Atlanta Georgian and news. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1912, February 16, 1907, Image 13

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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. ■atcroat, ntitkianv m, non o\V MANY of us »re tbero to- who can, without oven the H "rwt'of mental raaenraUan or iueliflratlan. '» °» u- bttrU 0»t exultant outburet of gratitude of tbe WHEN THE CHURCH BELLS RING H lnftr when he said, "I waa :r.TV.h»n they eatd unto me. Let ue - he houee of tbe lordt" ,l„„ many of ue are there who feel ,„„found eenae of pereonal Joy and oinrai'ilon when upon our eare there ,11, the church betl'a eweet-toned In- lution to worehlp and to prayer? How many of ue Itaeten early to our on the evening befort tbe Sabbath in outer that our bodlea, ae well ae , jr ipirlta. may be In fit condition for entices of the Lord's houee? When wake up on Sunday morning and fed languidly and laally about the preparation of your pereon for the ex p-rlences of the day, do you receive utth indignant.rebellion the prodding „r your conscience when It aaya to you \UU a ought to go to church, or do eu hall with J i Joy and thankagtvlng the phyiiral conditions which make your . ...jdance upon divine cervices a mat lor of eaae and convenience? Are you ,ia,t when the vole* within your heart jv- "Lei ue go Into' the house of the Lord In many quartera an opinion prevalla that religion as an Influence (a losing l,, power In the hearts of men and women. It I* declared that worehlp Is no longer spontaneous and natural, but ii,a: h la rapidly 'becoming compulsory, formal, perfunctory. ; . . So dnubt the deliberate and unpreju diced observer of men and of life In ■he real, rather than In tha Ideal, finds much to Justify this pessimistic proph ecy of Impending ■* ... J danger. When one .ontemplates the frantic scramble on the port of many of the modern proph- eis of Hod to secure a hearing com mensurate with their aenka of the Im portance of tlielr message; when one discovers that the (preparation of the la hardly complete modem proecher REV. E. D. ELLENWOOD. * 1 *!‘°* lt • full course In effective ad- ofren ?SI,i* h * n °S* ‘••t* thRt •« tod often Ooda prophet must become a hyonottat or a mountebank, and Hla temple a place of entertainment. In l ? ducB m * n «o »>« glad to come ‘J“„botwe of the Lord, then It la that one who Infers malnlv from Observation ahould-be prone to fSce Ud * th * 1 rell,,on ** * decadent The Place of the Church In Modern Society. It. Is but natural that one unaccus tomed to looking deeply Into life in all He manifestations ahould arrive at the belief that any Institution brought to the point of employing subterfuge end strategy to prolong Ha existence lias fulfilled Its mission to society and must soon be relegated to the limbo of deed gods and useless things. So It la that thare are many men today, by no means I In Intelligence and In moral Tty, who boldly declare that the MW" " ' Church organisation as It exleti today lies become a clog upon men. be. [e does not require cause the present age such an Institution. They declare that It survives because men aro still loath to declare their Independence from an »ge-long superstition. Its preachers and prophets are denominated ae un conscious but actual parasites upon society, consumers but not producers, add It Is claimed that true enlighten ment and Intellectual advancement are retarded because the money devoted to the maintenance of the church Is kept from Its more sensible employment in * * ' ‘ i n the work of the schools. So doubt many valuable though over-eenslilve young men are prevented from follow ing a genuine Inclination and desire to enter the work of tbe ministry be cause of the compassionate and l!l-< un- cealed contempt of certain worthy and respected rltltens who declare tliem- oalvea unable to understand- why n strong, healthy young man should elect lo make hla living in such a way as that. But the rasp against the church Is not so easily made. It Is true that her meaning and her mission have not al ways been clearly Interpreted, any more than baa the life which she Is daelvned to serve, ft la also true that those who have represented the en lamei church have been often usmemuuiy ,*«- ..... - ,, . ... perfect but sorclv this la no season- I without a religious nature, then not alt periecv. oui eoieiy iniw ia no season- |nharohes thst h-v. —ih.i- .„i— nentably Im- •very institution which ministers to any conscious need. We need have no fear, therefore, of sny actual deca dence In the place or power of tlie church. And If certain changes and modlfleatlona In her forms and applica tions shall ba demanded to meet the changing requirements of tha growing life or man. shall wa lament that desti ny which le progress'.' What Does the Church Mean to YouT Undoubtedly tha cbutch suiters more at the bands of Its friends than It *mi at the hands of lu'enemies. Its Influ ence Is perceptibly lessened because of the persistence of an erroneous concep tion of its office. It exists pot to cre ate. but to mlnleler. Too many men and women hold the Idea thpt they arc to go to church to "get religion." and In many a popular church periodical, frantic attempts are made to have all the members get possession of that very aaeantUl quality of life, which evidently has hitherto escaped them. Probably this very relic of superstition keeps many a Worthy man and woman away front the certain and deflnlta benqflte of church membership and as sociation. We do-not go to church' to "get” re ligion any more than we go to school to get an Intellect. If It were possible to conceive that God hail allowed any one .of His children to slip Into the world dsflntte conscious place In your life, then It would appear that one of two conditions must exist. Blther your re- dormant, llgioua nature le regretably dorr the consciousness of God la but dim and flitting In jrour touL or ala* the church which you have assayed to use has entirely failed to mast pour min the formative period at pour life. btefly oi * ' “ when you wars chiefly ottg—ed In the ' development