him. And because of the principle of suggestion, to which We referred, what a blessing, what a means of grace, does the place of worship often become ! Whether we are able to analyze it, or not, all are familiar with this law of the mind. We know that one thought suggests another, while any sight or sound that connects us with other days will often vividly recall events and emotions long past, that otherwise would be forgotten. Let one return, after years of absence, to the home of his childhood ! How memory will throng the mind with the scenes, the hopes and fears and affections, of early life ! What a resurrection there will be of buried thoughts and feel- ings ! How deeply the mind is affected by visiting the 240 LIVING QUESTIONS* historic spots and the storied monuments of the old world! hull indeed mturi be the heart thai does no1 beal with deep emotion on passing through the aifi and corridors of Westminster Abbey, where in tomb and effigy are preserved the regal splendor, power, and glory of England [or almost a thousand years. Here, in this imposing temple, is the sculptured history of the widest, proudesl empire upon which the sun has ever shone. Summoned from their graves by memory, what a proa sion of the mighty dead would pass before ue ! Not only kings, with crown and scepter, warrior.- mail-clad and caparisoned tor battle; bul poets and orators, statesmen and reformers, the true, divine nobility in more than royal robes, with crowns immortal and scepters mightier than a monarch's — swaying not a nation only, but direct- ing the energies, the hopes, and shaping the destinies of a world. Thank God, when the true fathers and founders of this Nation opened the door of Aineriea to Christianity and liberty, they stepped -Heaven-directed — from the shifting sea upon a rock. And who of us could go down to Plymouth, stand when' they stood — those dauntless, prayerful men — on the doorstep of a new world, a new age; stand where they firsi said, " Let us pray/' as they bowed before the Almighty; look upon the quainl gar- ments they wore, upon the very plates, the dishes, from Which they feasted when they "sucked from the abun- dance of the seas;" look upon the records they wrote, the chairs in which they sat; — whoofuscould look with- out dee}) emotion Upon these sacred spots and treasured relic THE 8AN( TUAR7 AND THE CHUBCK 241 Aj we have said, all p may be the same to God, — hut hoi different to as ! The place marked bj crime, by our >n, w here pre found Satan or where ire found the 5 mr, what contrasts in their sug( t ions ! All localil ies may be alik< d ; l»m there are Bpots that, by their history and use, become to as holy in.l, where we fee] like taking the Bhoee from off our feel as memory kindles the flame of devotion and brii ■i with vivid reality before our hearts. What mu appeals are often made by the Bilenl spire point- ing heavenward ! and what holy memories of the dear departed, with Bweel assurances of the love and presence of tin 1 ever-living, come to as on the deep music of Sabbath bells I The true dedication of this or any place of worship is the work of time. If this house is to you and your chil- dren a religious home; if it becomes a blessing because of tlit- gracious presence of the Most Eigh, because the Gospel is here proclaimed; if by your assembling here you are united to Christ; if this building, that represents so much zeal, united effort, and sacrifice, is indeed an offering to God; if these walls, instead of being walls of separation, representing narrow sectarian partitions, shall expand t<> shelter and inclose every needy soul — not only every one who has named the name of Christ, but the least and feeblest who need his tender care; if the poor .-hall here find a cordial welcome; and if men are wel- comed because of their wants, instead of their wealth; if all the outside wraps and distinctions that we must drop at the gates of the grave are left there at the door, and all enter here on the level of a common manhood, a 242 UYl\<, QUESTIONS. common want of divine help; — then, as the years roll away, holy memories and blessed experiences shall hallow these walls. This place shall become sacred by the glad- ness of hearts here united in marriage; bj tears of be- reavement as you pari from your dead, yet cheered by thai immortal hope thai binges with golden lighl the gloom of the grave; by feasts of joy and foretastes of glory; by the bliss of salvation and the communion of Baints; — by all of these shall hearts and time truly dedi- cate this place of worship, so that to rosy childhood and trembling age, to all who come to pray, it shall be felt more and more to be " the House of God and the Gate of Heaven.* A word regarding the outward character of the Chris- tian Sanctuary. What sort of a building should we erecl and consecrate to God for his worship ? Some of yon can remember the first churches thai were buill in this part of the State. And you remember how extremely plain they were: no ornament, no steeple, no taste displayed, no touch of beauty; but as rough, plain^ and uncomfortable as the timber of the grand, the glorious old oaks and whitewoods that God had planted here could be put together. Men did not build thus because of their poverty, but because of humility and Christian simplicity. All honor to their memory] Our fathers worshiped in spirit and in truth, and the rude chapel was often filled with the glory of God. Our fathers feared idolatry; and in church architecture en- tered their protest againsl this sin by going to the ex- treme of plainness. Bui we should remember that, in the perfect liberty THE 8AN0TUAR7 AND THE CHURCH 243 of the Gospel, we ma; nsean) form ot symbol or cere- mony thai brings aa nearer to God and ripens the son! for its eternal vocation, We are free to use the divine ministry of the beautiful both in nature and art, for ii may become to us a precious means of grace. We may carve the wood, and cut the stone, and adorn the wall, and paint the gla88 until, by the miracles of art, the dead seem to breathe and speak. We may have marble walls ami ceilings of Vermillion ; nay, had we tie- wealth and power, our sanctuaries might he huilded of rarest gems, with domes of gold and doors of transparent poind — like the walls and irate of the City of God. For he must delight in the beautiful. Who can (foul)t ? Think of the earth so rich, the sky so resplendent, the universe so infinitely glorious ! Look at the heavens, where the golden constellations march, with equal step, their eternal round ! Look at the oriel windows of the morning and evening, painted by the divine hand in sapphire, orange, and crimson ! And how the w r alls he has built and sculptured in cliff and mountain-side, in lonely canyon or by the sounding sea, shame all our feeble hands have wrought ! But to be a means of grace, fine forms and colors must humble our pride or exalt our devotion — they must lead us to God; for if they fill us with arrogance or flatter our vanity, then all luxuries become a cruel snare and delusion ! Better worship in the rudest hut, or on the bleak hillside — for when we get low enough we can see the stars by day; when humble enough we too, like the prophet, may " see the Lord sitting upon his throne, and hear the mighty seraphim as they cry: Holy, holy, 244 tsTtTSQ QUESTIONS. 1k»1v is the Lord Of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." We are to build for the people; not for the aristoc- racy or for the royal family — save as all are princes of the family and regal line of the King of kings I Lei the church edifice open its doors to the rich and poor alike; not so line — nay. not with such blasphemies writ- ten on its walls — that only the rich and finical can feel at home. Alas ! just here is one of the .special, crying Bins of the ( Ihristian world. How many of our fashion- able churches are said to he select, arroganl club-houses, instead of being gateways to heaven; and how much meaner must they look, with all their splendor, than the rude log chapels in which our fathers worshiped ! Alas! how many church doors look as if they would be closed against one who should come bearing his cross in the garb of .Jesus of Nazareth ! I sincerely hope this fearful charge LS false. We know that pride may flourish in the hut and fill the heart that beats beneath ragBJ but nowhere does it seem so foul a sin as in the consecrated place of wor- ship where we meet in the name of Him who was poor — became poor, that we might be eternally rich. Enough of the outward, the material ; let us turn, secondly, to the Spiritual Building-*- the everlasting, the living temple of God. " With noiseless slide of stone to stone, The mystic church of God has grown. Invisible and silent stands The temple never made with hands, Unheard the voices still and small ( )f it- unseen confessional." THE SANCTUARY AND THE OHUBOH 246 l. The Builder. "Upon this rock 1 will build my Church," said the Lord's Christ. And the Prophel said, long before, "Even he -hall build the temple of the Lord, and he shall hear the glory." Here we look not to August ine. Arminius, Calvin, Luther, Cranmer, Pox, or Wesley: it is none but Christ. There have ever been, and still are, true, zealous work- men: but not theirs the responsibility nor the glory, for Jesus is Lord and Bead— he alone is Master; while it is for u> to Bay, in reverent submission, " What wilt thou have me to dor" And, remember, it is not where there some grand assemblage, or some imposing edifice, that Christ is present; hut where two, or three, or mul- titudes are gathered in his name, there is he ever in the midst 8. The Design. Why does Christ build the Church? Von may regard this as a simple question, easily answered by saying. It is for his glory and for the glory of God. True, if we do not use these words as they often have been used, to imply selfishness, infinite selfishness, as one of the divine characteristics. How repugnant such a doctrine of self- seeking must be to one who, like Paul, has seen "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the Eace of Jesus Christ " ! Was there, is there, selfishness in Christ? Surely u he was bruised for our iniquities." " He came to seek and save the lost/' and to this end he gave himself for us, to redeem from sin. It has sometimes been sadly true that our teachers of 205 LIVING QUESTIONS. theology have enthroned above what they would hotly dethrone below, teaching ue to revere in God what we should righteously detest in man. Bach mistakes may occur in theology, bni never, I think, in true piety; for, whatever the intellect may affirm, the pious heart never doubts that "God is Love. M Theology may run wild, for <>\\r reason cannol grasp the knowledge of the Infi- nite: it is by inspired affection, not bythe devices of Logic, that we can know God. The heart looks up, and throned above We sec in light Eternal Love— A God whose glory 'tis to bless, Ami not almighty Belfishness. The history of the Church of Christ is the great historic study; for it is the history of human prog- ress and redemption. "The fullness of time," or the Saviour's advent, can alone explain to US the relation and value of events, is the divine key unlocking the mysteries of history and providence. The kingdom of Christ has re-trained and guided the nations; for it is above the kingdom of kings, above the empire of monarchs; and Eewho is its Head is surely directing and molding the destiny of the world. It is plain that the Church is only an instrument, a means,- not built for itself, not an ultimate result. Christ came not to build cathedrals, to organize institutions, or perpetuate systems as the finality of his mission ; but he came to build, to perfect man,— to seek and save the lost As the crowning gift of Infinite Love, he came for our profit and that we might partake of God's holi- nee THE SAMTL'AHY AMD THE CHURCH. 247 The and worth of man ie one of t - of the < iospel; for \n< i have often been as ptical ' : 1 1 !_r t lie ereatnre as infidel regarding t lie ator. Jesus taughl the original truth that the child God is more sacred than any institution; that he is to be revered above temple, sabbath, church, or kingdom; that he is not for them, but they are rightfully to exist for him. Tins is the doctrine of Christiap liberty. It used to be asked, with a sneer that was Like the breath of Tophet, " What arc men good for, save as they are used -and used up -for the convenience of kings and pi " And for ages nothing was cheaper than the bodies and souls of men as they were u like dumb, driven cattle" in the shambles of a heartless ambition. Bui now, thank God, under the influence and promise of the first Christmas song thai from angel lips sounded over "the silver-mantled plains of Judea," the ques- tion is not, What is man good for? — but, What are gov- ernments, and states, and churches worth? What are bishops, popes, and kings good for? are they for man — aiding, blessing, uplifting, ripening? [f not, they have neither value nor sanctity. I believe in humility, but not in servility. We should not be puffed up; but we are to stand up, and grow up, and look up, and climb up, as humility always does. The Lord said to the Prophet, " Son of man, stand upon thy feet and [ will speak to thee." We do not glorify nor serve God by degrading his children: and humility is not casting ourselves into the mire, nor making that worthless for which Christ died. Sycophancy is not piety. 248 LlYlMi QUESTIONS. " Stand lip, man. -land ! Free heart, free tongue, free hand, Finn foot lipOD the BOd, And eyes thai fear but God, — WhaleVr yOUT Btate 01 name. Let these make good yOUT claim ! If there he anything yon want, Speak up ! We may reaped a churl— we hate a sycophant." Do you sock a solution of tins problem of life? Do you ask what the world is for? what the use of cities, nations, ami kingdoms? why the Church and its Bac- ramenta — Christ and bis cross? We have an answer from one who. like the Master, speaks with authority; for it is Pan] who tells us thai the object, the end, of all — of Church and State, of wisdom, hope, and knowl- edge, of every river, wind, and wave, or the hounds of human habitation — is that we may come to he perfect men— attain a complete manhood, even " unto the meas- ure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." 3. The Character of the Church of Christ. There is nothing here cramped or narrow. In the spirit of its construction, it is like the blue dome of heaven: that is, wide as the world, embracing every land and nation under its starry ceiling. The Church, as the fruit of Christianity, has a divine fitness for mankind. It is not ethnic, but catholic, all tribes and tongues here find a home — a home whose welcome and shelter exp) the impartial love of the Iniversal Father. " We are told," says Dr. 8. A. Brooke, " in one of the Btories which charmed our childhood, of a fairy tent thai a young prince brought home to his father, hidden in a TBS 8A1TCTUAB7 AND mi-: OHUBOH, 249 walnut-shell, [Infolded in the council-chamber, it grew till it canopied the king and his ministers. Taken into the court-yard, it filled the space till all the royal house- hold Btood beneath its Bhade. Then, when pitched on thegreal plain without the city, where all the army was encamped, it spread its mighty awning all abroad until it gave shelter to a host." Bo it is with Christianity. An«l like this Cabled tent, how small it was at the ftrsl I The Church began with only two— the smallest possible number that can be called a congregation. Two ol the disciples of John the Baptist heard him speak as he pointed to the Lamb of God, •-and they followed Jesus. w One of the two was Andrew, and he found his brother Simon Peter and brought him to Christ. These two, and then three or four, were at first the Church : and so it spread from heart to heart, from home to home, sealing the mountains and crossing the sea — sweeping on, a wave of light and life, until this tent of divine love is as wide as the world. For Christ came to build a spiritual temple, in which all the pure — yes, all seeking purity, life, wisdom, and the way to God — should find a welcome and be united. For unity is a special characteristic of the Church. The Church of Christ is one. It is not an aggregation of united or of opposing sects, but is made up of loving hearts who are one in sympathy, hope, and aim by a personal union with the living Christ. All descriptions of the Church in the Gospel give special prominence to its unity. There is "one flock and one Shepherd, one body and one temple." This concord agrees with all the works of God. Unbroken is the unity of creation. 250 LIVING QUESTIONS. The star that looks down upon us from the measureless depths of the sidereal heavens is bound by the same laws that govern the pebbles at our feet ; no drop or atom is forgotten, but fills its place and office in the harmonious whole of Jehovah's empire. There is one God, one Saviour, one Mediator ; one faith, one hope ; one Master, one Spirit, one Church, One Father of all. E Pluribus TJnum is the motto of the universe. Unity in variety is the order of God, — unity, not dull uniformity, but oneness blending with endless diversity, — a oneness of harmony. Though the surface of Christianity may be disfigured by sects and parties that are often the occasion of sad- ness and scandal, yet there are those whom we think of only as the followers of the Lord Jesus. We care not, we think not, of the clan or section to which they seem to belong ; but we rejoice — all rejoice — that they belong to God and the world as members of the one body of Christ — the common brotherhood of faith and love. And there is something sublime in this union and communion of heart that neither time nor space can affect, for it is the fellowship in Jesus Christ of "the whole family in heaven and earth." When one enters into the spirit of St. Paul, how the heart reaches out towards the great heart of this mighty Apostle, who with ever-increasing power pursues his missionary work, comforting and establishing the churches, enlarging the hope and deep- ening the faith of a world! — Paul, who not only crossed the sea to preach the Gospel at Rome, but who has crossed the ocean, smiting down partition-walls, shatter- ing false gods, rebuking the spirit of sectism, and the THE SANCTUARY AND THE CHURCH. 251 baseless idolatry that puts dogma and ceremony above faith, hope, and charity. And so it is with all full-orbed Christians. We do not think of Luther as a Lutheran, of Wesley as a Metho- dist, of Whitefield as a Oalvinist, of Bunyan as a Bap- tist, of Howard as an Episcopalian, or of Fenelon as a Papist: but we think of these men and hundreds of the living and departed as belonging simply to Christ and his church universal. And how blessed it would be could we always thus forget the carnality of the partisan in the charity and communion of the Christian ! To this end we need to cherish principles and abandon prejudices. We must cultivate the spirit of the Quaker who said to Whitefield: "Friend George, I am as thou art, laboring to bring all to the knowledge of the Great Father; therefore, if thou wilt not quarrel with me about my broad brim, I will not quarrel with thee about thy gown and bands. Give me thy hand." Let us take the motto of Augustine : "In necessary things, unity ; in non-essentials, liberty ; in all things, charity. " Christian unity does not depend upon an absolute likeness of all, it does not present a moral Dead Sea of complete uniformity ; but, like all harmony and beauty, it provides for the blending of the unlike, for the perfect accord of the dissimilar. It is like the beauty of the human form, with its contrasted powers ; like the music of a great organ, it is a blending of differences — not an aggregation of similar or identical units. When the colors of a rainbow fell into strife, a bright cloud passing by said, "Fair colors, why this contention? Know ye 262 LIVING QUESTIONS, not u is the blending that makes the beauty, while one sun is parent of ye all P" Are not all the good our brethren, if we too belong to the family of God P Have we not one Father, one aim, one Saviour, one home? Why not forget the trifles that divide remembering only the --olden realities that must forever unite? The good and noble are mine own — the richest heritage I have in time. For there is ;i fellowship sweeping beyond all the boundary-lines of kith or kin, tribe or nation, binding together in one all the children of God. I )o such men as Latimer, Hooker, Stillingfleet, Whately. Stanley, Eangsley, Robertson, be- long <>nly to the Anglican Church? And can Ball, Williams, Poster, Wayland, Judson, Spurgeon, sit alone in close communion as Baptists? Can sectarian walls separate us from Wesley, Whitetield. Fox. and Barclay? Or from such Unitarians as Castellio, the first avowed champion in modern times of perfect religious liberty; John Milton, John Locke; John Pounds, the Portsmouth cobbler, whose leathern apron I would rather see than any embroidered cassock? No, we cannot be separated from such men if we belong to Christ. Lastly. A word upon the perpetuity, the enduring character, of the Church of Christ. Sure and relentless is the law of mutation and decay. "The world passeth away, and the lusts thereof." JIow plainly do all our Burroundings declare that human life and glory are like the grass and the dower! " Cities roar through ages with the din of trade. 91 They rule, they conquer, and they pass away. THE 8AN0TUABJ AND rill-: CHURCH. 253 •• in iin n d des< rl molden Babj Ion, And the \\ lid wrpent'a hi Echoes in Petra'e palaces of Btone, And waste Persepolifi Jerusalem is trodden down of the Gentiles, and the glory of Zion departed. We live in a new age, we have entered a new world; and one how different from thai into which the apostles were Ben! to preach the Gospel ! What discoveries has modern enterprise made ! What treasures the earth has yielded ! What glories the heavens have disclosed ! What gigantic forces have been grasped by the hand of man ! To-day we almosl realize the vision of " no more sea." For steam has bridged th •••an; the lightning dot's our bidding— wecan " pul a girdle round aboul the earth in forty minutes." Space is annihilated and Time outrun. We can send our messages around the world swifter than rolls the chariot of the sun, so that we must patiently wait for the slow-revolving wheels of Time. Amid these changes and revolutions we may well ask, Is Christ and his Church, is Christianity, subject to this law of change, of mutation and decay? Is the Gospel simply one of many provisional, temporary systems, destined for a time to aid and bless, then to pass away forever? [s Christ as Teacher and Saviour large enough, true enough, strong and wise enough, for this larger, wider, wiser age and world? Is the Gospel still a living foun- tain, refreshing the desert with the water of salvation ? Or a reservoir, useful for a time, but soon exhausted? 254 uvnro QUESTIONS I- Christianity an everlasting necessity and an infin endless supply ; or has it Fulfilled its temporal mission? Mum the world, appealing to Jesus in its agony for the presence of the divine, for hope of the immortal, cry out as did John from his prison, "Art thou be that should come, or do we look for another?" Borne tell us Christianity must soon cease to be a power, must become historic, obsolete. But how often has this prediction been repeated during these fifteen hundred years ! Set while countless systems of the wise and mighty have vanished; while nations have risen, conquered, and been forgotten,— yet "the silver cord of the Bible is not loosed, nor its golden bowl broken, as Time chronicles his tens of centuries passed by. ,J The Gospel fail! It has been well said. u What is true never fails. Religion is permanent in the race: Christianity everlasting as God. These can never perish, either by the treachery of their defenders or by the violence of their fot There are some things that never grow old or decay, but instead they gather strength and beauty from the passing years. "This Gospel is old !" enes some egotist, some rootless radical. Yes. it is older than any govern- ment or institution of our enlightened world, [t carries the mind back to the time when the Roman eagles glanced in the sun, and the city of seven hills Bat supreme among the nation-. But who can tell us the age of virtue, heroism, charity, truth, honesty, fidelity, the hope of heaven, and the charms of holiness? Have these lost any tint of beauty or fiber of power? Are they not as fresh and fair to-day THE SANOTUABI AND rill-: OHUBOK 256 as when they crowned with glory the patriarchs and prophets who lived in the morning hour* of time? Old! So are the Alps: yei they stand to-day Bolid and faultless, marking the Blow-revolving nons of g ime. " I >n a throne of rocks, in a robe of ••loud-, with a diadem of snow," long has Sionl Blanc been "crowned monarch of mountains;" while his robe is as royal and his crown as sparkling as when, in the old war of the giants, the sons of Terra and Tartarus, this mountain monarch was lifted and poised upon the foundations of a continent. ( fld ! See, and bo i< the thunder of Niagara. Yet the rainbows are as bright, as beautiful, as when the Bun- beams firs! Bung them as a scarf upon her cloudy shoulders. And who can tell us how long the chariot of yonder sun has rolled through the sapphire skies? — how long his braided rays of blue and green, yellow and crimson, have wrapped the earth in a garment of spotless glory — a robe of life and beauty? Yet he comes without fault of line or loss of moment at the voice of the day-spring, not a ray of splendor less, undimmed by millenniums; — bright symbol, perpetual, glorious parable, of the full- ness, fidelity, and omnipotence of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Love isoH as creation — love that builds and guards the home; yet bridal bells ring as merry a peal as ever, for time leaves no mark of decay or death on that immortal affection, that still, as at the first, binds with a flowery chain hearts and destinies in one. Worship, faith, and heaven-born charity — are not these as precious now as 366 LIVING QUESTIONS when the world'.- gray fathers walked and talked with God? We are Burrounded by the transient, but there is also the permanent The Footprints of God in our world are deeper than the pillars of the nioim tains. " Heaven and earth may pass away, hut my word shall not pass away," Saviour. The stone tables on which the Deca- logue was written have long ago dissolved into dust, and been scattered every whither by the winds of the desert; the red granite of Sinai may crumble, and the place where Btands the Mount of God become a plain, — but the word and law of Jehovah endureth forever. Can this Gospe] of Christ, this Good News of our Father in heaven, ever lose its value? Is not the Chris- tianity of Christ forever written upon the heart? Do not its principles belong to the absolute, the eternal? We can If we will just see this; for no matter how high we rise, how sublime our flight, still the Star of Bethle- hem and the song of the angels will shine and sound above us. Can we rise so high that love — love to God and love to man — shall cease to he a duty? Can we get beyond the infinite, — beyond our need of the mercy and the providence of God ? O weak, vain man, Btrong only in your folly and pre- sumption ! Come. I pray you, let us read and hear anew the loving words of Christ, and Bee if any flight of human wisdom, or grasp of human power, or soaring excellence of genius, can place us above the light and life of Him who has declared to us the absolute in morals, and the perfect, the tinal, in religion. Man's works must decay. Creeds shall he forgotten, '/•///•: 8ANCTUAR7 AND THE CHURCK 257 opinions change, ritual and dogma be whistled down the wind, l >u t the Gospel is everlasting: its type of char- acter Lb perfect, its demands and principles belong to the eternal order of the moral univera ■ Bo long as man is man, and God ia God, there mnsl be the laiih, hop'-, charity, the penitence and reverence, the brotherhood and Divine Fatherhood of the I tospel. [ta promises belt the future with bows of hope and its power shall deepen and widen until Jesus shall reign supreme; Tor there is "given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages shall Berve him; his dominion is everlasting, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed." And the Church of Christ, that, as we have said, stands to-day the oldest institution of the civilized world; thai in its history carries the mind hack to the time when Athens was in her glory, when Mount Zion was still the beauty of the whole earth, and Rome at the zenith of her power, — " when the smoke of sacrifice rose from the Pantheon, and lions and tigers bounded in the Flavian amphitheater," — this Building of God, that has i the rise and fall of so much earthly glory, shall remain unwasted by time, till the sea shall vanish and the mountains melt. The outlook is hopeful. The days are rolling on when the glad shouts of the isles shall swell the thunder of the continents; when the Thames, the Danube, the Tiber, and the Rhine shall call upon the Euphrates, the Ganges, and the Nile; and the loud concert shall be joined by the Hudson, the Mississippi, and the Amazon, 268 I.I VI Mi QUESTIONS. Baying, with one voice ami one heart, "Alleluia, the \,nw\ ( tod Omnipotent reigneth !" We close, as ire began, by offering this house ac expression of our love and devotion to God, and to his Son onr Saviour. We dedicate this building to the wor- ship of Onr Father, to the communion of the Boly Spirit, and to JeSUS, the Mediator of the New ( ovenant. We would consecrate this house to the uses of the Christian religion, — to the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, to the memory of his life, his tears and mercy, his death and resurrection. We consecrate these walls to Christian unity and per- fect liberty, to prayer and praise, confession and charity. Lord, accept this offering of our feeble hands, of our loving hearts. Be this thy house. Place here thy name. Make this place a means of grace and salvation to us, to our children, and to all who shall enter these hnmble courts. Bless this pulpit, that thy servants may here declare the whole precious counsel of God; and bless these pews, that thy children may take heed how they hear. <> Thou that dwellest not in temples made with hands, hut with the humble and the contrite, make this place to us and to all holy ground, — a Christian altar, where we may worship thee in spirit and in truth! Make this place "the House of Cod and the Gate of Heaven," in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. XIII. "Survival OF THE FITTEST ;" OBj Tin: Temporal and the Kh.knal. " And the world paneth away, and the lust thereof: bu! he thai doeth the will of God abideth forever."— 1 John ii. 17. We know that we are surrounded by the transitory. We believe there is also the permanent — the eternal. The world and its fashion are passing away ; for all that we see, hear, feel, of this material order and beauty must change and vanish. The earth itself is a vast necrop- olis. The hills, ledges, and mountains are mausoleums ; while plains, continents, the pavement of the seas, the crust of the globe, are composed of the dust of the count- less tribes and dateless generations of the kingdom of life. The vast elevated plateau reaching across the Atlantic, along which was laid the electric cable, is partly, perhaps entirely, formed of minute, beautiful shells. The home of these animalculae, while living, was in the upper regions of the ocean ; when they died, their shells became their coffins, and the bottom of the sea their grave. These little shells have formed, and are still enlarging, a moun- tain table-land, stretching from shore to shore for two thousand miles. What numbers, what generations of life, what a reign of death, does this imply ! Says Dr. Guthrie : " To account for this phenomenon 250 260 li vim; QUE8TI0m it ; sin to suppose that these bright shells are fell- ing in Bhowers by night and day, through seed-time and harvest ; dropping down into their graves in numbers • many as the drops of the summer rain or the snow-flakes of a winter storm." " Where is the dust that has not been alive ?" '• All that tread The globe are but a handful to the tribes That dumber in its bosom." The building of this vast submarine table-land across the ocean is but a repetition of the silent agencies that have given to the continents the possibilities of gardens ; while coral reefs, chalk cliffs, mountains of lime and marble, and indeed our valleys, hills, and prairies, pro- claim the universal and long-continued reign of death. Ye-, we know there is the frail, mutable, dying; that we ourselves, with all the tribes that to-day are crowding the avenues of life, are like the morning dew, like the vanishing vapor. But is this sad thanatopsis the sum, the conclusion, of all ? " The world passel h away, and the lust thereof." [s this the sea-mark of our utmost sail, or is there hope of the enduring — is there assurance of the changeless, the eternal ? One wi8€ in both human and divine wisdom answers for US : " We look Qot at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are en are temporal; hut the things which are not seen are eternal." u The world pa88eth awa\ . and the lust thereof: hut he that doeth the will of Gk>d ahideth forever." This is not onl\ divine j»r<>mi>e hut divine philosophy. 9USV7VAI OP ////•: nil And seine ot Our L'lra! apOStlefi of human \\i>d<>m, standing aeither on Sinai nor Zion, but on the sublime heights of science, which is also a mountain of God, \ery clearly the truth of Paul'- VI I he Duke of Axgyle: "The deeper we go in science the more cer- tain it becomes thai all the realities of nature are in the region of the invisible, so thai it is literally true thai the things Been are temporal, and it is only the thii not Been thai are eternal." Manv of the mo>t powerful ami enduring forces aboul us, that mold and sway like Omnipotence, are still be- yond tlu' reaeh of our Benses. We Bee their effects, their marvelous power j bul they elude the quic lar, the most delicate touch, the Bharpesl eye. By no trap can we catch them, by no contrivance hold them, by no tesl of subtilest art unmask them. We know nothing of life, except as it is revealed through material organisms; for it is invisible, intangi- ble: yet, we are confident, life is not the result of organ- ization, but is, instead, the ctuise. It is in the unseen that wonder-working power resides, — the viewless spirit is more than flesh. This body of mine, "so fearfully and wonderfully made," is not the source or parent of my life, my soul. This is visible, that invisible; hence this is temporal, that immortal. But aside from this conclusion, we know that every seed has its own individual life-germ, and that every life or soul forms its own body; all living forms being the outgrowth of a vital principle that is ever shaping its manifestations so as to fulfill its mission. Bodies — living bodies — are not built mechanically like 262 tlVJOrO QUESTIONS, tenement-houses ; neither vegetable, animal, nor human bodies are buiH for their tenants, bui by them. Our bodies are do! made, completed, furnished, garnished, and then a hill put ou the front with the inviting legend, " House to lei." " Everywhere organism is the creation, the result, of life. — the expression of its instincts and affections. w If any effort of man has failed, utterly failed, in the fae< determined persistence, it is the long-continued endeavor "to get the living out of the dead," to establish the fact of "spontaneous generation. " If modern research has proved anything, it is the doctrine of Biogenesis, or that life can come only from life. Hut it is equally true thai there can be no spontaneous organization, no organic body can be formed, without being the expression and result of vitality. " Life is the cause of form in organisms," said Aristotle; and no modern philosopher lias improved upon this, or given a more complete definition. It is not the swine's body that gives its nature to the hog, nor the canine body that makes the dog; but it is the specific swinish and canine life that forms and adapts their bodies. It is not the human body that makes the man, but the spirit within that builds him into a temple or a prison, a palace for a king or a hovel for a tramp. This fad , that life is not mechanical, that it is superior to organism : that the relation of the soul to the body is not u like the relation of harmony to the bar]), but like that of the harper to the music of his harp;" the fact that even science plainly confirms Paul's doctrine. — is full of hope and L r "<'d cheer. For, just now. dark and sweep- 9USV1 VA1 OP Tin: VTTTBST." ing are the floods of materialism. Bow often are we as- sured by ita advocates that all we have, all we are rare of, i> the seen ! Look al what they offer as: — Nature, matter, force, — no more beyond ; or if per- chance there is, it can be nothing to as, tqi all beyond is unknowable, unattainable, — has not been, and cannot he, revealed. 'This tangible environment is all. We cannot climb the cliffs ol love and faith, the mountains of hope, and look away to the promised land, glistening with the glory of I tod. There are no - upper countries"' without night; hut all belong to the "Bad Lands" of grief and disappointment. There is nature without the supernatural, there IS a body without a soul, here with- out a hereafter, an earth without heaven, time without eternity, a world without Gtod I Our materialists are telling US that mind is only a form of matter, — one of its forms; for it "has two sets of properties, or two sides," though always one substance — and this is the only substance : nature is all, final. There is for us the material universe and nothing more. Hence we are without God and without hope. So says materialism, or, plainly, atheism. But even a Godless soul may have its visions, not of hope, when "the all is the cold, iron mask of a formless eternity." Perhaps you remember Jean Paul Richter's dream. As he tells it, he fell asleep in a churchyard, and he )w the dead gathered about the Saviour, and they cried out, ' Christ ! is there no God V He answered, ( There is none/ No; I went through the worlds, I mounted into the suns, I flew with the Galaxies through the wastes of heaven: but there is no God ! I descended -jr.i Linxa QUESTTOir& far Bfl 1 > i * i ii.lt casts its shadow, looked down into the abyss, and cried, 'Father, where art thou?' Hut 1 heard only the everlasting storm which no one guides, and the gleaming rainbow of creation bang, without a sun that made it. over the abyss. And when I looked up to the immeasurable world for the Divine Eye, the eve glared upon me with an empty, black, bottomless eye-socket, and Eternity lay upon Chaos, devouring it and ruminat- ing it. . . . "The pale-grown shadows flitted away and all was void. Oh, then came, fearful for the heart, the dead children, who had been awakened in the churchyard, into the temple, and cast themselves before the high form on the altar, and said, f Jesus, have we no Father ?' And he answered, with streaming tears, * We are all orphan.-: we are without a Father/ "And as Christ saw the grinding press of worlds, the torch-dance of celestial wild-tires ami the c<>ral-banks of beating hearts; and as he saw how world after world shook ofl its glimmering souls upon the sea of death, he raised his eyefi towards the Nothingness and towards t In* void [mmensity, and said, ' Dead, dumb Nothingnese c<»ld, everlasting Necessity! frantic Chance !— when will ye crush the universe in pieces, and me? (> Father, <> Father ! where is thine infinite bosom, that I might resi on it ? ' Bui we have no Father: we are all orphans. "When I awoke." >ays the dreamer. " 1 wept for joy that I could still pray to God, that I could reach out to the Infinite Father." Who would dream — or live — this terrible dream of atheism? 9V&V1VA1 OP mi-: rm Bu1 to return. There ifl nothing, we are told, exoepl matter with its two sides yel one substance. Hut do we no1 know there is tho invisible, spiritual? If then any knowledge, do we no! know that the essential prop- erties of matter, as form, oolor, inertia, eta, are no1 the iit in 1 properties of mind? Can we describe the one as we do the other? Are nol powers that are mightiest, — thai erlasting,— invisible, immaterial? Can the thoughtful chemist classify ideas and place them in his catalogue of Bimplesand compounds? Xel u ideas may break up nationalities, re-arrange races of men, and revolutionize the world." since that ever-memorable night when the wife of the Arabian Prophet, kneeling at his side, said, " Moham- med, I will be thy first believer ! There is but one God, and thou art his prophet, " — since that time, nine thou- sand millions have lived and died in the faith of Islam. And we should remember that the genius of Moham- medanism did not, as we were long taught, perch on the hilt of the sword, making that the open secret and the symbol of its power, the cause of its wide and rapid con- quests. Xo; its power was a sublime dogma, an eternal truth — " There is but one God." Mohammed's solemn Allah akbar touched and thrilled the religious heart of the Orient, and this was the power that shook a thousand idols into dust. " There is but one (rod, and Mohammed is his prophet." What kind of " matter " is this dogma? Is it an acid or an alkali; sulphur, iron, gold, or carbon? Yet this viewless, intangible thought that no scales can weigh, no chemist analyze, no hand grasp, but which mind can receive and 266 Livixn QUE87T0NS. pass on from hearl to heart, round the world and down tin* ages, -this dogma "sent a quivering thrill through the s«>uls of men, from the Gulf of Guinea to the Chin 9 l The old world rocked on its foundations under its power. " Empires and religions, grand and venerable, melted away before the influence of a thought, the force of an idea. I low liable we are to be misled in our estimates of power and value ! "Things present " often deceive and separate us from the truth. Silver, gold, coal, iron, steam, — these are not forces; though we think them demigods, they are inert until touched by the invisible. But an idea can shake nations, can govern the world. [ know it is common to regard the material, the out- ward, as the real, the permanent : while tEought, justice, truth, love, virtue, — these, are abstractions, fleeting and shadowy. Houses, farms, ships, hanks, railroads,— ah ! these are solid Eacts, real estate; here is no cloudy faith, nothing ghostly: but knowledge, sight: no uncertain hope, but fruition! Yet we may he deceived when we are most certain. That which creates and governs is superior. He who builds is greater than the building. The Scriptures tell us, " lie that hath budded the house hath more honor than the house," and " He that built all things is God." "Through faith we understand that the things which are seen were not made out of the things whieh do appear. ,J And this faith corresponds with the ripest deductions of reverent science; tor it is certain that all nature isthe expression of the spiritual, the invisible. •• In the beginning, God . . ." All we see Ts the effect 9UBVZVAZ OF THE V7TTE8T." 207 . wielded by an unseen hand, producing the most perfect harmony and adjustment. [a it ma true that every creation ie first a thought, an idea, before it is a thing? A steam-engine U first built and run in the brain of the inventor. A steam- ship is first a thought, and when given to the sea is the thought dressed in oak, iron, brass, and steeL So everywhere things embody thought, do its bidding, express it- wisdom, from a boy's whistle to the sublime geometry of the heavens; from a child's cob-house to St. Peter's at Borne. It was a loving thought of the Almighty that changed chaos into order; "that gathered the earth itself into a lonely drop of fire from the red rim of the driving sun-wneel ;" that filled it with treas- ures and garnished it with beauty. u Nature is the language and imagery of divine ideas. A Persian poet tells us, 'The world is a bud from the bower of God's beauty; the sun is a spark from the light of his wisdom; the sky is a bubble on the sea of his power.' The real, as you say, — that is, the material, — rests ever on the spiritual, on the invisible, causal force of the Eternal One. Our senses mislead us sometimes. The firm, stable, reliable, are not the visible. But men say, " Give us something we can rest on; away with shadows, ideals, abstractions ! Let us feel the solid ground !" Yes, you feel the ground and call it substantial. But you do not feel that which makes it firm and solid. You stand, "you tread on an invisible, subtle force. For what makes the earth so compact" — the rock so hard, the mountain so permanent ? It is not mica, hornblende, 268 LIVING QUESTIONS quartz, aor felspar; no element of chemistry or miner- alogy. Bui the ground is solid, and the rock hard, be- causeof invisible cohesion and gravitation. Withdraw these nnseen force-, and the firm-set earth would dis- Bolve, crumble, become a mist, yielding as a cloud, un- substantial as vapor. We might as well attempt to pi from hill to hill upon the rainbow arch that spans the valley, as to stand upon the ground or climb the moun- tain, if devoid of the invisible, — in the absence of intan- gible, imponderable power. With every step "we tread upon and are upheld by abstract principles/' Space is bridged and our steps are Bafe because of viewless omnip- otence: we walk amid the stars and d well securely be- cause of the unseen — we are upheld by the hand of mighty but invisible Love. Indeed, science, by its surprising advances, has dis- covered a chemical element, a material simple, until ently unknown; yet so common and essential that the existence and stability of the entire organic world depend on its universal distribution. Still, it can neither be .-ecu. heard, smelt, tasted, nor touched. We live in the midst of it: life depends upon it — all life, vegetable and animal. It is a sleepless sentinel, a perpetual guardian. If it should be removed, our globe would instantly be wrapped in a boundless flood of fire. The means would explode, and the mountains melt. Yet forages men have lived in this invisible, conservative element, unconscious of its properties, of its existence.* Prom these hints and suggestions we may well deny * Nitrogen, thai forms about four fifths of the atmosphere. First observed by Dr. Rutherford in 1; , n:\iVM. OF TEE FITTB8T." 369 thai what we call Nature includes all being; while we are justified in listening to the roice of our own hearts, to the conjectures of science, and to the Word ol I tod re- garding an "unseen universe" in which we hope, and to which we Bhould l<>ok rather than to the visible and temporal. Everywhere in nature we may observe that that which builds, conser ovenis, is nol the -ecu, bul theun- Am(1 human history under the providence of [, by whom arc all things, presents to us the same truth. Among men, in cities, empires, it is not the ward that survives, not the material that saves, that makes rich and strong; hut always ideas ami princi- ples, virtue and holiness, — always the spiritual The power and life of a nation are not in ma8sive walls, in fortresses like mountains, in armies COUntlessafi the sand 8, hut in moral worth, in patriotism, truth, fidelity, purity, righteousness, — these virtues give stability and power; while without them the defenses of Babvlon, the walls of Tyre, the hosts of Xerxes give no promise of security. All the annals of the past, all the chronicles of kings, teach the one lesson that "the things that are seen are temporal;" it is the ideal, the spiritual, that survives. "The world passeth away, and the lust thereof." Mutation is stamped upon the material power and grandeur of the world. All flesh is like grass, and earthly gloiy like its flower. Beyond all that is written on tablet or parchment-roll, beyond all the antiquarian has deciphered on tomb and monument, what a record still the globe contains of tribes unknown, of nations without a history, and cities without a name ! 270 LIVING QUESTIONS. America, the New World, is yet a haunted continent, filled with spectral shadows, and a whisper runs from sea to sea that tells of ancient nations, of mighty peo- ples, that dwelt here in more than Oriental splendor. The seen is temporal. All that we now behold of beauty and strength — the works of genius, the pride of nations, — though appearing firm as the hills and ever- lasting as the mountains, shall' crumble into dust, and be driven by the vagrant winds everywhither. As we asked at the beginning of our discourse, Is this the sum of human life, the dusty fruition of our hope ? Is there no outlook beyond this wide and cer- tain waste ? Does this law of mutation, this fact of decay, embrace all ? Is it the doom of universal being? Is eternal, boundless death " the be-all and the end-all"? Is there no sure promise of the abiding — of that which, unshaken, shall endure forever ? We need not doubt, we should not despair. This glory and decay are symptomatic, prophetic. They could not be — there could be neither cradle nor grave, neither throne nor tomb — were there not a Power above; a Power that kindles the lights in heaven revealing his changeless glory, that kindles and extinguishes the taper-splendors of these passing ages. There is good hope of the eternal, not because of our great knowledge, not because we have explored the deep, searched the sky, can see the minute and distant; but because there is that which no lens, no human vision however aided, can find, no test reveal. God is. Because he is we are; and because he is eternal we have the promise of eternal life, "SURVIVAL OF TEE FITTEST." 271 We behold indications of his power in this creation " he hangs ont on the bosom of the void infinite/' in the veil set with diamonds and fringed with stars that shadows the place of his glory; but to the observant, reverent mind there are even more striking witnesses of his care and presence in the guiding, ruling, outreaching of his almighty hand, that is so clearly the great lesson of all history, the grand result of time. So plain are the indications of his providence that even skeptical philosophy cannot avoid the conclusion of an invisible power moving over the world — a presence that science cannot explain, that cannot result from chance or accident; an influence that turns and over- turns, evolving good from evil, the sweet from the bit- ter, triumph from defeat; that exalts the feeble, and mocks the plans of the mighty; — an influence so manifest that even observant unbelief makes confession that there is in the affairs of men, in the history of nations, " a power that makes for righteousness" — ' ' the Eternal who makes for righteousness, from whom Jesus came forth, and whose Spirit governs the cause of humanity." Is it not plain that society, the world, is pervaded by a mighty influence that ever tends to bless, exalt, per- petuate the good; to weaken and blast evil? Our hope for the safety and welfare of Church and Nation, for the growth of goodness and the triumph of virtue, for the ultimate prosperity of humanity, is not in the skill of the sagacious ; in the eloquence of platform or pulpit; in the wisdom of the wise, the integrity of the prudent; in the patriotism of our defenders, or the piety of our teachers. For is it not evident that great reforms, 272 LIVING QUESTIONS. needed m< in spiritual life and moral upliftingfl of tlif soul, the success of principles that give peace, freedom, and happiness,— thai these come, Dot by human mighl and power, but by a mightier Force revealing the presence of the Spirit of God? [a it not evident that Virtue gives health, while vice breeds ruin; that honesty is the best policy; that all things sympathize with righteousness; that wickedness is cor- ruption and desolation; that " the wages of sin is death," while holiness is immortal ? Under the perfect providence of a wise, holy, loving God, it must be that that which is like him will endure; in the broadest sense there must be a survival — as Spencer says, "a Burvival of the fittest;" or, as the Apostle presents it, "The world nassetn away, and the lust thereof: hut he that doeth the will of God ahideth forever." May we not from this see something of the nature of evil, the cause of its doom, its self-< lest ruction ? The theory or law of " natural selection" that provides for t he ** survival of the fittest " in the vegetable and ani- mal kingdoms seems a hard, harsh doctrine when rec- ognized as an approved principle among men — among our brethren ; for it implies the triumph of the strong, the proud and self-sufficient; the crushing out, the ex- tinction, of the weak, the meek and defenseless. It is the reign of brawn; the glory of flesh and cunning; the extinction of self-sacrifice, of heroism and all the nobler, diviner, manlier emotions of the heart. Eence it is repugnant to the Christ-like spirit that is so quick to hear and heed the cry of the oppressed, the wail of DBFTF4I OF TEE VTTTB8T. n 273 little children, and the pleadings for help ot all irho being crowded and crushed by the strong and pi 'US. No doubt the "survival of the fittest n prevails with their entire consent among heathen and barbarous tribes very much as it dors among lion and foxes; yet, as if to show that man is an exception, an anomaly, in the relations and unity of nature, as in- deed he is, we find thai under this principle these tribes have made no proj bul instead they have gone down, down into increasing weakness, vice, and wretch- edness. What may be good for the brute creation, for tin 4 preservation and* improvement of races, by " natural selection," is not for the highest good of man. What he needs to develop and perfect his excellence is not " natural " but " supernatural selection." For certainly the end is not to make of him a splendid animal: not to make man like a prize ox, or to develop his physique as horsemen bring out the tine points of a thoroughbred; not to make him altogether of the earth, earthy, — gov- erned by the rule that might makes right, and is loos- ened, — at liberty to make the weak its prey; — but the end is to make him Godlike, to educate for a higher life and world. The mission and spirit of Christ is clearly the reverse of death to the feeble and desertion of the weak, while help and blessing come to the full and strong: yet nothing can be more true and efficient than this law of selection and survival in its application to the agents, devotees, and promoters of moral evil. For moral evil is opposition to the Divine Will as that will is expressed 274 LI VI Mi QUESTIONS. in the everlasting nature of things* Jt is no1 lack or weakness, failure from sterility and famine; it is not being a victim, but an actor: not unfortunate, bul crimi- nal; not to be ill-starred, bul with ill intention, Beeking tlfishness and enthrone it over all. Evil is discordant, out of harmony and sympathy with eternal order. u It is non-adaptation of constitu- tion to condition-." To live and thrive there must be fitness, adaptation. There must he COngmity between our powers and our position, our faculties and our en- vironment, or we dwindle and die. In the universe of a holy God moral evil or sin is rebellion; everything must oppose it, and it cannot survive ultimately. It is incongruous, like planting a rose on the windward side of an iceberg, planting corn on a glacier, or making an aviary of the red-hot mouth of a volcano. u The wages of sin is death/' — " everlasting destruction from t lie pres- ence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." It is uxless to dogmatize; but if the throne of God is undivided and his dominion universal, absolute, how can there exisl infinite evil, eternal Bin? One of the common assertions — that temporal evil is equally opposed to divine 4 power — is puerility in full bloom. All may the use of discipline and the wisdom of chastisement, and that here even "the wrath of man should be made to praise the Almighty." We do not know what the future may reveal, or how at the last divine history may interpret divine proph- ecy, vet we may he sure there is no ground for hope in Holiness alone gives the assurance of eternal hope. We cannot limit the mercy of God, or set bounds of W 7/171 .1/ W ////•; VITTE81 876 space and time to his love and m. The diffi- culty is not that divine grace and forbearance can i fail, bul that our obdoraoj an ns, and the hitter heeomes sweet. The Council of Constance in its wrath ordered that the bones of Wickliffe be exhumed and burned. What little could be found of his thin, old body, after forty-four years, was reduced to ashes: and then, as if to hint out his name and fame forever, they threw his ashes into the Swift — a small tributary of the Avon that runs into the Severn. But how fool- ish this angry effort! All the Councils and powers of Rome could not destroy a particle of WicklinVs feeble body, — how much less the sublime truths he advocated as a teacher sent from God! Yet this act of ecclesiasti- cal hate was prophetic, for "The Avon to the Severn runs, The Severn to the Bea; And Wickliffe'8 dusl shall spread abroad, Wide as the Waters Ik A.- well may kings or popes attempt to chain tl HUMicli ih. . a- to pin «»ut the liirht of the fee- si torch kindled al the Eternal Throne. While warnings of the brevity of this life, <w sustaining the hope of the Gospel! Bow like the smile of Eternal Love are its promises ! Beyond these evening shadows is the bright- ness of the morning. Wo may well endure trial and af- fliction for a season, knowing thai " the foundation of (nul standeth sure;" that nothing precious can be lost. Only that can decay and perish which will by its absence enrich the universe; ••lie that believeth hath eternal life." "He that doeth the will of God abideth forever.* 1 XI V. The Battle of Life. Be that overcometh shall inherit all things; and 1 will be his (hmI, and he shall be my Bon." — Rnelatfon \.\i. 7. \\.\u is the aspect of this dispensation. The earth is one wide battle-field, — not a dress-parade ground, but the scene of bitter strife. Our life is a campaign; and at the last every one of us will be victorious or vanquished, a hero Crowned or a recreant shamed. Christians are soldiers. The Bible is our armory: here we find 'Truth for our girdle, the breastplate of Righteousness, the shield of Faith, the helmet of Salvation, the sword of the Spirit; — then, with B hrave heart and the prevailing energy of All Prayer, our equipment is complete. We are panoplied for the strife that awaits us. Having u put on the whole armor of Cod," we are ready in his name to enter the lists against every foe, prepared to conquer on every field, to be victorious in every con- flict. "He that overcometh/' — he that gains the victory: the moral conqueror; one who triumphs over sin. sub- dues himself, rules his spirit, controls the flesh, resists the devil, defeats the world, — " lie shall inherit all thing-:" and "to him/' Bays Jesus, "will J grant to sit with me in my tin-one, even as I also overcame, ami am set down with mv Father in his throne." TBS a.\r nr. OF in Aside trom n- spiritual relations, life may Prell be re- let! as a warfare. The battle-field, with its hostile ranks, its flaming banners, its passions and excitement, its victory or defeat, its glory or Bhame, its courage or cowardice, has ever been regarded as a striking symbol of our trials and our foes, our failure or success. Our life is often compared to a voyage. And we arc like sailors out on the mysterious sea, with its calms and Btorms and hidden dangers; and we need the lighl of heaven to guide and the stars of God to pilot as to the haven of perfed peace. Yes, we are Bailors seeking a hirer clime; hut in spiritual navigation there has been little progress. No Panama route to holiness or life eternal has been discovered; hut we too, like all the brave voyagers of the past, must double the stormy Cape and grapple with contending Beas before we can reach the broad Pacific of Immortality. The circling seasons, too, present a picture of our brief existence, and their well-known poet has painted it for us in these perfect lines: "Behold, fond man, — See here thy pictured life ! Pass some few years, Thy flowering Spring, thy Summer's anient strength, Thy sober Autumn fading into age; And pale concluding Winter comes at last And shuts the scene." Not only amid the deserts of the far East, but every- where, life is also a pilgrimage. For do we not u Nightly pitch our moving tent A day's march nearer home"? 282 U\I\<; QUESTIONS. And in this connection who does not think of the fa- miliar words of the drama! "All the world's a Btaj Ainl all the men and women merely playi They have their exits and their entrance s; And one man in Q18 time plays many parts, His acts being -<\ eo ages " ? Ses, and strange, startling, dull, comic, tragic, is this life-drama; bul at last the green cm-tain of eternity falls upon the stage, and the actors, never encored, are hid- den Forever. Ihit martial metaphors are most common and expres- sive. Life lias struggles, trials, obstacles, conflicts, mak- ing it more like the stirring scenes of camp and field than voyage, pilgrimage, or drama. There is for as a continued conflict. Difficulties, trials, meet ns at the threshold of existence. We are horn at zero, with an infinite range of possibilities before and above: but each golden attainment, all the way up to the crown of eternal life, 18 conditioned by the price of brave, persistent effort Whatever path we pursue, every step of progtt must be over a disarmed and fallen foe. Like the fabled voyageof Ulysses from Troy to Ithaca, we musl reach the goal <>f manhood and of heaven as heroes bronzed and tried by exposure and conflict. from every point the world seems a battle-field, and man victor or vanquished, conqueror or slave. lie musl grapple with nature. It is not subdued, molded, arranged, refined, ready and ripe for use; but its powers must be tamed, its boundless dominion musl be secured by conquest, oh, it is a serious thing to live, unless we THE BA TTLB OF /// are content to live like the worm, or to regetate and ro< like the weed. Hut if we heed the bugle-call to duty, and are ready to stand in the rank-, true men, we must Btrive. We need bones of iron and sinews of Btee] or, better, a brain ^( spiritual power and mental energy, to mat and brass, and all elements of force and firmness, Berve us. Then this strife with nature becon irious. Enterprise mar>hals her ranks of labor. We may hear the din of this bloodless strife in forest and quarry, foundry, mine and miUj on land and sea; in desert, wilderness, and city. Fleets, engines, and the varied forces of nature are engaged in this grand battle-hurly, winnings thousand -glorious victories. IVarls from the deep sea, gold and gems from the mountain, luxuries from distanl shores; palaces, homes, cities, states, and empires, — are the rich spoils of this conquest. Then there is often a bitter hand-to-hand conflict with want. Many, indeed, must nerve themselves for this; and when equipped with health and strength it need not be inglorious. The hands maybe hardened, or the brow seamed with thought, or the cheek and garments em- blazoned with the heraldic honors of sun and storm: yet it soon becomes a strife for affluence; and with no halt- ing, no armistice, the battle goes bravely on, until victory crowns courage and fidelity. But sometimes, alas ! we see a war not for wealth, but for life— a struggle with frost and hunger and their cruel allies. The humble cottage or the murky garret, the lowliest home, is like a beleaguered fortress; and often a nobler, purer courage stands or kneels in its defense than ever stood on an embattled wall. What heroism 284 LiviMi QUESTIONS. God sees in this conflict I What heroines have defended home and cradle, whose only weapon was the Blender He. -.lie ! — and with this they have gained bread for their orphan children, and defied the wolves howling at their door ! And this reminds us of that bitterest conflict, the strife of the pour and defenseless with the hell-hounds of Inst and temptation! Do you wonder that in this unequal warfare many fall? — that in the midst of gilded corruption and trembling want, where the poisonous slime of the serpent and his EangS of death are hidden by the glitter of Ins burnished scale- — do you wonder that the devil finds unguarded victims? Oh, what need of the helping hand, of the loving, sympathetic heart ! Alas, how often is this the picture of our light with sin ! " Heart-sick, homeless, weak and weary, < >n the edge of doom she stands, Fighting back the wily Tempter With her trembling woman's hands. Ou her lip a moan of pleading, In her eyes a look of pain — Men and women, men and women, Shall her cry go up in vain ? ( )n thai head so early faded Pitiless the rains have heat ; Famine down the pavements traeked her r>\ her bruised and bleeding feet. . . . Pace t<> face with shame and insult since she drew her baby-breath, Were it ttrange to find her knocking At the cruel door of Death? THE BATTLE OF LIFE. 386 W, iv [t thai she should parley With the great arch-fiend of Bin ! Open wide. I I gall - Of M. | w ider, wider I Let her In. Ah ! my proud and -coin fid lady, Lapped In laces fair and ftne, But for Qod's good grace and mercy Such a fate as hera were thine. Tin breaking combe of honey, Breaking loaves of snowy bread. It* she ask a crumb— I charge you Give her not a stone Instead.' 1 Ami again, to those who would gain the treasures of wisdom and knowledge there is an unavoidable conflict; there musl be brave, pegristenl effort. Pain, toil, trial, inv young friends, are the conditions, the price de- manded, and no one in this warfare can hire a substitute or conquer by proxy. It is .-till true, as in the days of Euclid, that '-there is no royal road to intellectual ex- cellence/' but the crown of wisdom and the scepter of knowledge are the rewards of enduring self-denial and courage. So life is ever a struggle, demanding zeal and fidelity. " Steep, and hung with clouds of strife, Is our narrow path of life." Do you ask why? Why it is so hard? Why there must he battle and conquest before triumph? I know it might have been different Everything might have been provided for us except character ; except virtue/ holiness, manliness ; except moral and divine qualities. We might be provided for as animals, but not as respon- LI VI Mi QUESTION gible ]• made in the image of God. Our manhood must be the result of our own quest and effort ; like the young hero of the olden time, we must win the spurs of our moral knighthood by personal prowess and noble daring. Bui it Beems we might have an easier time. Loaves of bread might grow on all the trees; hot rolls and but- tered toast might be gathered from the bushes at the door. Our streams might How with milk and wine, and all luxuries load our tables without the cost of the hard- curd hand and the sweating brow. Ready-made clothing might hang from bough and vine ; yes, the orchard, without grafting, might furnish not only pulpy fruit hut an abundant and Fashionable wardrobe — every gar- ment an exact lit and in the latest style. Palace dwell- ings with every modern improvement, and furnished with Oriental taste and splendor, might " Rise like SB exhalation, with the sound Of dulcet symphonies and voices sweet, Built like a temple. 94 Would this be well? Does the vision charm? Even if thus in mere material things we were absolved from all toil. — if we could thus live in luxury without effort or trial, while our selfishness and our passions remained, — how soon would this fancied Paradise become a world- wide Pandemonium, and the green earth hecome a ward of driveling imbeciles, or a bedlam of demons ! But God has ordered otherwise. We need the trials. difficulties, and dangers that beset as. What splend< beam out of the darkness ! What bows of peaee and THE BATTLE OF in 287 promise are Bel on the I itorm ! •* I >ut of t be eater aea meat, and oxx\ of the Btrong comes sweetne Eeroism, nobility, love, hope, and faith are worth all they cost, and you cannot have them without this price of trial- without both toeman ami victory. Paul, you remember, aayB, "We glory in tribulations also, know- ing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; ami hope maketh not ashamed." And again he says, " I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecu- tions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, thenam I Btrong." "For my strength is made perfeel in weakness. Mosi gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." How true; and howthe experience of - illustrates this truth ! To the great, thought!* sa . Godless world how feeble, how weak and worthless this Buffering Apostle ! Yet out of that weakness came a power that to-day girdles the globe with a zone of hope, and that unfurls the victorious banner of the Cross on islands and continents, Ear beyond the boldest flight of the Roman eagle. Out of the distresses and persecutions in which St. Paul gloried comes the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ — a kingdom that is to be uni- versal, and whose dominion of peace and redemption shall never end. I Opposition makes us strong. According to fable, who- ever conquers an enemy inherits his strength; the energy and eon rage of the fallen foe enter the arm and heart of the victor. At least, it is true that we gain strength in conflict — conflict that tries the fiber of our being ; LIVING QUESTIONS. and we become more than conquerors through victory. Bow soft and cordless ifi the arm of the idler! How- pulpy and empty the head of the thoughtless] Bow hard and the heart of the Belfish! Without the discipline of affliction, difficulty, and pain to try as, or something to rouse us to effort, manhood would be mpossible as the fiighl of an eagle in a vacuum. We need the pinches of poverty, the pangsof hunger, the tge bites of winter. We need to overcome before we can possess. So long as we are coddled and fed with a pap-spoon, bo long as we are loaded with abundance and repose on "flowery beds of ease," we shall remain big babies, and cannot, or will not, become men. In view of indolence, lust, and vanity -well, in view of their effect, there is a place and mission for every pain and trial, every rock and storm. Hood and fire : for, after all, such rude, stern teachers are the conservation of the world. "Here is a human soul clothed with a body, to I..- trained t<> virtue. t<> self-command, to spiritual strength and nobleness. Would perpetual case and pleasure, a perpetual luxury of sensation, best do that? We know that it would not." Can we conceive of a noble manhood without some kind of trial and suffering? The question is not what will besl produce line, fat, k animals; not what will make us perfect in gas- tronomy, <>r fashion us into the physical perfection of a Beau Brummell, or give us the table and couch of an Epicurean Bluggard. If such is the purpose of Nature, the intention of nature'.- (uu\, then our world is a com- plete blunder, — an ill-made, wretched affair, only perfect in it- imperfection, Bui if it is intended for a school. THE BATTLE OF i in:. and it' the ultimate end is a ripeness tor heaven by h naade the partaken of divine holiness, then all thi witness to the love and care of God. Tins strife with materia] things, this Btrnggle tor bread and physical knowledge, is needed to prepare as for the inevitable conflict awaiting all in the moral world. I might teed and clothe us ; he might make as perfect animals; but Omnipotence cannot make us perfect men— cannot make as complete in virtue, heroism, and char- ity; for the command is, "Work out your own salva- tion. w in our Btrife with want and ignorance we may gain moral strength, and are taught that to win a 1 Hike character, to be rich in grace, we must "fight a good fight;" "quit ourselves like men; bestrong." A ^ in the common affairs of life exertion develop Btrong, athletic nature ; as no prize iswon without Btrife; aa the battle must be gained before the spoils can be enjoyed,— eo we must strive, overcome sin and tempta- tion, befpre we can claim and enjoy the Christian's glory and reward. [ndeed, all providence and all law— not only the Levitical and moral, but the universal govern- ment of God— is "a schoolmaster to bring as to Christ/' And the reason of all about as, of the fruitful ami the barren, of cyclone and zephyr, of earthquake and flow- er, of rock and gem, of bramble and fig-tree, of tears and gladness,— the reason of all is, "God so loved the wm-ld/'*— ami lie would make us "complete in Christ. * Both analogy and experience teach us plainly that "In the throng Of evils that assail us, there are none That yield their Btrength to virtues struggling arm 290 UVINQ QUESTIONS. Willi Buch munificent reward of power \ preai temptations. We may win by toil, Endurance ; BainUy fortitude by pain ; \\\ sickness, patience ; faith and trust by fear ; But the great stimulus that spurs to life, And crowd- to generous development Each chastened power and passion of the soul, Lb the temptation of the soul to sin, Resisted and reconquered — evermore. " STes, there is a warfare in which all are enlisted. Like our conflict with mortality, so hero "there is no dis- charge. " Both the unfortunate ami the favored may he relieved from military service. lint in moral life and action; in our relations to sin ami holiness, the spirit of the world and the claims of God ; in the strife between the "earth-born ami the heaven-born ; M in that old, first contest, when thronesand dominions mot the em- battled array of the giants of evil ; in this conflict, still continued — not now in heaven, hut in thine own heart, <> man. where the hell-begotten strive with thee and thy guard of angels for the priceless citadel of thine own BOul, the hold and hope of immortality; — in this warfare, where the issues are eternal, there are no exemptions, substitutes, or neutrals, hut all are marshaled; the muster-roll of duty, the bugle-call to arms, and the drum-heat t<> battle reach every ear and heart. And when at Laerf the swords are sheathed and the banners furled, all of us, every one, shall Btand as victor or van- quished; then will appear the shame of defeat, or we shall he mustered out of service with crowns of life and palm- of victory, to -well the march of triumph as the ////•: BATTLE OF I //•'/•:. 291 Oaptain of our salvation leads his rejoicing array home. Shall we increase the number and the triumph <»!' " The sacramental host <»f God 'a elect . " aa they enter the Eternal ( ' i t \ , singing t he song of M and the Lamb? shall our feel Btand within thy gates, ( I Jerusalem ? shall " an abundant entrance" be granted us into thai celestial Home where no curse can <-<>m<\ neither sorrow nor pain ; where service shall beourglory, ami labor shall he real ? Earth is the place of conflict, and the campaign only closes when we enter the winter-quarters of the grave. Hciv we meet the ranks of evil. The world is full of temptation. There is need of the utmost vigilance, and the sentinels that guard the issues of life must he brave and tireless in their watch, or they will be surprised and overcome. Our Lusts are strong and clamorous. They cast down many. Appetite and Passion laugh to scorn the care- . unguarded conqueror of empires, and find in him an easy victim. The fear of Man ; the glitter of Am- bition — that "glorious cheat, " that robs us of many a bright and noble mind ; the Love of Money, or Mam- mon — that great god whom all America and the world worshipeth, a god more cruel than Moloch, more ob- scene than Ashtaroth, — these are some of the foes we must meet, some of the champions of Death that we must overcome, or fail and fall in this battle of life. We notice that our Christian life is above all, as we intimated at the first, a warfare. In representing our relations to God and the world as the followers of Christ, -I'.r] trrnra questions, the inspired writers draw their most expressive imagery from battle's Btern array from the tented field and the strife of martial heroes. The apostolic exhortations often sound like the stirring orders of military officers, or the address of some general on the eve of battle. Lei me quote some of the words of Paul: "Bui thou, man of God, fighl the good Bghl of faith, lay hold on eternal life." "Thou, therefore, endure hardness as a .1 Boldier of Jesus Christ. " u Finally, my brethren, be Btrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, thai ye may be able to stand againsl the wiles of the devil. " " Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. ** This will remind some of yon. boys, I trugfc, of the noble words of Lord Nelson, uttered just before his death — •• England expects every man to do his duty !" And this is expected of us Dot to do and die as did this admiral, bul in the sighl of heaven and before men we are to do the will of God. For we should remember that all the blessings of the Gospel, as well as the good things of this world, are promised to those who overcome. How solemn the thought, the truth, that all of us, even here amid these peaceful scenes, amid these hills and valleys, where onr fathers lived and toiled, — thai all of ns are engaged in a eon 11 id whose issues are eternal ! Alas ! t em j»t a 1 ion comes with the morning sunshine; and trials linger, and griefs remain, and sins abide long after the time for the curfew bell, to deepen the darkness and cloud the stars. We can have true peace only as we con- quer it, and can resl secure from temptation only as we, too. overcome in the name of Christ. For the trail of TBB BATTLE OF i.in:. 298 the serpent is on our hills and valley-, and we, too, have souls immortal and interests infinite at stake, thai musl defended with the seal of heroes, thai musi be ired by personal courage -by our being notorious in the common strife againsl the forces of evil. I tar fat h< conquered the wilderness, and these fertile farms are the Emits of their victory. Bui they were also Christian heroes, and here won a harder battle over sin, and gained a nobler triumph in behalf of truth, righteous- ness, and liberty. While we can enter into their labors, enjoying these farms and homes, yet to win heaven our own kneesmust how, our own hearts must strive; we musl ourselves " put on the whole armor of God, and endure hardn< diers." It is blessed to be the child of Christian parents; but how terrible to go from one of these homes redolent of faith and prayer, and be unpre- pared to meet (rod — unprepared for heaven ! Let us in conclusion notice some of the conditions of success or of victory in this moral warfare. Nothing among men is more strict, more clearly defined, than martial law; and there is nowhere more worldly wisdom in the selection of the best means than in the common precepts of war. It is sad to think that the world is more united under military law — more united by the rules and the spirit of wholesale murder — than by the provisions of peace, justice, and freedom. It is for the soldier of Christ to understand his march- ing orders, for immortal destiny trembles in the balance here; but, thank God, it need not — it does not— depend on any uncertain wager of battle ! Defeat is impossible to all who have emblazoned on their banner the victorious 294 1.1Y!\<; QUESTIONS. a of the cross and the Bleeding [jamb. This is the ( Ihristian's Labarum, as it was the EmperoH !onstantin< 1. We are to make no compromise with evil in any of Forma It' we parley with Satan, we arc at war with God. In mere Bocial intercourse with men we should be yield- ing and pliant as a willow; but when there isa moral principle involved, then we should have a bee like flint and a heart like steel ! It' we mingle earthly with celestial wisdom, and listen to the plausible counsels of expediency, if we grant the least concession to iniquity, our defeat is secured. When the prophel Micaiah was requested by the royal messenger to speak good words unto King A hal>. he replied, in the words of everytrue prophet: "As the Lord liveth, what the Lord said unto me that will I speak. " It is not for us to look at con- sequences, hut we are to strike fearlessly, suddenly, no matter what may be the issue. *• \W thou like the old apostles, be thou like heroic Paul: If a free thought Beeka expression, speak it boldly I speak it all ! Face 1 1 1 i 1 1 o enemies, accusers; scorn the prison, rack or rod; And if thou hast truth 1o Qtter, speak, and leave the rC8l to God." 2. Implicit obedience is always demanded of the soldier. It is essential in cam]) and held. lint here there is a difference. The obedience of a soldier is like a machine — without thought or reason. " Not though the Boldier knew Some one had blundered; Theirs'not to make reply. Theirs not to reason why, — Thrii^ hut to do and die." Tin: /;.i TTLB OP tH 296 Bui Chrisl makes qo such demands. Ambition may require such sacrifice, bu1 it is abhorrent to the spirit of tin* Gospel. Such obedience, thought automatic, by the pressure of power and authority, cannot be christian obedience. For the first requirement is the voluntary exercise the thoughtful, natural exercise — of every power and faculty. I lore indeed, is the very soul of our obedience in the use of thought, reason, volition, in using ourselves, by ourselves, as God and nature demand. I speak thus particularly, because this and some other figures of the Gospel have been misused by igning priests and kings to sustain their unholy authority, and to crush and strangle the sacred rights of the individual soul. Yet our obedience must be implicit, prompt, ami free. We are ordered by the "Captain of our salvation" into the breach of all the evils of the world, and he never orders a halt or beats a retreat — but it is ever right onward, in his name, with assurance of victory. 3. Again, we need the inspiration of love. There is no strength, heroism, or zeal like that which comes by the inspiration of deep and true affection. What a power! "The love of Christ constrains me/' said Paul; and under its inspiration, though tempest-tossed and hunted, he exclaims, "I am hard-pressed, yet not crushed; help- less, yet not hopeless; persecuted, yet not forsaken; cast down, yet not destroyed;" and in all he "was more than a conqueror v through love. There is no height it can- not scale, no chasm it cannot bridge; there is no danger it will not dare, no enemy it will not defy; no sacrifice is too great, no demand too much, as the expression of 290 i.l visa QTTXSTTOm its devotion; and all that heart, hand, tongue, and life can give it freely bestows to bless, redeem, or enrich its object How sublime its heroism! how grand its courage ! Through love of home and liberty have deeds been done that exalt and glorify our poor humanity, and even the lurid clouds of war have been silvered over by it- benign presence. The priceless victories of the Church in the martyr ages— -nay, in all time- have been triumphs of this affec- tion; and if we would he victorious over evil, we must have in our hearts a great and true love; for, though blessed with every other gift, u without charity we are nothing. " •I. Lastly, we mention Faith — thai virtue with pro- phetic gifts and more than royal power: that rugged vir- tue thai thrives amid affliction and grows strong in the storm. Says the Apostle John, "This is the victory that OVerCOmeth the world, even our faith. lie who overcometh the world believeth that Jesus is the Son of God." With this -face to shield, we are invin- cible, while without it we must fail in every conflict, be defeated on every field. Read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews — that muster-roll of heroes and heroines- and learn what faith has done. And in the grander, nobler triumphs of the Christian age, what a list of names mighl be added to this record of honor! We mighl begin with the Apostles of our Lord, who through faith conquered though they fell. Yes. "the glorious com- pany of the Apostles, and . the noble army of the mar- tyrs, with the holy Church throughout all the world." have obtained a good reporl through faith. By faith 77//: BATTLE OP in &H Lather stood firm tor God and truth -stood firm i rock in one of the mountain-rifts of the ages, in one of the noted passes thai guard human freedom; st L alone like Eorai ius al the bridge, to defend the right, and de- feat the hosts of oppression, stood the defender of con- science and the champion of n free ;my the word of God, bo that things which are Been were not made <>f things which do appear." — Hebrews \i. 3. W'hkn we attempt *• ;i s1 mly of origins," two direct and diverse answers are given to our questioning. For while there are differences in detail, yet all views as to the Bource, the ground, of the cosmos, the origin of the universe, maybe fairly classified as Theistic or Athe- istic, — as teaching a divine creation, or claiming that all things result from "the inherent powers of material elements." One belief is, u [n the beginning was God, — spirit, — and God uttered himself in creation. All things Were made by him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made." r rhe other Bays," In the beginning was matter. — mat- ter and motion ; and these have formed, or have grown into, all order, u isdom, life/' We have still the old-fash- ioned evolution of a Godless philosophy, the evolution of a Lucretius and a Democritus who lived ages ago, — the Bame theory that at time- in all the past has heen THE REAL ISSUE, 299 presented as the mosi reasonable explanation of a rea- sonless world: the most intelligent view ol a world without intelligence, thai is simply the product ofnec- ii-\ , material causes alone. On the other hand, we have the order of nature, the phenomenon <>i' life, explained, or accounted for, by the presence of a personal Creator, who to reverent mind- is i€ God over all, and Father of all : who is above all, and through all, and in all," — " for to us there is one God the Father, of whom are all things. '* We have atheism and theism. The first says: All things i-xist as we see them by material agency, by a law of necessity: we see them because they are, and they are because of the nature of things — this is "the ill and the end-all " of knowledge, hope, and reason. Here we can build no altar, even to an k% Unknown God." There can be no worship, justice, truth, obe- dience, virtue, honor, nor duty; neither moral beauty, courage, liberty, nor fidelity. "Thai which happens must happen." "Every soul, like Mazeppa, is lashed to the wild horse of passion, or, like Prometheus, to the rocks of fate!" * The other says, "From among numberless possibili- ties an All-wise Creator, who is Love, chose the best material and the best means for the best purpose/' and we see the heavens declaring his glory, and the earth filled with his wisdom. Now in view of intuitive demand for causality; in view of the fact of a manifested intelligence in nature; in the * Col. Robert G. Ingersoll, North American Review, 900 livix<; QUESTIONS, same way, and even with stronger assurance, thai ire know there is mind in man ; in view of the cleared in- dications <»f design and skill, of an infinite directing, sustaining Power, atheism, logically, has ever seemed weak and inconclusive. It has never satisfied the mind. "The sphini of teleology still threatens unconquered i'mm her crag," looking down witli contempt upon weakness. When Paley, a hundred years ago, gave the world his "Natural Theology, " the skepticism of thai period found it unanswerable, and it bo remains to-day. But the theory of Evolution, " development, " has again come to the front, its devotees claiming "the regularity of nature to be the first postulate of science" — a principle that we do not question; but some of its advocates arc claiming with this that in the order of nature there is no design, plan, or purpose, im end or adaptation, no intelligence — only a material, mechanical result. This claim dors not take the trouble of exclud- ing God from the world about US, but makes his presence Useless — a practical unreality, at best a mere ornamental finish, satisfying to minds of a morbid religious taste. A- it places all under a law of necessity, there is no room for I'vrr volition, for a loving Providence, 1'or any divine act ion. Mr. Darwin assures US that "there is a law of per- sistent force acting on the universe." Be teaches thai nothing is made complete, but all things are evolved from some lower form. Man was not made, he grew, by the inherent necessity of a progressive law, arising slowly from some brute animal, or series of animals reaching back to the lowest form of life, The father of modem THE KHAL IBSU1 301 Evolution \\<»ul(l put all the animate world under a Borl of barbarous tfalthusian Eate No one pretends t hat for this procession of life, this growth of man from a brute ancestor, there is proof; tor all admit that, instead of a continuous, symmetrical chain of being, such as this the- demandBj there is a! besl a mass of broken and any number of missing links. The Failure here is bo com- plete ami bo fatal t<> Darwin'- " Origin of Species " thai St. George Mivart Bays, u I cannot hesitate to call it a puerile hypothesis." The greal truth in this new Genesis is claimed to be " continuity againsl miracle, and law againsl arbitrari- ness. ,J Bu1 there arc fatal breaks in Darwinism as well as missing links breaks in the chain fatal to the theory and fata! to the doctrine of continuity. Look at this! Man as a descendant from the brute is, by the law of heredity, an effect without a cause. Even if his body be provided for, which it is not,* from whence did he derive the essentials of his manhood? He is a mere freak of nature — a sort of divine monster I And again, while Darwin does attempt to bridge the * Prof. Dana says in his Geology: " No -remains of fossil man bear evidence to less perf eel erectness of structure than incivil- i/.ed man, or to any nearer approach to the man-ape in essential characteristics. . . . From the Lowes! limit- in existing man there are all possible gradations up to the highest; while below that limit there is an abrupt fall to the ape level, in which the cubic Capacity Of the brain is one half le88. If the links ever existed to complete tins chain, their annihilation without a trace is so extremely improbable that it may he pronounced impossible." Is it childish to question a theory thus l»a>ed on the improbable, the impossible? 302 i.ivix<; QUESTIONS. gulf between animal instinct and human intelli. animal impulse and our mora] sense and consciousn< vri he is too urise and candid to undertake by any theo- retical engineering to cross the chasm between death and life, "between dead and living matter." for here he ad- mits that help must come from the eternal source of life. Eence he himself Bupposesa break in the law of scientific continuity by the introduction of at least one miracle! In the "Origin of Species" he says, " I infer that probably all the organic beings which have ever lived on this earth have descended from some one pri- mordial form into which life was iirst breathed by the Creator." Now if this original "form" was made to contain potentially all the organic world as we now see it, made at the first, adequate to produce it. or if it Involved all that has been evolved, then it is precisely the same as though God had directly formed all organic beings by special creations: and Evolution deprived of its novelty and relieved of its heretical character becomes the unfold- ing of divine purposes; revealing the presence and wis- dom of the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.* It * "It la doI enough to Bay that a germ was originated by mat- ter, and thai germ by development became man. It is impossible for us to accept anything as a cause unless it Lb adequate to pro- duce the effect. That germ must have had in it from the begin ning all the capacity of developing Into man. It must have been sufficient to produce man. And no <>nc can intelligently believe that matter could produce Buchagerm unless he believes matter could produces man in his highest development. One result is just as wonderful and reasonable as the other. To attempt to account f<>r man from a germ that is not as wonderful and re- THE REAL IBSUB. 808 beoomee amply another method ol explaining the Oral of Genesis — the cosmogony ol Moses, Bui if this virtue is denied; if this first life was not an Adamie germ rep- resenting all future growth and being; if all vrere not involved, — then there has been no evolution, no con- nected succession and development, bul a series of revo- 1 nt ions, of continued breaks in the chain of continuity — mere Fortuitous results, a succession of causeless effects. So l>\ its own showing Darwinism rests either on miracle of anarchy, ESither all things ate divinely directed, and in the uniformity of nature we Bee the work of God, whether evolving all the organic world from a single germ or marking the dateless epocns of the past by distinct, crea- tions, — or we see about us that which is impossible, un- thinkable— power, wisdom, and plan without mind; we see infinite intelligence in a GodleS8, hopeless world. Involution is an unfolding, and this we certainly see in the method of nature and in the history of man. In- deed the entire story of the world is marked by a sub- lime and wonderful progress. The first chapters of this divine unfolding are taught in Genesis. From chaos to the cosmos; from darkness to light; from universal deadness to the dominion of life; from unorganized matter to organic forms; from the earth to the vegeta- d. Now thai which formed the world was neither the visible hand of God, nor the breath of his mouth that mi-lit be Eelt, nor his voice thai might be heard, — but only his will, silent and invisible. Hence to a mind wit- nessing the process of creation there would have been the appearance of things seeming to rise spontaneously from nothing; there would have been nothing but the etaele of movements springing spontaneously from THE ttEAL T88UB, 306 the elements themselves and their invisible action and reaction, Bince they were no! communicated by any per- ceptible breath From (Sod's month; nothing, finally, would q bat the spectacle of bodies thai would -I to be produced by the reciprocal attraction of the element Therefore the pi of the formation of the world would appear in no way different to him who conceived it as pervaded by the creative activity of God, and to him Who could see in it nothing but a buc evolution according to natural law."* [nasmuch as Evolution may thus harmonize with ap- pearance, and as the word may be used with " scientific consistency," it is in just this proportion liable to n lead the seeker after spiritual realities, after the invisi- ble, the eternal. Beguiled, dazzled by the discoveries of Bcience, by the splendor of its revelations, we may be tempted to rest in these, to make appearances the basis of our hope — or of the rejection of hope; to make the unfolding glories of God deny his presence, and the order of nature testify against his power. How appro- priate, then, and needful just here are the wonderful words of inspiration ! For while the scientist is limited to the material, hounded by the visual line that girts him round, to the heart of the Christian belongs the power <>f faith that st<>p> not with the outward, with ap- pearances, hut beholds the spiritual, the invisible. As if designed fortius hour are the words of the Apostle. Indeed they have even a scientific verity that in this connection gives them a peculiar interest. Says Paul, * Hermann Lotze, "Microcosnius," vol. ii. p. 129. 806 LlYIMi QUESTIONS. u We look not al the things which are Been, but at the things which arc not seen : for the things which arc -»'i'ii are temporal ; bul the things which arc not seen are eternal." Ami again: "We understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which arc seen were not made out of things which do appear." The above quotation from Lotze reminds as of trie familiar saying thai "appearances arc often deceptive." And we know that BOme at least of our evolutionists have disregarded the warning of the Good Book "not to judge according to the appearance;" hut they have been quite ready to trust this superficial testimony of the out- ward as final, and to conclude that bepause the world to our vision "appears like a spontaneous growth," it is therefore simply a material result. And this is the one great poinl at issue : Is the world with its various kingdoms the product of spontaneous, material activity: (he effeel of '-material transform - isms:" a sequent of the atoms and elements of matter, Or is it an absolute truth that God was and is forever working through all the forms of nature's activity — "that all creative efficacy resides alone in the will of Cud"? Here is the eontliet — not between Science and Re- ligion, hut between Materialism and Faith. These arc the vital questions. It is not to understand the divine method that the heart cries out in appeal: hut is there a divine Power? Ah yes: and it is a pervading divine Power, an immanent Gord to express. It is employed by those who rejecl material- ism, and also by the ult ra-materiali>t s. Those wlio at besi have an unknown, unknowable God use this word to designate a theory thai if it does no! absolutely exclude the Divine Presence, yel renders all divine activity useless or impossible. Bui it is impossible to avoid the inevitable conflict be- tween faith and skepticism: impossible to bridge the gulf of doubt, or to relieve the fearful by using this word. It is not a talisman to shield the timid, nor can it be used as a compromise to unite in fellowship the saint and the savant. The one issue is between theism and atheism: and there is no middle ground between M oses and Comte, between the presence and providence of the Self-existent I and the eternal energy and efficiency of matter. Some of our Christian teachers seem to hold to the idea that there is yet another position, a safe and happy middle-ground, somewhere between the Hi hie doctrine '*of God and atheism ; and that this new and true position — a mean between the extremes — is most aptly designated by the word evolution, and that it represents the true attitude for all liberal minds, all who are abreast of the time. But it will not do. ZJVINQ QUESTIONS. There are writers especially ardent and eloquent in their advocacy of law. and hotly opposed to whal they persist in calling "divine interference, M who in their haste t<» prove Mosee wrong have onlj succeeded in demolishing a fiction of their own creation: Bncceeded in disproving what no one hold-, ami in detecting a counterfeit that no one but themselves has attempted t<> pass a- genuine coin. For certainly lovers and stu- dent- of the Bible believe in the universal supremacy of law. The] worship d not as the author of eon- fusion, hnt a- supreme ESxecutive in the perfect govern- ment of the universe. And this notion of interference, on which incessanl changes have been rung, is a childish whim. As if Christians regarded Gpd as a foreign, arbitrary power in conflict with nature, and only acting by disorganizing the beauty and rendering discordant the harmony of the world ! Why, the perfect order, the continuity of nature, the jarless music of the spheres, the blending in infinite fitness of all things, present the strongest possible outward revelation of the Divine Presence and activity. There is not a line of chaotic space nor a lawless atom in the universe of God. Let me quote a few words illustrating my position. In his "Origin of Species." Darwin Bays : "An omnis- cient Creator must have foreseen every consequence which results from the law imposed by him." And again: u It is probable thai all animals and plants have descended from some one original form into which life was first breathed by the Creator. . . . There is a gran- deur in this view of life, with its Beveral powers having been orifirinallv breathed into a few forms or into one." THH REAL TSSl '/•:. IImw can it lie grander than the Biblical account, — where, as we have seen, it is really the same? The essen- tial grandeur the glorious! precious truth hereisifol concerning the methods, but the being and creative power, ol God, Eence the materialism and 1 « > lz i * * ot Dr. Tyndall were quick t<> see ami object to Darwin's p tion. He who boldly claims that we have iii matter " the promise and potency of all terrestrial life" cannot silently hear the great naturalist thus talk of a Creator; and he is dear, at least. He says: " The anthropomorphism which it seemed Mr. Darwin's object to Be1 aside is as firmly associated with the creation <>f a few forms aa with the creation <»t* a multitude. We need clearness here. Two courses, ami tw<» only, are possible. Either let us open our doors freely to the conception of creative acts, or, abandoning them, let as radically change our notions of matter." Mr. A. R. Wallace, though not a materialist, falls into the same confusion, yields to the Bame prejudice, by concluding that the use of secondary means or causes relieves the "Creator of constant activity," ami that the prevalence of law renders ••divine, intervention" unnecessary. This is the baldest, crudest anthropo- morphism. To our apprehension, God always uses means and works through what we call law. If there is one passion that grows witli our growth in knowledge, it is the desire to comprehend and solve the mysterious, explain the difficult, and discover the cause or causes in the phenomena about as. But in connection with this principle of causality comes the almost universal delu- sion, the pestilent intellectual heresy, that when we 310 LIVING QUESTIONS* have made such discovery, when ire have round oul an order of sequence id nature, or can brace cause and ef- fect in any phenomenon,— when we see, or think we e how a thing is done, — then we at once conclude thai it is Law and nol God whose presence and power we behold. We conclude that the will of the Supreme is no longer declared or needed. To show the reason or cause of any phenomenon is claimed by the materialist as a triumph ; while many believers in spiritual agency fear such dis- covery as JUSl B0 far !'at;il to faith in t he d ivine adminis- tration. No douht it was because of this thai bo many Christians fell an intense alarm at the " development theory" and the "nebular hypothesis," Fearing that "creation by law" would leave God without place or mission. Bui if there is any truth in theism, as opposed to atheism, it is the Scripture doctrine of the presence, the energy, of the Almighty Father in all life, in all nature. He causes the sun to rise; he sendfi the rain, clothes the grass, feeds the fowls, and is as truly present when a spar- row falls as when the dead are raised. He works by law; for all physical law is but the method of Ins action. What we call laws are not powers, nor essentia] prop- erties of matter. It is only in appearance thai they are self-acting; in reality they express the will of God, and show the order of his government. And we yield to a pernicious prejudice when we make the Supreme Being, because of the very order that, declares Ins wisdom, an "absentee God," and regard his action, if possible, as arbitrary, an interference; instead of accepting the only consistent doctrine of theism, whether philosophical or 77//: /;/•:. i/ T8SUR 31 1 Biblical,— thai it Lb by and through and in all things that his glory and his will, veiled or revealed, preaeni to humble faith the assurance, "The Lord God omnipotent reigneth. w Bui Wallace, like Darwin, thinks it "a Ear more worthy conception of the Creator thai the curious and beautiful organisms of nature arc produced by those era] laws which were 90 co-ordinated at the firs! introduction of life upon the earth as to result neces- Barilyin the development of these varied forms." This 1- feeble, drowsy logic ;.for, as we have seen, there is no mtial difference between the creation of a germ and thai of a plant; between an acorn and an oak; between the dowering of a first life dbas to produces given form, and the direct creation of that form by the instant fiat of the Almighty. On this point I must make one more quotation, for. as Dr. Tyndall Bays, u we need clearness here. Two courses, and two only, are possible/' The foremost preacher of all this world said, in a lecture delivered January 6, 1883: "As contradistinguished from the old notion of creation,— by the instantaneous obedience of matter to the divine command, — the doctrine of evolution teaches that the divine method of creation was gradual, the result of steadily acting natural laws through long periods of time — periods so long that not even the imagination can stretch to the border-land of their Ear-off horizon. . . The divine method was a creation beginning with the very smallest elements,— elements inconceivably small, — and then gradually, through the force of divinely ordained natural laws, unfolding, little by little, the whole terra- 312 i.ivi\<; QUESTIONS. queous globe. IT this conception <»f the origin of all liv- aml man were to throw out the idea Of divine ation, it would !»»' repugnant; bul it docs not involve any such consequences." If this can he shown to he the method of the Al- mighty, if it is clearly inscribed upon the rocky pag of the earth, then, as Christians, we may gladly accept this theory ; it need not diminish an atom of faith, or tarnish in the leasl the brightness of our hope, lint it i\<>i-< not touch the point of vital, present interest This theory ifi not more reasonable than "the old notion;" neither does it offer a safe and middle ground between the Bible and science, [t does no1 in the least relieve the one who stumbles at Mose^el cannot be- lieve atheism. 'There is no philosophic gain : it ex- plains no mystery, lessens no difficulty, dissipates no darkness. If the materialist should accept this theory. as thus defined by Wallace and Beecher, as a compro- mise in favor of the glories of matter, he would be de- ceived. If the Christian accepts it a- a yielding of dogma to reason, as representing a more rational cos- mogony than that of Gfenesis, he too would he deluded. For as between theism ami atheism, the spiritual and material, (the only two positions,) regarding it. m»t as a question of methods, but of powers.-- this theory l- -imply Biblical, inasmuch as it makes Qod, Spirit, Mind, the first of all the source and life, the guide ami ruler of all. It leaves the miracle of creation just where it ifi left in (ieiiok For the evolution of the Bmallesl vitalized elements that are "gradually unfolded through the force of divinely ordained laws" — ////•; /;/•:. w T88U1 318 no matter how gradual, or what datel consumed in their unfolding to this evolution of the germ thai contains the promise of and musl develop into the perfected organism of vegetable, animal, or man,- (his implies, as directly as doea Moses himself, not only the deep mystery bul the -rand miracle of crea- tion. For what have size and time to do with the <| tion? [t is a common notion that if we can pulverize matter tine enough, it will become demi-spiritual; if we grind it all to atoms, it will become redolent of a strange, marvelous power. But "the inconceivably small," the very ghosi of an atom faintly clinging on the verge of non-existence, and eons of time, do not, however, enter into the account as ning tlic mystery. It can make no difference whether God endows an atom with the possibility, the necessity, of ultimately, "through the force of divinely ordained laws," evolving an Adam, an Abraham, or a Washington, or whether lie directly and instantly creates them from " the dust of the ground." And if it could he proved that all the organisms on the globe have come from a germ endowed with power to evolve all things in their geologic and zoographic order from the lowest up to man, this would he as a testimony, as an exhibition, of divine power, qmt.- as potenl as if God should now instantly create them all perfect, rank above rank, marshaled in the order of life as wenow see it animating the world around us. Suppose we could look down upon the globe as it once was,— lifeless, in its winding-sheet of cloud and mist,— and could then see the whole organic world brought into 314 l.llixc QUE8TT0NS t< hiv. as complete as it ua to-day, in a moment of time. This vision would prove do more to thoughtful minds in regard to the Creator, do more demonstrate bis power and wisdom, than does the organic world as we dow see it the slow result of ages of progress. Time and method do do1 affeci the argument nor invalidate the proof- of a divine, a supernatural creation. Ajb we havesaid, therefore, this docs not touch the point at issue, the question of to-day. This does not indicate the battle-field, the point of painful doubl to unwilling Bkeptics, of fear to timid believers, of defiant arrogance to the enemies of Christianity. What docs it matter whether God used a shorter or a Longer time, direct or Ondary means— whether nt the first he made the germ or the complete organism? For the heart cries out, not for a method, for a philosophy, for a plan of the uni- verse, but for the living, loving God, the Jehovah Shepherd. Having this assurance, this presence, we need fear no evil. In the beginning God was, and he is forever the dwelling-place of his people. Speaking of the above theory, Berber! Spencer says : u In whatever way it is formulated, or by whatever lan- guage it is obscured, this ascription of organic evolution to some aptitude naturally possessed by organisms, or miraculously imposed on them, is anphilosophical. It explains nothing— is a Bhaping of ignorance into the semblance of knowledge. . . . 'This assumption of a persistent formative power, inherent in organisms, and making them unfold into higher forms, is an assumption DO more tenable than that of special creations, of which. indeed, it is but a modification, differing only by the fu- THE REAL T881 E 315 ; of separate unknown pro< ato a oontinaons un- known |»n> •■• — . " \o, ben< iil)oiii us wo msiy, thrre are bu1 the two posi- tions -with Godj or without God, And the real issue is: The absolute supremacy ol matter and force; the absence of all intelligent power: " the conception of the origin of all living things and man. with the idea of divine crea- tion thrown out," — or, "There is one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all." Either all things arc the chance outgrowth of chemical elements, a fortuitous combination of atoms, or "the worlds were framed by the word of God, bo that things which are seen were not made of things which do ap- pear." f We care little tor methods, being satisfied thai with Infinite Love and Power enthroned over the universe everything will be well done and every interest justly irded, without our taking thought or borrowing trouble. We are content that God should work with the small or the immense, with atoms or worlds, and that " with him one day should be as a thousand years, or a thousand years as our day." But when men ask with a sneer, " Where is the prom- of his coming? For all things continue as they were * Spencer's " Principles of Biology f Though the word "world " used in the plural form in Ileb. \i. a may be translated age8 t y< I no doubt it refers to the mate- rial universe, though this interpretation of it is not essential ; for if God by his providence is molding and guiding the ages, this as truly gives good ground for hope and faith as that "the: world," the cosmos, " was made by kirn." 316 uvnro QUESTIONS. from the beginning ;" when they declare the throne in the heavens vacant, the scepter of Almighty wisdom a broken reed, a useless toy or romance tor childhood ; wl ini matter is so deified as to make God's providence an impertinent interference, and material things self-pos- sessed of such virtue, efficacy, and harmony thai the I ator can only come within their realm, the realm of physical continuity, as an intruder by a Bort of avulsion; when Evolution is used to teach, not the method of God, bul a Godless met hod,- then we feel thai the real issue of the hour is before us. It is no longer a question of way- ami means to which we may be indifferent and yel through faith possess all things: it is no longer a qu< tion of philosophy, bu1 of destiny ; not rf interpretation, bul of eternal hope or despair. The Theory of Evolution is, things grow. u Nothing in nature is produced all at once, in a complete or fin- ished t'orm." All organisms, vegetable and animal, up to man. have come by development and transmutation from the simplest Conns. Nol only so; but it is declared that the same is true of the moral world; that all history is a record of growth not of divine discipline and instruc- tion, hut of necessary, unbroken unfoldingsor progress by immutable law; there is no break in the order of pro- gression, no place tor divine Providence; the law of continuity is the verdicl of fate, and everything every principle, Influence, volition-- belongs to an unbroken line of cause ami effecl ; all moral like all physical growth is by inevitable and insensible modifications alone. It is nol that things succeed each other progressively in the march Of time. It is not that the lower is made THE real issue 317 minister to I lie higher, or is the basis tor a nobler ;m end, A- a theory Evolution banishes from the world all design and adaptation, treating with con- tempt tin 1 idea that nature reveals intelligence. Mr. Darwin says the doctrine thai one thing was made for another, or the doctrine of final causes, u if true, would be absolutely fatal to my theory." No, nothing ei for a purpose, or ia prophetic of any attainment. The eye was not math- to Bee, nor the ear to hear, nor the nerves to feel. The fin of the fish and the wing of the bird were not given that they might swim and fly, bu1 these organs were needed, and they grew ! ( m this prin- ciple \\ is a little strange that while men for ages have desired to fly, the best developed cannot as yet show a feather ! There is no creation, bui there is progress by a gradual transmutation of one species of organic life into another, from the simple to the more complex. moved and guided alone by material force. These are some points of t he theory. Dr. J: W. Draper said in an address : "The hypoth- of evolution will not admit that there has been any intervention of the divine power. . . . There is main- tained a balance in nature, automatically adjusted to the sum-total of animal life — automatically, and not by any interference of Providence: a £ad of greal value in connection with the theory of evolution. . . . The hy- pothesis of evolution is directly opposed to that of crea- tion. The former reposes on the universal reign of law; creation, on the arbitrary act of God. The dominion of law is everywhere manifest. The capricious intrusion of a supernatural agency has never yet occurred. , , , 318 UVINQ QUESTIONS, Common-sense revolts against the idea thai the trans- formations we see in organisms and in the earth are due to divine intervention; they must be due to natural law." And still this Doctor, too, is harping on a baseless fancy. For who believes in "divine interf erence" ? I><> Chris- tians believe in God as "a capricious intruder" ? in a God of anarch y, of misrule ? Ji' they do; if so benighted, ill-taught, as to believe in an "arbitrary" or despotic God; and if this theory comes with a new, an original revelation, assuring as for the first thai the Father above -*is without variableness or shadow of turning," thus freeing us from the worst possible heathenism, -then indeed is Evolution a precious doctrine, it is "pure gold like unto clear glass." Bui how impossible is this! Hot a thought or word can he added to the suhlinie teachings of the Bible in giving us assurance of the infinite fidelity of God. Evolutionists may bleach the lily and beautify the rose; they may make the diamond more brilliant, the rainhow more splendid; they may gild the light and polish tin* sun: but they cannot add to the dory of the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ as lie is presented for our faith, reason, love, and worship in the Gospel. There is to the Christian "Creation and Providen* l»ut in neither do we conceive of divine act ivity as des- potic, without reason, order, and beneficence; on the contrary, we look up with confidence to a glorious Per- Bonalityj whose wisdom and love are the lighl and law of his will, and whose will is the origin of all force, order, life, and beauty. "My father worketh even until now, and I work," said Jesus. It is this presence and work- THE UEAL 188UE 819 mi:, tli . ity, thai is the eternal pledge of the continuity of nature, of the stability of the unj Th< of universal law and the u idea of creation ;" the aw and "all the transformations we see in the earth," these statements are no1 opposed to each other, nor inconsistenl with faith in the direct adminis- tral Almighty God. t€ i ommon-sense" does not revolt against the idea thai [nfinite Wisdom and Power declare their activity by perfect order, by the marshal- ing of a tun i>. and the jarless music of the spheres. Bui it does revolt against the idea that inert matter, the mere chemical elements, can of themselves reveal the highest thought, the most recondite knowledge; can teach the ripest minds the Bublime principles of science. For if common-sense sees anything in the order of na- ture, it sees a revelation of intelligence, of wise design ; not the power of matter, the work of chance ; not even of law ; but, "the finger of God." What confusion arise- in attempting to make an im- possible distinction — to contrast the administration of Law with the administration of God ! As if law could administer itself, and as if God could only administer his will without law. fitfully, capriciously ! The materia] universe is a vast library in which we may find, if we are able to read these books of God, a complete "Connection of the Physical Sciences" pub- lished by the Infinite One, — that the wisest, however, are as yet unable fully to interpret. How is this possible with nothing but matt.']- and motion ? (an we conceive of the sublime architecture of the heavens as a possibility 320 LIVING QUESTIONS without an infinite mind, an omnipotent hand? Dr. Draper tells us thai "nature never geometrizes, never arranges." Be it bo. Bui there is perfed arrangement, mathematical exactness, infinite engineering! Can we believe that on " this brave o'erhanging firmament, this niajotieal roof," there has been WTOUghl Out without mind, without though! or design, such examples in dia- gram and quantity, in scale, gradation, and line, "in curvesand circles and ellipses," as to fill the most learned with awe and wonder at the revelations of the midnight sky? "The human intellect, after years of trial, on its lad- der of lighl has mounted into the gallery of our firma- ment, probed through the ranks five hundred deep of orbs that Bwing in its dome, — yes, lifted itself out upon the roof of this .-tar-tiled St. Peter's of space, and gazed off thence upon the milky gleam of the spires of other cathedral firmaments that rise in the astral City of God. 3 Bui if these discoveries, these studies of genius, fill us with surprise, how infinite the wisdom, how omnipotent the hand, that reared this sidereal tabernacle! hit like the Earned temples on the Nile, whose inner sanctuary is found occupied by the mummy of a reptile or a cat ? Is this " cathedral boundless as our wonder" the shrine of mud buill by and for uothing hut matter? If. as we have -aid, it is impossible for our God to be an immanent power, without revealing that power and presence by disorder, by the infraction of law, then we are driven to one of two conclusions. Either lie is an Rev. Thomas Starr King. Tin: REAL ISSUE, 831 absentee I teity, baying at the beginning decreed all, B all, and, havij a to matter one eternal impulse along the grooves of fate, thru withdrawn to Borne unimagin- able sphere or limbo, leaving us Fatherless and the world Godless, relegating all to the tender mercies of " natural action," to the survival of the hardest and toughesl : or, on the other hand, we must conclude there is no G — never was; and thai the order of nature is "a lucky throw of the dice," all this seeming wisdom and design a mere u chance-shot,- a chance-shot from a chance-charge of a chance-gun, accidentally loaded, pointed at random and fired ofl by chance." There [g not much to choose between these theories. We need a faith, not that God was, but that he />•, an ever-present Father. How mysterious, if we are Godless, this universarhungering after the divine! If man is merely an evolved animal, — in his entirety of the earth earthy, without supernatural relationship or Burrounding, — from whence comes this universal cry after the spiritual, from whence his religious intuitions? They can come neither from heredity nor environment, and hence im- ply a fatal break in the- boasted continuity of nature, a break in our unfolding; for they point to something above the material. Here is disorder — man so much at i war with himself and his surroundings, so false to his brute ancestry, that he has a deep, universal, abiding impulse — the most influential fact of his being and his history, the most potential quality of his humanity — that is in opposition to the universe, that is an effect without a cause : an impulse that is an impeachment of the wis- dom and power of Nature and her laws, to make her 322 LIVING QUE8TI0N& childreD true to themselves, to their position, their pros- pects, and their environment ! u A single sigh towards the future and the better is more than all geometrical demonstrations of God. w And whatever our theories, from all heights and depths of our humanity comes the cry of the soul for the Liv- ing God— for the Loving Father ! From civilized and 3avage alike; from heathen altars and enlightened homes; from every people, without respect to tribe or nation, comes the Bign of the one touch of God — an impulse heavenward a common cry after the Great Spirit, after the source of being and the Judge of all — "0 thai I knew where I might find him !" "I beseech thee. Bhow me thy glory !" XVI. Tin; Rial [S8UB : A DISCOURSE on EVOLUTION. I\\r i Si I «>m> "There is one (iod and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all." — Ephssiam iv. & Tiikri: are those who maintain that the modern hy- pothesis of EvolutioD presents clearly the divine method in creation and providence. While confessing them- selves to be its disciples, yet they believe in a "spirit- ual, personal, intelligent world-ground." These take practically the Biblical view ; for in the conflict between religion and materialism this is the one point at issue: God as the source, or Matter — " atomic development" — as the ground, of all. But while there are those who believe in evolution as the result of a supernatural involution, yet most of the advocates of this theory regard it, not as a divine method, but as a complete substitute for both the agency and the presence of God. That there can be anything within us or around us, to suggest and sustain, as reasonable, our faith in an Almighty Father, they de- clare to be impossible — an illusion; for their reign of uni- versal law is the banishment of God from the universe. "The hypothesis of Evolution is directly opposed to creation, and all within or without us is the lasting reg- 323 324 uvi\<; QV&STlOM >r of physical influences; the capricious intrusion of BQpernatnra] agency baying never yel occurred. ,J This is their position. While the christian certainly does not believe in divine interference, intrusion, or tnisrule, yet be belie in divine agency — in a " God who is Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all: in whom we live and have our being." Bis doctrine of law is, thai "it has nothing like existence, bul is simply a general expression cither of fad or of the rule according to which some agent proceeds." This agent is God, and all laws arc the rule of his action : for "the only caus- ality he knows is that of living mind, w and hence to him all force or power is the expression of Spirit, of will — of conscious five volition, of personality. Matter may be and is the recipient, hut mind is the only con- ceivable originator of force. Hence the Christian bows reverently to the sublime doctrine of Moses in (ienesis that Spirit is firsl — mind above matter, "the spiritual above the phenomenal, thought before thing, intelligence co-ordinate with being." And not only is this the earliest hut the one reasonable account of creation; for in looking at the cosmos, our need is, not the material for its construction, not the timber, but the Builder; not world-stuff, hut an Infinite Architect: wisdom to design, and power to sustain. But this new Genesis of deified matter leave-, practi- cally, nothing for God to do; as it assures us, " a super- natural agencyhas never yet occurred. " Mattel' with its ntial inertia, without thought, design, or adaptation, built and runs the universe. If this is thinkable, it TBS REAL 18 simply atheism. Ii:i; i; is not, for sanity cannot eon- i active matter and inert, motionless mind; we cannot conceive of matter as tin- source of causation, i of its imitating perfectly the highecri intelligence in the most ingenious and intricate d( the most tar- reaching and beneficenl purposes. Therefore, as we Baid in the former part of this dis- course, our Christian evolutionists do n«>t find in this theory a desirable and peaceful via media, where the doubtful and the dogmatic, the pietist and the philoso pher, the saint and the savant, may rejoice together in the complete harmony of Religion and Science ; for in bet there are only t lie two views, either the doctrine of our text— the doctrine of Genesis and the Gospel— or that which the fool utters when he says in his heart, " There isnoGodP Some of the great lights of modern Evolution claim that nature, or the material universe, is absolutely with- out thought or intelligent design. They tell us that "nature never geometrizes, never selects, knows nothing of fitness or adjustment, but is forever maintained auto- matically and not by any interference of Providence." "This automatic action/' says one of its ardent apos- tles, "is a fact of great value in connection witli the theory of Evolution." Now here is a plain statement of Dr. Draper's; but because of certain well-known principles it is impossible for us to accept it. We know what an automaton is, but we can no more believe in spontaneous force than in spontaneous generation; in a power-producing and self- acting machine than in a self-made or man-made "per- 326 LIVING QtTB8TI0m petna] motion. n We cannot conceive of nature as an automaton, or as acting automatically, Le., without an outside force or agent to Bustaiu and direct Its action. Matter is inert; it cannot originate force — this belongs alone to mind; it cannot originate force unless it can produce God. We know that matter cannot act, and of course cannot act intelligently. Here we agree with the evolutionist; hut just here also the harmony ceases, for he, having only matter, " only physical influences, only material execution" (vet claiming to he passing rich), must deny design and thought in any and all of its forms in nature; not, however, because he doubts the virtue of matter less, but the providence of God more; not that he distrusts the physical, hut dreads the divine touch and presence as u capricious intrusion." Vet may we not just as reasonably ascribe mind, thought, plan, to matter, as to invest it with force or automatic action ? Indeed, I see no other possible way out. Design and intelligence are no more proper attri- butes of mind, of spirit, than are force and energy. The evolutionist must have a new definition of matter, or lie will be hopelessly entangled. For, looking upon the world as a machine, — upon its phenomena as auto- matic, — we cannot conceive that it is self-sustaining — "a perpetual motion;" that it was dowered with force in some past eternity; for we know that the dissipation of energy would have brought all to a stand-still long ago. We cannot suppose a clock moved by weights that would never run down, or by a spring that would never need winding up. We cannot suppose a locomotive or it mighty Corliss engine made so potential all at once, 80 ////•: ttSAl ISSUB, Btored with energy, u to ran on and on forever. We cannot imagine a lighted candle to burn without wast- ing itself; it will hum out in time unless replenished, u for waste, degradation," ae Prof. Balfour Stewart well >a\ annol be eternal." The fixed laws of na- ture, thru, as we have said, demand an agent -a Spirit- power above, different from, matter — to originate, direct, and sustain the forces of the universe, This notion of automatic action necessarily (Ionics that nature has any trace of thought or purpose. As we ha\ . Darwin admits that the doctrine of COS-' mica! design would be fatal to bis hypothesis. This, then, becomes a test of the theory. Let us briefly exam- ine it at this point. We know that, by some means, order, life, organism have come to our planet, and that everywhere matter has attained to conditions and relations implying intel- ligence that, to say the least, fairly indicate to the un- prejudiced observer the presence of wise design, suggest- ing consummate skill and the most careful adaptations. Now, we may well ask, has modern discovery found in matter and motion anything — any virtue, any essential quality — to which we may refer all this as to an adequate cause ? As we cannot attempt a survey of this wide, almost infinite, field, we will confine our notice to a few of the most familiar instances indicative of directing wisdom and a creating hand ; of a wise, beneficent de- signer, — instances that plainly reveal the " finger of God." We are to remember that, according to this the- ory, no organ, faculty, or quality, no gift or tendency, of plant or animal, was designed for it or given to it; 828 i.i vim; QUESTIONS. but Bomehow it helped itself and was aided by its envi- ronment, until it came at last to possess all desired pow- and adaptations. " Environment, need, habit, lection/' — these are the potencies. How the plant or animal could live during the long period of its endow- ment, or its preparation to live, we arc ool told. How animals that depend for their living upon Bight orsoenl could wait for these organs and endure their long fast is unexplained. According to the theory, the bird docs not brood her not to hatch \\cr young; neither does the bee gather honey Cor any end or purpose. Both these acts — all sim- ilar acts — arc simply fortunate as means of reproducing or preserving life, though thai was not the design. And, tor that matter, the nest of the bird, the cell of the I the stores of the squirrel, the house of the beaver, the web of the spider, the cities of the ant, and bo on end- lessly, none of these, not hing in nature, reveals wisdom, plan, or purpose, but simply a blind, mechanical, ma- terial result, "the lasting register of physical influ- ences." It hardly seems possible that such ideas can prevail where a liberal share of common-sense is en- joyed. Bui we must receive far more marvelous conclu- sions if we are discipled by the advocates of this new gospel. A recent writer, \V. II. Savage, in a " Phi Beta Kap- pa" address at Bowdoin College, expresses great sur- prise "that even college professors still enforce upon their Classes this thought of divine wisdom as presented in natural theology." Thai is, these men, who ought t<> know better, are yet BO foolish as to call attention to THE REAL T& indica! • 1 1 1 as seen in the earth and heavens. And this writer, in behalf of Evolution, telle us that the ear was not made that ire mighl hear; it reveals do intention, expi no though! or adapta- tion irhateyer. Hut we wanted to hear, to learn the news, — and the pulsations of air, co-operating with this re, a; ilted in the organ of hearing. % - M.r 5, " ifl the creation <»f the vibra- tions that convey Bounds. . . . Should these vibrati now cran', the ear would in time disappear from the inisin. Renew them, and they would re-create the. m that should perceive them." It is true, if there were no Bound there could he do or perception of Bound : hut that th vibrations of air create the m of hearing, is Bprawling logic. We know that use modifies all our powers; but how we felt the n< of hearing, or came to desire this sense before we knew anything of sound, we are not told. Then how' should or could this vibration concentrate it-elf to a single point, and set to work there ? One would suppose that, as sound-waves strike the whole body, they would make ears over the entire surface. — make the whole form auricular: or that those who lived in noisy places — by the sounding sea or by a thundering cataract — would have more and longer ears than those dwelling in quiet localities. It is not easy to understand why this all- powerful, all-sapient vibration should choose two poii on either side of the head, and just there make perfect acoustic instruments. To believe this, we must beli( that mere sound possesses supremest sense — vibrations of air must be endowed with superhuman wisdom ; we 330 li vim; Qtr£8TT0K6 must believe thai Bound understands perfectly its own laws, and bow to apply them. What amazing wisdom does this imply! The ablest scientists in the world, thongh they possessed the requisite power, could notj guided by their own knowledge, complete and ad just the organ of hearing. Examine the seal of this sense: the shell-like beauty of the outer car ; the marvel- of construction and adap- tation that are found in every part, — the tympanum, the labyrinth, the chain of little hones, the cells, the canals, the fluid, the lining, the delicate filaments of the auditory nerve: — examine all, and, unless you hare a theory to sustain, you will certainly believe that this perfect instrument was made 1 to hear with — was made that we might hear ; while you cannot conclude that it was the result of sound without sense — "the creation of vibrations that convey sounds/ 3 Of course this hypothesis of Evolution teaches the Bame in regard to sight. The desire to see and the ac- tion of light have made the eye. The doctrine is, the organ of vision was not made or given that we might see, — not at all : hut we see because we have vision. If one can examine this most delicate and complicated instru- ment, st udy the anatomy of Bight, and after all fairly con- clude that it reveals no finality, no design, no God, then I must conclude that though there he design, though there he a God, still it is impossible to prove their exist- ence, impossible to receive any testimony or believe any truth. The idea of fortuity in the structure of the eye is un- thinkable. That blind matter, acting on the principles THE REAL IBBUE 831 of e3 tience and Bhowing Biiperhumaii knowled should Bay, u Lei there be lighl to living oreatures" — this is («) suppose, ii"! ;i miracle, hut an amazing prod- igy. It is to Buppose an effect without a cause; it ap- peals, not to our reason, hut to such childish credulity as was once charmed, fascinated, bj Btories of useful giants and benevolent Fairies. Sir [saac Newton, tilled with reverent Burprise at the marvels Found in the or- gan of vision, asked, "Could Be who made t he eye have been ignorant of the laws of optics?" But now we are told that this wonderful, exquisite apparatus is entirely mindless in its construction — a lucky hit, altogether a fortuitous result ! In this manner Evolution provides for and bestows every Organ of sense and every quality of mind and body. Perfume makes the nose: though how its gentle touch could make so prominent a feature is still a mys- tery. Perhaps smells were stronger and had more ex- ecutive ability in the far-off past ! But how and why the organs of sight and hearing, of taste and smell, should be local, while the sense of feel- ing is universal,— distributed over the entire body, — I am sure cannot be answered by these theorists, or by any who deny all-wise design in our creation and outfit. Light, sound, and perfume must impinge on our bodies without respect to place; while if environment, if exter- nal stimuli, can produce any organ of sense, we must suppose that the influence of contact would be localized, and a special place given to the sense of touch. But what wisdom and beneficence are here revealed, not only in the placing of other organs, but especially in 332 LIVING QUESTIONS, making the whole body sensitive! This is a rough and often a delusive world. We are surrounded bycountL imiee — enemies thai oome by stealth or undercover of the darkness. Sence we need myriads of sentinels to warn n- sleepless detectives, such as our nerves of feeling supply, to guard every avenue by which the most outspoken or most insidious can approach to injure or kill. Thus if we look at our endowments and surroundings as expressive of divine wisdom, as tokens of infinite care, we are constantly tilled with wonder and gratitude at the power and love we see revealed. There is in this view no confusion of thought : we Bee a perfect har- mony of cause and effect : while the universal feeling of reverence finds its proper objeel ; the sense of obligation and desire for worship find a holy shrine : hope springs immortal in the heart, belting the future with bows of promise; the assurance of almighty power and of divine, personal sympathy makes all things sacred, filling the soul with sweet peace and joy unspeakable. But, OD the other hand, if we deny all purpose, all intelligence; andaccepl the idea of "automatic causa- tion, w then we must make matter act — act as if it had intelligence; choose as if it had free will, as if it loved — a- if il loved the righl and detested the wrong; as if it had often a keen Bense of justiceand of strong sympathy for virtue and truth. We must make it more skillful than the wi-eM. more gigantic than giant8; divine in love, infinite in righteousness, and Godlike in attribute. Bui we cannot d<» this: and either there is an immanent, righteOUfi God, <>r all nature with one voice declares and THE tUBAl IS81 I rover a holy lie a blessed, peace-giving, en- nobling falsehood. On thispoinl there is still an importanl consideration. For we claim to Bee " design " — the hand of I l-od uol only in the material, bul also in fche moral world, the world of human action and responsibility. And by Borne means there is in this sphere do! only a solemn sense obligation, bul it is forever pervaded by a power thai eannot be automatic — "a power thai makes for right- eousnesses force that makes righteous, or, failing of this, becomes a power of retribution. Indeed we sec a prevailing, a mysterious moral selection and survival, not of the tough, the muscular and selfish, but of tbe meek and humble, the self-sacrificing and just— a sur- vival of purity and righteousness, plainly revealing the will of God in the wide realm of human life and action. While there is an all-pervading principle of continu- ity, yet, instead of blind, automatic action, we can but see that the things and influences about us are con- nected with the past as a fulfillment, and that they are also prophetic, preparatory, — indicating and producing future conditions. Xo doubt every atom and soul be- longs to a great system of mutual dependence and sup- port; all nature being bound, blended, by a spirit of perfect unity. Bur, this proves nothing for the Evolu- tionist,, unless he can also prove that this succession, dependence, and progress are undesigned, resulting me- chanically, necessarily; and that all transition is always by slow, insensible gradations, nature never presenting a crisis or moving abruptly, never permitting revolution or cataclysm, but producing all the fruits of time — ma- 334 II\I\<, QUESTIONS terial, animal, intellectual, moral- — by an imperceptible essital ion. Bui pre are quite Burethis Fundamental principle of evolution cannot be sustained. For we not only see progress by Blow unfoldings, "like Beed casl into the -round and bringing forth in order the blade, the ear, and the full corn f but how often, al leasi inhuman history, we may also see the mosl Budden and radical changes! Love come-, or anger, or ambition, or ava- rice, or some impassioned form of genius, breaking up in a moment the great deep of the heart, of society, and sweeping away all the firm-set barriers of conservatism and habit. Our personal history is but a symbol of the changes and revolutions that come to nations -revolu- tions marked by floods of passion, by heroism or coward- ice, thai alter in a brief period the map of the world and the destiny of millions. There certainly lias been >wth by imperceptible evolution, but in the history of the moral world progress has also seen "a nation born in a day," according to the divine promise. " The old order changeth, yielding place to new; And God fulfills himself in many way-. Lest one good custom should corrupt the world." And all progress has been secured by various means. Now God has wrought by the crawling glacier, and anon by the rending thunder of the earthquake. An in- of the sea, the feeble polyp, lays the corner-stone and builds from the deep the foundations of a continent, slowly toiling through dateless ages; or we behold the omnipotence of the cyclone bursting over fated lands out of a perfect calm. Thus, while slow unfolding lias tee //am/, xaax its place, bo, too, revolutions haye their mis-ion, in the plan of < tod. W i -hs in history, and behind them great men who are no! the result of the common forces about them, noi the product of their environment or of the educational influences of We aee men like Paul or Lut her, wh< \ i surprise, a revolution, an "untimely birth." To our world and race, Christ was again "the beginning of the creation^of God." Ee was noi a flower of Judaism, nol the fruii of the Augus- tan age; but u the full corn in the ear" of a perfect hu- manity, and the epiphany of divine glory, who could not have been molded and matured alone by the homes and Bchools of Bethlehem or Nazareth. Evolution will not, can not, solve the mystery of the Christian era ; for there area thousand " missing links" between the philosopher of Athens, the supreme heathen pontiff at Borne, the high-priesl at Jerusalem, and this "Carpenter of Naza- reth," who, out of the darkness of a dark world, arose, a Sun of Righteousness, and whose golden beams have filled these two millenniums with celestial, healing light! Darwinian Evolution teaches, or admits as a truth of science in one instance at least, that which in all other cases it regards as a violation, an intrusion, of natural order. It teaches that, once upon a time, when the cool- ing earth firs! became a possible home for living things, God wrought one or two miracles by breathing the breath of life into the simplest forms: and hence the or- ganic world began its march — began to be — by the spe- cial flat of the Almighty! But this surrenders the whole 336 uvi\<; QUESTIONS, question and directly admits of " final causes." Tin bowing reverently to Moses and his book of Genesis; for it is inconceivable that infinite wisdom and beneficence could ad without design— could bestow the gift of life aimlessly, fortuitously. And in this admission we are reminded of the Apostle's sweeping declaration, " Whosoever offends or stum 1 in one point of the law, be is guilty of all." The Evolu- tionist here — htmself being the judge — breaks the boasted law of continuity; breaks the whole principle of neces- sary , materialistic unfolding; breaks down the entire fab- ric of an automatic Godless order. While he is contin- ually charging the Christian with the absurdity of his faith in Divine Providence, we may well say: " Physi- cian, heal thyself:'* "Casl this mote of miracle out of thine own eye before BO officiously and without reason seeking to caeri out my beam of the eternal immanence and activity of God." We must still notice that essential, fundamental doc- trine of Evolution— the transmutation of species. We see an orderly succession in the organic, intellec- tual and spiritual realm.-. Can this he accounted for without directive wisdom that is beyond and ahove this plane of being? Can life and its changes he explained by the convenient formula, " the sequence of events" — or, u there is a law of persistent force acting on the uni- verse"? ( )r. taking higher ground, we may ask : Has God chosen this method to develop the organic and inorganic worlds? Etas he multiplied species by making one grow out of an- other, or \>\ making many grow out of one ? While we THE REAL ISSUE, 331 !iui hear hie voic e his hand, is ii byslow trans- formi8mfl thai hie no^ filled with Buoh countle8fl varieties, or is it, as the Bible indicates, by giving an original, separate parentage to each spec etable and animal? Have all the distinct varieties of life fish, reptile, mammal, the rose, the oak, the palm, the serpent, eagle, dove, ho 'ilia, and man — grown out of two or three primordial forms, grown oul of each other, or have they a distincl origin divinely given at the first? The advocates of Evolution claim that, as you trace etable and animal species or races backward, they slowly, surely converge, the lines of life, or organism, coming at last to a single rude form — the parent of all. ( >r, as yon go forward, the drift of organic existence di- verges, differentiating into all the varied tribes of the world. Little by little, ever reaching after tin- better through those pptenl means of grace, .-election, heredity, environment, species have been evolved, the higher grow- ing out of the lower, ever on and up, so that we have, for history, order from chaos, the organic from the in- organic, flowering plants growing out of the fiowerless; then Bkull-less animals and fishes growing out of these low forms; reptiles growing out of fishes, and })\V(\> out of reptiles; mammals on t of birds, and so on, — species unfolding species, until, from an apelike animal, we come at last to man. But is this history ? Certainly not ! It is unadulter- ated theory. The progressive character of creation and the order of organic succession cannot be more clearly or perhaps more accurately stated than in Genesis, while I.IYrxal attained. . . . We cannot discover on any -pot of the -loin* a transforma- tion of Bpecies now going on. Eowever tar hack we go in geological records, we find the same distinction of species in the animal and vegetable world." No new species by transmutation ! And this integrity of kind is one of the clearesl evidence- of directive wis- dom. Were there no impassable harriers, and were nature accessory to this supposed universal amalgama- tion, how quickly would field, forest and garden, earth, air and ocean, he tilled with boundless confusion ! When we consider the varieties of life, the impulses that pre- vail, the persistency of vitality in plant and animal, this unspotted purity of nature through dateless ,i becomes to the thoughtful a striking miracle. Here is a crucial test of the theory of Evolution. If transmutation fails, it is fairly disproved. i\' this law of kind— or the bringing forth of "species by Bpecies, " as declared in Genesis to he the ordinance of (iod for ever] living thing, — if this is also declared to he abso- lute, inviolable law in the older hook of nature, then this modern notion of metamorphosis must go the way of the theory and hopes of the old alchemists. Perhaps there has always heen a belief in transmuta- tion, and we know that this faith, or credulity, lias at time- become an absorbing passion: and no wonder, when it promised boundless health and wealth. Once. ////•: /;/;.! /. ISSUE* 341 hope was based ,>n some marvelous change to be pro- duced in matter. Alchemists vainly toiled to break down the primal law by which atoms are marshaled in perfeci order and number to preserve the identity, sim- plicity, and the official virtue of the elements of the cosmos. These transmutationists were haunted by the thought that they could so mix and cross the lines and measures of God's chemistry as to make youth grow out of old age, and gold grow out of the baser metals ! The theory no* is, that by sonic means there may he. <>r there k a transmutation in the world of life, by which the lines of organic identity not only approach, hnt cross and vanish: the lower orders being changed into the higher— the leaden brute transmuted into the golden man ! Hut the same invariable laws that defeated thealchem- ist defy the Evolutionist. The beauty and fidelity of both the organic and inorganic worlds are secured by definite simples, by immutable elements whether of life or of matter. For while there are endless possible com- binations, while there is infinite flexibility, yet there is a limit— fixed, absolute. When the chemist has discov- ered the constituents of a compound, he knows that wherever this combination occurs there will always be the same product. Let him take by weight eight part of oxygen and one of hydrogen, and united they form water. No other elements and no other proportion can form this fluid; but these never fail— like begetting like, and everything "bringing forth after his kind." Then- is no crossing, no misalliance; for even the dead, dull things beneath our feet are not, ;ls Dr, Youmans says, 343 uvi\<; QUESTIONS, "mere confused masses of matter, bul the] are pervaded through their Innermost oonstitution bj the harmony of numbers." We might well ask, u Why are all the dead Forces bound by God's own hand to keep their places under the law of equivalent affinities, bo that not an atom of deviation is possible, while the developments of life i left without specific permanence P" But there is no Buoh abandonment. When life is added to matter, an- archy does Hot follow. Chemical elements that by analogy, as we have seen, may be compared to kinds or Bpecies have never been, nor can they be, transformed into something else. In regard to the identity of element or compound there cannot occur an atom of change in the change of atoms. If God thus guards the integrity of iron, lead, salt, and BUgar, species and varieties of the dead world, will he not also provide for the order and beauty of the living ? No more do the lines in animate nature blend or cr than the lines of classification that the chemist observes in the laboratory. Now the experience and observation of the world are in harmony with these principles of integrity and iden- tity. We never find any nondescript, unclassified plant or animal, living or dead ; that is, we never find link-. though there ifl BUCh a demand for them, such a ne< -it v. We never find any trace, or remains, to show when or where a species, or individuals of a species, were transformed or grew into something different and higher; thus BUpetseding, a- ESvolution demands, the kind from which they grew. Of course no living Bpecies has pro- ////•: /,•/•: w T881 343 dnced another and nobler one, tor the essential idea of the theory is that all living things illu rar« \i\:il of thl :." The difficulties of Sir. Darwin's theory of desoenl jusi at this point are multiplied because he does not, as many suppose b thai man comes directly from the ape, nor !'r«>ni any living animal. There are at 1< two reasons * h\ be i annot. First, the difference is too it between the besi developed ape and the poorest Bample of man. To transmute one from the otherwould imply an enormous leap over a wide organic space in- ad of the imperceptible, the little-by-little changes that are an essential pari of this hypothesis. The sec- ond reason is, Evolution declares man to be a growth resulting from " struggle n and "survival f hence, as with all other living things, the immediate predecessor of man must have been destroyed, absorbed in the strug- gle for life. The fitted survived ! Mr. Darwin gives a probable description of our immediate ancestor. But, as we were saying, the trouble is to find some trace, some proof of this most interesting arboreal ani- mal. Theory says he lived and was slain ; but there must be evidence of his identity and death. As yet, however, DO act of Imbeds corpus lias forced earth or ocean to give up the precious secrel — to produce the body, or even a hone ! And not only in regard to man, but in all the numberless cases of survival, the puzzle is to find the least trace of those slain in this struggle. We should expect these connecting links to he common and cheap enough. From the bottom of the Laurentian rocks to the top of our present world, — or the last layer 344 LI VI Mi QUESTIONS. on the post-tertiary, — we should, according to this theory, find any number of fossil- marking the growth of the countless varieties thai have been evolved from "the one or two primordial forms." But nol a true link, or, as we -aid. a nondescript, can be found ! This would be impossible, it seems to me, if Darwinism were correct. The lines of life, as drawn on all the fossilifer- OUfl rocks, are parallel. Though we search, ransack rock and fen, quarry and gravel-pit, mine and cave and mountain, there has never yet been found, and never will he, an organic creature that in the order of descent has not, been derived from a being organized like itself. In conclusion, we will refer to a few established prin- ciple First All are agreed that there was a time when our world was lifeless; when neither vegetable nor animal existed. And now, after numberless experiments, scien- tific men also agree in the statement that life always implies antecedent life. " Spontaneous generation " is no longer advocated. There is no virtue in matter capable of bringing life from the lifeless. Where death ordeadness is involved vitality cannot be evolved! There isa break here— a accessary rupture of the law of continuity: for a lifeless globe must remain lifeless, unless some super-material power, some Life, gives life; thus abolishing deadness by an outside force that all the forms and elements of matter could not give to this torpid world. Our geologists in this agree with Moses in (Genesis; that is, in representing the earth as once de- void of all life. And he also states the general order of creation precisely as it is recorded on the rocks. Then, TBB tUBAL TBBUM 346 in tlir Bimplesl ye1 sublimed language is which the Btory was ever told, he tella how life rain**: it \va ia forever, the gifl of God ! What can be more reasonable than this history of its origin? The Evolutionist here feels hie poverty, and Lb compelled to confess thai he can give do other; for he is forced toadmit within the realm of the material the ncy of the supernatural. II*- is obliged to have re- course to "the interference of God" — an expression of his own that is Ealse and beggarly, but an expression that truly presents his idea of that which he regards as the <>nc. exceptional ac1 of the AIniightj Father. u [n- terference," indeed 1 Bis position is, If God will only -rant the least touch of his power (for here we are power- less), and give the faintest possible spark of vitality jusl to start the procession, then we can clothe the naked world with flowery verdure; forthwith shall rise fair ranks of trees, and soon we may " Sec through this air, this ocean, and this earth, All mutter quick, and bursting into birth," Certainly this is neither scientific nor religious. Here is a complete failure of the theory ; for, as we have said, one touch of the spiritual, the supernatural, vitiates it as much as would a thousand miracles. And how does the Evolutionist know that God did not directly involve all the organic world in these primordial forms, making them germinant? But if possible and real, this would be the same in the ease of each plant and animal as an immediate creation. Second. As we have said above, there is no evidence that a new species has ever been produced by modifica- 346 Livi\<, QtrBsnom tinii. While the advocates of this t beory bave much to of the potency of environment, habit, selection, and struggle ("V life, \ « t after all research and experiment we have no n«-u organism, qo proof that " even a sin. m has ever been produced " by these ureal factors in Ei olution, Thinl. So far back a- they have been traced, all lines <»f race or species are parallel; they are never found to blend or cross. Our ablesl teachers declare the notion <»f u insensible modifications" to be unfounded. Some of the very highesl botanical authorities, as .M. Naudin, tell us that "when notable changes are produced they OCCUr abruptly; while the appearance of new variet has always been sudden." Indeed, all research denies this idea of Fusion— Or rather of eonfusiun. Agassiz says, u There are parts of this continent formed by the accumu- lated shells of polyps, whose history can he traced hack two hundred thousand Years: vet not even the shadow of a variation can he detected," — the same to-day as when they commenced this mighty work. Dr. Dawson informs his readers thai " there are cata- logues of ninety-eighl Bpecies of mammals which inhab- ited Europe in the post-glacial period. Of these, fifty- en .-till exist unchanged in the least, and the remain- der have disappeared. Not one can be Bhown to have been modified into a new form. All the existing European mammal- extend hack in geological time at least as bras man, bo that since the post-glacial period no new Bpecies bave been introduced in any way. Fifty- en parallel lines of descent have in Europe rim on along with man, without change of material modification I m: REAL TSBl 847 any kind. II re we have an accumulation of facts «»f profound significance. Man and his companion-mam- mals present from the first . lines, not oon- if they pointed to Borne common progenitor, but strictly parallel to each other." And so from every point of new we are Led to rejoice in the hope and faith of our fathers. We rejoice in a revelation of the wisdom and power and present tod. We rejoice in the Gospel of Christ as revealing that which meets every demand of the heart, as presenting a religion which we may embody in our lives and that will lead to the evolution of the truest, divines! manhood. And we especially rejoice in the trance the Gospel gives as, that "there is one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all. w XVII. THE Vim: and THE BRANCH. " Ami he brought him to Jesus." — John i. 4*J. What can seem more trivial than sued a statement! According to our imperfect estimates, how unimportant such an event ! And yet, have we imt learned that in the moral world there are no trifles? Have we not learned that the feeblest things are often of infinite im- portance? "Not many mighty, not many noble" men or deeds are found among the chosen means of <«<>d for the ful- fillment of his -rear designs. Hi> elections are never sensational, but humble. As rivers thai water a conti- nent have an obscure source far away amid mountain soli- tude-, BO he .-elects the feel>]e.-t mean.- for the grandest purposes. We see the splendor of his wisdom and power in the consummation, not the inception, of his plans. The pages Of history and the face of creation present countless parables to rebuke our vanity, arro- gance, and ambition. " Trifles — mere trifles, " we say; yet on these may de- pend the destiny of men, of nations, and of ages. The most Ear-reaching and influential incidents belong to the fa con-cerate a world to the rights of man. Carey and Morrison, Xavier and Judsou were brought THE VIM" i VD Tin-: i B and they, with the hei ad heroines like them, have brought millions home to God ! Bj the jhty impulse of Christian love, the] ad mountains, did qoI oounl their lives bo precious he winning d s. Ami now I si in heaven, ami u their works follow with them.'' y ou remember when timid friends aimed to dissuade ter from his noble purpose to preach the Gospel d the Euphrates and the Ganges, he replied in the immortal hymn : " Hush lose y<>ur dismal story; What to n\r arc tempests wild? Heroes on the way to glory Heed not pastimes of a child; — For the souls of men I'm sailing. Blow, ye winds, north, south, east, west; Though the storm be round me wailing, There'll be peace within my breast." William Wilberforce was brought to Jesus, and England became an empire of free men, — the first in human his- tory. But we cannot name nor count the stars that shine in God's sky, not even those of the first magni- tude; He alone who made them can tell all their names and number them. Some sixty years ago, George the Fourth was king of Britain. What is left to-day of that royal life? Is there anything save a scanty record of worthlessness and shame? Under this king there lived and toiled, down by the sea at Portsmouth, a poor, lame shoemaker who, besides pounding the lapstone on his knee, consecrated him to bringing the outcast and the forsaken to Christ the 354 UVING QUB8TT0N& tour. While the monarch rests iu undisturbed forget- fulness, the cobbler is crowned with immortal glory. Sea : poor, Buffering John Pounds, though dead, is preaching still,— the prophet of philanthropy, the savior of the neglected and forgotten. Eow fruitful was his loving life ! How many he brought to Jesus ! Bis little Bhop, eighteen by six, became to no less than five hundred forsaken children the entrance to manhood, the door of life and salvation. Though dark and dingy, it was the gate of heaven. What a halo of glory will gather round the old cobbler when, standing amid the rescued ones, — standing before the throne of judgment, — the Saviour shall say as he gives him the crown, " Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these, my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me"! Thus we Bee and vindicate the value of this record, the importance of this simple act of Simon Peter's brother. And we may sec the meaning of Christ when he says, " He that abideth in me, and I in him, bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing." And we can understand more clearly also the meaning of St. Paul as he exclaims. "] can do all things through Christ which strengthened me. M This is both saintly ex- perience and sober truth. Look at it for a moment. We are not aware how much of Christ there is in the world. What can you name that dignities and adorns this life of ours : of what privilege or enjoyment can you think: to what beneficent enterprise can you point; to what glory of art, beauty of literature, revelation of power, or grandeur of attainment, that is not the out- come of Christianity j the result of union with Christ? RES VTNB .\\l> THE BRANCR bearing the world on to diviner b< tid< thai rtir the great deep of humanity, .-till beai out from the loving heart of Chi ' And Andre* findeth first his own br< on, and saitta onto him, We have found the M- w ah; and he brought him unto Jesus." I- not tins a complet I are oi itial unity ? 1 1 uo1 answer, What is it to be a Christian? Does \\ uot present the true and o tial ant .! oi a life rich in hope, faith, and char Indeed, is not this simple art the initial of practical, eha: 3 Christianity ? Do we not find here the true philosophy of the Gospel it beii sonaland loving, Dot abstract or th< a; ? " He brought him to Jesus." A living union of heart with heart, a blending of life with life, instead of subscription, instead of dogma or ritual; — not something doctrinal, but vital; not form, but spirit; not the perfection of logic, but fullness of love; not the solving of a metaphysical problem, but divine sympathy; not a plan or system, but being, the reflection of Divinity; not a creed, but a life; not profession, but character; not truth formulated, but truth incarnate, embodied; not the Shibboleth of a sect, but love, light, inspiration; — a personal, living union; the member is united to the body, as the branch to the vine: so that we are one with Him and in Him who is "head over all tilings to the Church, which is his body, the fulness of him that tilleth all in all.'' It seems to me this is Christianity according to Christ. Just here let me quote a few striking words from our well-known, earnest brother, Rev. Joseph Parker. Speak- ing of the " divine call, " he says: u Probably the greatest LIVLXt; QVBSTION& stumbling-block to the extension of Christ's influence is or formulated theology. The world is i waiting for a voice crying in the wilderness thai men are to be Bayed, not by theology, but by Christ. The Church must L r <» back to Christ's own living and mighty way of talking to craving and aching hearts. Throughout his ministry Jesus called men to himself: c Follow me;' 'Come unto me' — this is the personal strain from beginning to end, and it is the only strain adapted to the capture and redemption of the world. Christ calls men to himself without first Betting forth a list of points to be accepted. We have to believe in the Eevealer, and then we shall have no difficulty about the revelation. This call met a dee}) craving of the heart. The world had lived long enough upon written promises; the cold parchment was becoming colder day by day. The aching heart of so- ciety wanted a heart, — life demanded life. It has been often asserted that Christ did not set down in sequential order what is known as a system of divinity. This is true, and a most striking proof of his divine authority and wisdom. The divine, the immeasurable, the eternal cannot be formulated." Life cannot be systematized. Christ did not come with a written creed in quest of sig- natures: for this would have divided instead of united the world; but he came to give life — to give it more abundantly." 1 have no doubt that my experience has been also the experience of thousands; and I well remember how long I BOUght the God of a system, a doctrinal Saviour, the Redeemer of a formula, and sought in vain. But when 1 felt and saw the personal sympathy of a loving, divine THE 17. YA' \\D THE BRANCH. 867 II. art, — a of the on and bearing the burd ful; a heart thai brooded r me in infinite tenderness, [ike the yearning in of my mother, as real and as compassionate: nay, that was pierced and broken tor m en what light, what Boo joy and peaa confidence and hope, 3W< throngh my being, ae I tell and knew the personal love of Christ ! And if anything in this world the experience of this vital anion — this personal lore and lead of Christ the 8 our. It was neither new nor Btrange two thousand yean for men, as disciples or learnei seek and follow Borne wise man as their teacher. In all the good and strong have toiled to improve, to purify, and to edify their fellow-men: Beeking to make the good better, and to re- form the bad. To accomplish this, to uplift and >.-. there are at least two distinct methods, that may be de- scribed as the Philosophic and the Christian, the method of Greek wisdom and the method of Divine wisdom. Both still exist. We have the followers of Plotinus, Porphyry, Strauss, and Parker; we have the "Free Religionists," and the Philosophers of Boston, as then there were the teachers of Athens— sages of the Garden, the Portico, and the Lyceum. But that which men Bought before and have often sought since the time of Christ— the solution of the great problem of redemption— was solved only by our Divine Master; and his solution of this question is still the only way of life and salvation. "For there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved/' 358 UVnrO QUESTIONS. Between the Philosophic and Christian methods there is a radical difference. Both aimed at moral excellence; but while one plainly points out the path of duty, the other kindles in the heart a love for goodness— a hunger- and thirsting after righteousness. One enlightens, the other inspires. The Philosopher presented abst] t i TBS GRANGE. When we come to know th< B our, and see his match nty as he bn !orl h ou1 of the oloi of our donbl and Bin, like th< . of the morning; as ire Bee his tender] '1 power when "he lets the lifted thunder drop," and extends in- arms to d og, " Loves! thou me? Loves! thou me more than these?" — we not only admire and rev< . bu1 our hearts are filled with an intense, an unspeakable love: and in this personal affection, deeper and stronger than any other, is found the saving power of the Gospel. Do you suppose that men live up to their ideal of right, of truth, of justice? Alas ! how few of as do as well as we know ! Men whose thoughts arc clear aa the sunshine, having dark, sensual impulses, will not obey the Light of intellect, hut often will follow the satanie enticements of their hearts. Men are not bo vile because reason is perverted, hut because affection or passion is depraved. Giant impulse is like Samson bound with green withes; it mocks at logic, ami all the cords of reason are like threads of ilax touched by flame. There is but one power that can hold passion in check, convert impulse, and sanctify even a depraved sensibility. Ajb we search for this power, intellectual glory Bays, " It 18 not in me," and points sadly to many a human wreck, who in his fall was little less than an archangel ruined. Reason says, "It is not in me," and we think of him who was the "greatest, wisest, meanest of mankind." Gtenius says, " This saving [tower is not in me," and we recall with sorrow many "stars of the morning" who. Lucifer-like, have fallen from heaven — " fallen from the rupture of a rainbow to the remorse of a -ewer "! 980 LIVING QUBSTI0N8 Knowledge, zeal, faith; the eloquence of an angel or a Webster; the inspiration of a Balaam ora Byron; the wisdom of a Solomon ora Bacon — all fail: but "Charity never faileth." Love alone is victorious over evil. Even by human means we see how it saves, [fwe love o who 18 pure; if the heart is drawn out in supreme alV tion to a loving heart that is also strong and noble, it will often redeem us from temptation, lift the soul out of sin — out of the nether hell of fleshly desire. Love for wife, child, parent is a redeeming power. Many a baby hand has touched witli divine healing a household, or gently led a wicked father tip to God. " He that abideth in love abideth in God, and God abideth in him." Not many years ago a noble, loving woman sailed the wide seas, and in the name of Jesus gave her heart and life to her wretched sisters in India. How the mountain barriers and the iron chains of ages are pierced and melted by her power ! The beatings of her heart shake down the walls that no cannon's thunder could destroy. " Virtue goes out from her, healing the bloody issues of forty centuries; it makes women of slaves, and brings hope to this old nation. Thousands of little girls speak the name of Miss Carpenter as martyrs speak the name of Jesus." Says an English writer: "Being out late that night, I returned by the Lee cabin about eleven o'clock. As 1 approached, I saw a Btrange-looking object cowering un- der the low eaves. A cold rain was foiling; it was late i t 1 autumn. As I drew near 1 saw it was Millie, wet to the -kin. Her father had driven her out some hours before, and she had lain down to listen for the heavy the vnra and the branor snoring of his drunken dumb ••••[> back to her bed, Bui before Bhe heard it, 11 into a troub ep, with the rain-drops pattering upon her. 1 tried to take her home with me; but no: true as a martyr faith, she struggled from me and returned to her dark and silent cabin. So in lov< filed, and at length Lee grew >len1 to his Belf-denying child. One day, as he awoke after a dehauch, and saw his Millie preparing his breakfast, and heard her sin-in. childish song, lie turned to her and, with a tone almost tender, said: l Millie, what makes you stay with mi'?' "'Because you are my father, and because I love you/ "'You love me? 5 repeated the wretched man; 'you love me! ' He looked at his bloated limbs, his soiled and ragged clothes. ' You love me,' he murmured. ' Millie, what makes you love me ? I am a poor drunkard— every- body despises me: why don't you ? ' "'Dear father,' said the girl, with swimming eyes, 'my mother taught me to love you; and every night she comes from heaven and stands bv mv little bed, and says, "Millie, don't leave your father; he will get away from that rum-fiend some of these days, and then how happy you will be!"'" It was enough; the day of redemption had come. Love had triumphed. The chains that bound this victim snapped asunder. The love of God incarnate in the heart of a child : — this is a revelation of the power of the kingdom of heaven. How full of suggestion and instruction are the words of our text! The great end of the Gospel is to bring us 362 LiviMi QtrBSttOUtA God. But how much precious time and ability hi been spent on the question, u Who shall have the right to bring souls to Jesus ? w or, How shall men seek tin-Lord? or, Where Bhall we find the Saviour? Our bliss and perfection are in the divine indwelling. Our glory, our heaven, to be "partakers of the divine nature" — " filled with all the fulness of ( k)d. w And how plain and simple are the conditions of this highest life — this life that comes with joy unspeakable! "Look unto me I" " Behold the Land, of God I w "Come unto me V s "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink." Ear as any doctrine, any dogma, any form or ceremon- ial helps us or brings us to Christ, helps us and hinds OS to God, it is good, it is orthodox; 'out apart from this office it is useless. Yet, does not this liberty verge upon license? I know God is perfect and demands perfection. I know God is exact. He counts the dust and weighs the atoms; but we do not imitate the exactness of Cod by being technical, hypercritical, and formal: by tithing of our garden-herbs, and Btraining out gnats, while weomit the weightier matters of the law, and. after all our theo- ical filtering, end with Bwallowing camels. There is nothing in Christianity like the use of a charm, or an enchantment; but with all its mysteries it is practical as life, direct as Bunbeams, solemn and positive as the Word of God. u Be that is not with me is against me:'* u Be that is not against us is for us, ,J said the Master. No, beloved, the sou] is not cleansed by any outward ramental lustrations, though conduits should bring the baptismal flood straight from the Jordan. Christ TEE VINE AM> THE BRANCH. Inn! Lustration. We are cleansed only by Bim who comes without oh mes in mercy, Baying, "Now arc ye clean through the word which I have Bpoken unto vou." Ami you remember the word of the beloved Apostle, u 1 1 we confess our sins, Christ will cleanse as Erom all unrighteousness. ,J " The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." Wearenol regenerated by water- by washing; bu< we are " washed by regeneration." As Paul say-: "Saved through the mercy of God by the washing of regenera- tion, and the renewing of the Holy Spirit." It is no! by works of righteousness we are saved, for we "arc all the sons of God by faith in Jesus Christ." We arc not re- erated by baptism, but we are regenerated when bap- tized into Christ; but Christ is neither salt water nor fresh, neither the water of sprinkling, pouring, nor plunging. Yet this sacrament of baptism is precious: sacranientum, solemn pledge of our allegiance to the Divine Leader, and the symbol of our purity — that we will follow him in white. How wide and blessed is the liberty of the Gospel, how divine in its simplicity ! Here we see it in its com- pleteness: "And he brought him unto Jesus." Xot on this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem; neither on Zion nor on Gerizim are we to find the Saviour and worship the Father. We may find him at the well, by the river-side, out on the desert sea, in the wilderness, behind the lonely bier where the lonelier mourner found him. Not alone in cathedral aisles, not beneath groined arches or temple-domes, but wherever bends the sky-symbol of God's all-embracing love, we may find the Redeemer; 364 LIVING QUESTIONS. for our world is hallowed as bis birth-place and his tomb; by the mount of Buffering and the mount of ascension. " The healing of his em sinless dress I- by our beds of pain; We touch him in life's throng and press, And we are whole again. For warm. Bweet, tender, even yet A present help is he, And faith has still its Olivet, And love its Galili i It is not so much how wo come, or where, but Come ! It is not the moans, but the end; not the road, but the destiny; not the journey, but the home; not the cup, but the water and the bread of life. Yes: " Let him that hearetb say, Come ; and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." If you love your fellow-men; if you, like Andrew, have found the Saviour, you have the right supreme, divine, to bring souls to Christ: and though ordained by no bishop, licensed by no council or conference, it shall be the same to those you bring as if an archbishop or an angel brought them. Indeed, this right and power are a sacred duty. How solemn the thought that there are those to whom we are so related that if they are saved we must be the in- strument ! Ours must be the hand that plucks them back from ruin ; if they are brought to Jesus, it is for us to bring them. There is no stewardship like this, Its obliga- tions, how sacred ! Its rewards, how infinitely precious ! And we may labor with Christ. We too may bear THE 17 YD 1 UK in: .wen. OB and "kno* the fellowship of his raft Bhar ■ h him th< W( think of friendship and it > obligatioi >ring 1< ,V ^ to Jesus. We think oi borne, and the Bolemn the parent mediate before the moei ill aha- between their child: ;" oa all. 0, what a power tor good, (or healing of the world, there is in the gentle hand of Christian mother! While she lives we cannot lack 'iily iir .t the thn ; and the joys >i; 3 in bringing her dear to I Ihrisl ran only be equaled by the rapture of presenting them in heaven, as Bhe ■• Behold, here am I, and the children thon hast given fn< And in conclusion let me say, in the language of Whittier, that it is the great and precious truth of the Gospel, — " The mystery dimly understood, That love of God is love of good; That to be saved is mainly this, — Salvation from our selfishness, From more than elemental fire, The soul's unsanctified desire, — From sin itself, and not the pain That warns us of its chafing chain ; . . . That the dear Christ dwells not afar, The King of some remoter star. But here, amidst the poor and blind, The bowed and suffering of our kind, In works we do, in prayers we pray, Life of our life, he lives to-day." Booto of KcKfliotw Interest FORD-. Howard & HULBERT, 3^ */fc Pla • . .V rvfc Lyman Abbott, D.D. The Gospel History. See J. R. Gilmore. Henry Ward Beecher. Ey [ Th Doctrinal; pi Part II.— Practical and Vital; paper Si.oo. ihc two Parts in one volume, cloth, $1.50; half mor edges. $2.25, Ellinwood's Reports. Four vols.— S< 1873, to M'ch, '74; M'ch to Sept.. '; 74l to M M ch to Sept., 1S75. [Uniform with " Evolution and Religion "1 Cloth, §1.50 per vol. J PLYMOUTH It; I [T, back numbers, 5 cts. ; assorted lots, 50 per dozen. Send for list of remaining number! Yale Lectures on Preaching. I. Personal Elements; IL a^ Religious .Machinery; III. Christian Doctrines and their Use rhirty-thi -ures. 960 pages Three vol- umes in one. Vellum cloth. $2.00. Comforting Thoughts, for thosi i\ Bereave- ment, Illness, am. Adversity. Compiled by Irene Ovino ton. With Vignettes Cloth, limp, 75 cts.; cloth, gilt, $1.00; cushioned sealskin, gilt edges, $2.00. Royal Truths. Reported from his Spoken Words. Fourth American from Sixth English Edition. Cloth, $l.2<: half calf, $2. 00. A Summer in England. Addresses, Lectures and Sermons delivered there in 1SS6. With account of the Trip, by Mai. JAS. B. POND. Photo artotype portrait. Cloth, gilt top, '$2 00. Patriotic Addi i \ Si ivery, Civil War .in- cluding the Speeches in England, 1S63), and ClVIL I in the United Stati irmons, Articles, Letters, and Speeci 1850 to 1S85.] With a Review of his Personality and Political In- fluence by John R. Howard. Svo. Illustrated with Portraits. Cloth, $2.75; cloth, gilt. $3.25; half mor.. red edges, $4.25. {Subscription.) Lectures to Young Men, on Various Important Subjects. Cloth, $1.50. RELIGIOUS PUBUCA TIONS. Amory II. Bradford, D.D. Spirit and Life. Thoughts for To-Day, on the divine influence in human life. Vellum cloth, Si.oo. in admin , YI — Christian Union, I lelen Campbell. The Problem of the Poor. By the author of The Easiest War in Horn Cloth, 60 cts. tear, practical advice about methods of helping the pooroi in their scale of living, especially in matter of Di( its relation to Drunkenness and Dis- The book is both attra interesting, and of marked value in its unpretending contribution to the work of cleansing the sources from which come the great volume of our criminals — and our voters.'' — San Francisco Alta~( 'aJiforma. James R. Gilmore (Edmund Kirke). THE GOSPEL HISTORY. A connected Narrative of the Life of our Lord, woven from the texts of the Four Evangelists. With Notes, original and selected. — Indexes: Chronological Life of Christ; Persons, Places, and Topics, with over 300 referem Scriptun ;^es used in Text. List of 300 authors quoted. By James K. Gilmore {Edmund Kirke) and Rev. Lyman Ab- bott, D.D. Crown Svo, 840 pp. Cloth, red edges. £1.50. "No work on the Gospels which has yet been published will be found to take tl. .1 unique, compact, and interesting mod exhibiting the substance of the Gos- and with the aid of • ry considerable body will furnish a welcome help to a multitude of New Testament students ir obtaining a vivid concep- tion of the life and teachings of our Lord." — Rev. A. C. Kendrick, D.D., P% sity < ' er y Men Amer- ican Committee of Revision, N. 1 " Better adapted to common use in the family than any Harmony of the G nth which we are ac- quainted." — Xezv England er (Con- gregational ist). Roswell D. Hitchcock, D.D. See New Testament and Psalms: American Version. Nathan C. Kouns. Dorcas: The DAUGHTER of FAUSTINA. A Tale of Rome and the Early Christians. By the author of " Arius the Libyan." 255 pp. Beautifully Illustrated* $1.25. " Yon have hit the truth in iv. to the primitr. 1 istianity. Such books and id to my mind, are like lightning: they are un- ; . mablv brilliant; they Startle .in. I the moment, .... but in the md they purity the \. W. 1 1 >UR- . nor of ki A Eoofs Brra u The interest throughout is warm and human, the style simple and and the descriptions <^f the Roman Emperors, ^r that paid him l'< M out of his own brain, the a k. Anonymous. The Volcano under im City. By A VoluVti pp. With n ity, showing lice Precincts A graphic and authentic account of the Draft ! i <>}, in which more tl men were killed: about the only public sode of the Civil War not heretofore written up. All M The tim< I and pn 'klyn Tin ■ ' For tl the study of the late war of tlu- i !i< >n in ail it indis- Henry Ward Beecher. Patriotic Addresses in Ameru \ and Eh (1850-1885). . Civil War and the Development of Civii Liberty in the United States. Edited, with a " Review of Mr. Beecher's Personality and Influence in Public Affairs," by John R. Howard. 85S pp., Svo. Illustra Cloth. $2 75; cloth, gilt, $3.25; half mor. , $4.25. {Subsaiph M Indispensable to those who would justly estimate Mr. Beecher's life and labors."— Pn.f. R.W. Raymond, Ph.D. '* No library and no public man should be without a copy of this valuable vol- ume."— Hon. William M. Evarts. ■ \ new and valuable illustration of orator, the memory of which a grateful nation ought not to lose ; a contributio: ry of the nation in its most critical period. " — Ck ristia n i 'n ion . Beecher as a Humorist. Anecd ind Excerpts of \Vit and Humor from his works. Compiled by ELEANOR Kirk. i6mo, Vellum cloth. $1.00. 11 Hundreds of themes and thoughts, and every one with a whip-crack in it." — Texas Si/tings. 14 Extracts which now please the in- tellect, and now tickle the fancv into merriment, but which never fail to touch the heart of some eternal truth." — Providence Journal. Norwood; or. Village Life in New England. A novel. popular edition . ) Cloth , " Embodies more of the high art of I It will bear to be read and re-read as fiction than any half-dozen of the best often as Dickens' l Dom! >avid novels of the best authors of the day. | Copperfield.' "-Albany Eve*? Journal. Also, his Religious Works — Evolution and Religl Sermons, Lectures on Preaching. Royal Truths. Comforting Thoughts. A Summer in England (lectures and sermons, 1SS6). MISCELLANl PUBUCA TIONS* Alexandre Bicla. The Lovers of Provence [Aucassin and Nicolette)* A MS. Romance of the Xllth Century, rendered into UN QCh by Al EXANDRE BlDA. Translated into English Verse and Prose by A. R. MACDONOl GH. Introductory Note and Poem by EDMUND C Stedman. Exquisitely Illustrated by Alexandre BlDA, Makv EiALLOCK FOOTS, W. HAMILTON GIBSON, and F. man. New Edition* 121110. Antique binding, $1.50. "A delightful picture of mediaeval romance! pure in tone, and painted with a delicacy ol stroke and vividness btained in few modern The make-up of the book is in harmony with its charming its." 1 — Tkt Nation. •• Entirely unique and very beautiful . . . . —Cnica& Mt/.' 1 William Cullen Bryant. Family Library of Poetry and Song. Edited by \Y. C. BRYANT. Memorial Edition* 2000 poems from 700 au- thors — English, Scottish, Irish and American, including transla- tions from ancient and modern languages; 600 poems and 200 au- thors not in former editions. Containing also Mr. Bryant's Intro- ductory Essay on Poetry, one of his most valued productions; Biography of Mr. Bryant, by Gen. James Grant Wilson ; Com- plete indexes. Illustrated. Holiday, and Memorial Subscription Editions. Send for circular* M The most complete and satisfactory work of the kind ever issued." . '" Nothing has ever approached it in completen< Mail. " It is highly rittiiiLi that Mr. Bryant, who presided over American poetry almost from its birth, should have left this collection as an evidence of his in- fluence in forming the American taste for what is pure and noble." — tin in- nati Christian Standard. Helen Campbell. A S\ iy w City. Philadelphia, Old and New. fusely Illustrated* $200. Pro- beautiful and attractive a book up<»n the picturesque localities and characters of Philadelphia has never before been issued. Philadelphia. The Keystone, Tm Easiest Way in Housekeeping; Cloth. $r.oo. M By all odds the completest house- hold ''Cook-book ' that has come under our n •! <• "Admirable in matter, cheap in I and Cooking price, it seems will calculated to sup- ply the missing link in that line." — Chi- The Housekeepi r's Yi ar Book. Limp cloth, 50 cts. rt of culinary almanac forth-- year, with various instructions • h< >us on marketing for the various the table; useful in- formation regarding the day's workj and at the back a blank summary and outline for 'household Invent ' household hints,' etc.— Stan- . Mai tin VVai ren ( ' e Human M i 1 1 let, An 1. with I ■ ■ r thai w int for all the fa< ts, har- mless and drew much in- sj.ir.ui. »n from Greek and Roman < bile ' bett i i nly makes out an *.kai: S. M. Henry Davis. \ hts and Russi \n Dai s. The Record int Summer Tour. With many /.. d cloth. Si.-s; of. calf, gilt top, uncut. $2 5 ntirely delightful; " In form it i-, a Joy to tin i • re print and written.'" bundant illustrations and pi Philip Sidni v: His Life and Time St. Portrait of Sidney; Vie* of Penshurst Castle; fac-simile MS i2iiH). Cloth, $i "Worthy of pla b distinct and lasting thai: "Compels tl a, and i leaves upon his mind impressions more | F. C. Gardner. The HOUSI iiiat Jul BuiLT, after Jack's had Proved a Failure. A book on H ture. With I tuitions and J 'fans, by the author. Cloth. $1.50. 'Includes .... whatever is really I " How the maximum of comfort necessary in order to build an artistic I beauty can red with the mini- and convenient house. . . . Rich in mum 1 e.' —Chi sound suggestions."— Boston Globe. Fanny Chambers Gooch. Face to Pack with the \Ii\t< ins The Dome! Life, Educational, Social and Business VI hip and Literature, Legendary and General History of the Mexican I pie. as Seen and Studied by an American Woman During Seven Years of Familiar Intercourse with them. Large %\ . pp. illustrations from original drawings and photographs. 11 It is like living in M read this book. . . . Altogether this . piquant, instructive and reada- ble work. Many books take one to Mexico; this takes one into Mexico."— ry II 'arid ', Boston. " A treasury of romance, legend, : 'ion, and genial humor .... a remarkabi- .... of valuable infor- mation, alike inter. the trav- 1 to the business com- munity/ 1 M. R MIS I ohn G< 1 [ezeki< karck: His Ai rHENTic Biography. Including many i'ri. torical Introduction bv Bayard Taylor. Profusely Illustrated: ,\ < \p x etc. If mor., S4.00. "I , for the hi raphy with the brains knocked < -ut,* ■ Bismarck is really the modern his this partly volume ma] ay and the key to ti. . I modern EurOfM Harriet Raymond Lloyd. 1. wi> Letters 01 John II. Raymond, Organ- izer and 1 sident of \ ollege. Edited by his eldest daughter. Svo. trait. Cloth, beveled, %. " It is the Creation Of VaSSar Collge reached, and the entire consecration out of his own brain, the advance from ' of his life to these ends — which is Dr. ■ ice. the working the pathway for the higher of women where none existed, that wi^e conservatism and Intelligent by which these results were - chief monument. " — New Ii)ues. •■ \ tx >k, the >harm of which it is not c Ad- Henry C. McCook, D.D. Tenants 01 an Old Farm: Leaves from the Note- Book of a Naturalist. By the Yice-Pres. A^ iences, Philadelphia. Profusely L ./. 460 Well indexed. cloth. Published a El irsions and investigations into the habits of moths, bees, hor- nets, ants, spiders, crickets, cidadas, and many varieties of inse "I have much pleasure in bearing "The scientific accuracy, the g mony to the fidelity and skill which illustrations and simple descripl ed to the study make it a valuable book f or amateurs of these interesting r ad- who read his work mav safely de; n l tranced students.' on the accuracy of what h< i " Would make a charming present to the English Editi. one of scientific tastes."— . Jacob Harris Patton, Ph.D. History of the American People. Illus- trated with Portraits Charts. Maps, eta Marginal Hates, Census Tabl istical References, and full Index s. 2 v >ls., Bvt "M greal pleasure in com-! " \\ short his- ling it for all the pu: ry of the Unil ever comi been published/'— 1 I N. \ Tm. Democratic Party: I ' itical History and Inline: pp. ( 'loth. Sl.OO. In instructive outli 1 he- whole political history of th FORI Roto i 1 K. Raymond. I " A AT." $2.50. • I Ich \\«- hold him I . William S. Searle, M.D. A New Form oi Nei Disease. With an Essay on Erythroj 1 cents. William < teborne Stoddard. Abk 1 >f a ( rreal I - By one of President Lincoln's i ' Illus- trated. Cloth %2A M W'nt:. □ is ' and intensely r nning to end— M- - to the i raphy and scarcely will be si by the efforts of any subsequent author."- Tk* ■ ic and entertainii h in incident as an) • ding with Albion W. Ton An Appeal to Casar. Advocating National Aid to iucation throughout the States, in proportion to illiteracy and to the local efforts to remedy it. Diagrams and Tables. Cloth, %\ "The auth rrand 1 | "Or speaks with authority upon the subje which, as he proved'in that deservedly census figures that arc simply astound- . ar work, few men have studied injf, while his k -merit more carefully and on the whole so can- of them compels and 1 .tten- didly."— London Saturday i | lion.'"— Publisher^ Weekly, X. Y. Ben C. Truman. The Field of Honor. A History of Duelling and Famous Duels. The* Judicial Duel ; The Private Duel through- out the Civilized World ; Descriptions of all the Noted Fatal Duels that have taken place in Europe and America. i2mo. Cloth, $2.00. "Full of interest to the student, the [ reader. . . . One of those Bp< soldier, the professional analy. arilv find place In every passion and motive, and to that curious j library."'— Mag '•' Hi* and omnivorous creature, the genera! X. V. MISCELLANEOUS PC HI.. John C. Van Dyke. Principles 01 Art. Part I. — Art in History^ its I, nature, development, and dit'i'erei; un. Pail II — Afi in \ QOtiveS, and manner of expression. 121110. Vellum Cloth. %\ ■• i "■.! kly M-t with points of interest, I kt As a rapid, bright series of historical judi. ten and intelligently sus the book i npute tained.'* — The Di al % Chicago. -ury."— I Theodore S. Van Dyke. Southern California: Its Valleys, Hills, and Streams; Its Animals, Birds, and Fishes; Its Gardens, Farms, and Climate. i2mo. Extra Cloth, beveled, $1.50 ■ I he result of twelve years' experi- ence in that noted region. The author has traversed it many times, rifle In band."— < Cincinnati Cod: A keen and observant naturalist." >:don lEng ) Morning Post . "Without question the best book which has been written on the South ern Counties of California, . . May mmended without any of the usu.j reservations." — San Francisco Chron- icle. The Still Hunter. A Practical Treatise on Deer- stalking-. i2mo. Extra Cloth, beveled, $2.00. "The best, the very best work on I " A 1 1 « tgether the best and most com- deer hunting. — Spirit 0/ the Titnes, | plete American book we have -V V. j on any branch of field sports. '—New I York Evening Post. The Rifle, Ron, and Gun in California. A Sport- ing Romance. i2mo. Extra Cloth, beveled, $1.50. "Crisp and readable throughout, and, at the same time, gives a full and truthful technical account of our South- ern California game, afoot, afloat or On the \\\ni;."—Sr even literary ; but : he matter of the child's ne hild's ... The ■ ibserving of the embodied in a new form of quaint simplicity. " — 754* I N v. ■■ Every young m ild be fur- nished with a copy of this dainty bro- chure, which i^ as much a book of practi PhiLadelp] 1 >i. William Wagner. ■ Row MlDDl i the Genu - ! su,,piv the requir nhau- d. and all Otic realm fi u in- Major Ge K. Williams. Bui i i i i War as th aw it : Battlefield a; and Hospital. f ] Iwin ! vo \ ; ///* I loth, $2 - M Very •■ I have no hesitation in recommend- Juncture.*' I the in; army '• We k: ur interesting volume." \\ 1 b ul-inspiring book. I: delight the old 1 oai e read t remely, as James Grant Wilson. Bryant and His Friends. Some Reminiscences of the Knickerbocker Writers. 1 DANA, Cooper. Hai i eck, and Drake ; together with l. Willis, yard Taylor, and others. Illustrated with Steel Portraits and Fac-Simile MSS. i2mo. Cloth beveled, gilt tup, $200. "I have read it with interest and M No man living is probably so well sure." -G v illiam Curtis, fitted iutnor of this volume to .dard volume of literary his- sketch the group ■ r. wri:' " Accept my thanks, as a NeW ¥ • rk " A delightful addition to I author, for the work you have a< f literary and personal hi c/ii- pli-.hed."' — Edmund C. Stbdman. \cagoIntei "Remainder of large paper Edition WHICH WAS STRICTLY LIMITED TO 195 NUMBERED COPIES. Illustrated with 48 rare Steel Portrait Plates, 4 views of Poets' Homes (Steel) and 17 pages of Manuscript facsimile. Cloth, gilt top. uncut edges, $15.00. In Sheets, for adding illustrative plates, at the same price. Full Mor., gilt, $25. *** Send for our Selected Catalogue of choice American books. FORDS, HOWARD, & HULBERT, 30 Lafayette Place, New \'<>rk. H HI LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ^m ^^H «>.' >■& 017 524 867 5 ■ m M ■d ■ ;m M 17&1&&& #:2 ■;-jt.: h n ■ ■H B ■r BB ■ Hi ■I