of your Intel- feed log and i lertual nature, ^you would bay# grown dissatisfied learnl you coi and ragde ng which persisted - In ontlnually In the primary tsde no provision for the t WHWmH ■■keeping grades, expand Ing scope of your thought and modlta- othio that your re tlon. it le quite posslbl llgioua nature has revolted against the ' te seep ‘ spiritual klndergart isplratl It may be that your soaring aspl God, would talk with able Indictment against the Institution. There Is still abundant evidence of the divine appointment of the church, and of Its present efficiency In spiritual help and blessing. The church came Into existence by the flat of Ood whan He endowed His sons and daughters with religious natures. When man was mode a religious being, worship became with him Instinctive. As gregarious habits developed, the commingling ot worship with fellowship was Inevitable. And until a radical change la tha very nature of man shall occur we may be the churches that have sent their spires heavenward since the beginning of llfa '“ ‘ conlfl give him one.' upon this planet _ The church exists to feed and develop and perfect the -religious aide of. man's the school ministers se nators,. Just as ceptably to his Intellectual nature. The church properly conceived and properly administered la nothing more nor less than the school of righteousness. As sucp *he has a claim upon the soul of every man and woman horn Into the world. ' If, therefore, the church holds no would know Ood. would talk with Him, faco to faca; that your maturing spirit would brush sway the thick curiam of superstition which the religions of all ihe ages have hung haters His face; that you would find Him along tha pathway of your own mind rather thag In the beaten - track of tlme-hom tradition, and to all of these earnest- pleas for a new spiritual curriculum, r choice has opposed the church of your the" argument of custom and of au thority. Mut It then follow that you shall abandon the attempt tor the de velopment of your ooul? • Shall you for sake all of tbs schools of righteous righteousness because tna one you-have tried has "re fused to answer to the call of progress? “Seek and ye shall And," said the Mas ter of Ufa. Certainly. In this -day of elear thinking and of fearless (peaking the religious organisation, exists in which your aspiring spirit may find Its congenial atmosphere and Its boat de velopment. and your soul may find Its way to Ood. If the church of your fathers, or even of your own first choice, la riot the church of your ma turing religious thought, than you owe tt to your progress In righteousness to change ryour home without dangerous delay. Or. perhaps It may be that jrour preacher, la fanatical seal, conceives hla pulpit to be a theological battle ground, while yon bad fondly hoped to find tt a fountain of life and strength and power for weary, fainting, tried and tempted souls. Then leave him te hts fascinating play with hie little tin soldiers of other men's opinions about this and that and tha other, and search out some church, no matter under what label It may present Itself to men. where God may speak to you through the words end the Ufa of some man or woman who knows less about degmatlo theology and more about men women- and the difficulties In Ihe of righteous living. What Are You Doing for the Church? But tt must be home In mind that the measure of tbe Influence of the church upon your life will be deter mined by your attitude toward It. It Is useless for a child In be sent to school unleea he take there an eager and receptive mind. "You may lead a e lo watei i water but-you can’t make him I rink," and “you may send a boy to oSsps * barge but you can't make him think.' So unless you are in the habit of tak ing a blearing Into the church, you need never expect to take one sway. Tha church owes to you In spiritual power only In proportion to your con tribution ot earnest, prayerful atten bine* amV veeahllullu I# ■>/*■■ hsus 'enn. tloh nnd'rsceptlvlty. If you hava 'gono to tha church, mainly to hear the new soprano or the new organ,- or to Inspect tbe-new.decorations,.then.be not sur prised and-disappointed If you leave the sendee with no conscious addition of spiritual power. Do not. -for the sake of poor own honesty.' declare tlie preacher 'to He lacking In ability to give you ' any help- over' the trying places tn your spiritual experience*. If. while you believe yourself to be listen ing to life aenbon. you’are Chiefly con scious of - hi* occasional. breaches ot syntax oi 1 rhetoric and the unpleasant Intonatluna of hie voice. . The church . Is - a spiritual saving* bank.. I&wUl.-pey you splendid Interest, hut you must not expect to make any withdrawals until.you have c '- -1 depositor. * * i become a in nun* a ngular depositor you will dtoanwr that your Interest payments with surprising frequency, and with out demand. The prevailing Idea concerning the financing of tbe church. Is tin true and degrading. The church will not reach bar greatest powgy In the lives of men ■Iwon overcome the Idea that we until we can overcome the idea that we | give to th# church. If the church' le a necessary Institution n th* commu nity. then we do not “give* to Insure Its maintenance; wr simply pey for It Ilk* we pay for anything else Wo pay our grocery bills, w* pey our tailor, w* pay our rent, we pay our taxes, w* Ipay for cur Intellectual education, cheerfully and wUMogiy.aad It la high itime that our admoDgg la -Hghteows- ness waa taken Off tbs charity list. And whenever I hear one of these so-called 'hard-headed, practical minded buel- ■ess men” declare that the church la aa outgrown and useless inatlttAlon. iwlth no place In our present society. I always feel like asking him tha very i which r ~ pertinent question which Horace Bush- nelt once asked of soma business moo. “How much do you suppose real estate waa worth In Bodomr* How ■mgr of you fathers who may read these lines would like to bring up your fam ilies In Gomorrah? Cancel the religious Influences which proceed from tbe churches of this etty. eliminate the moral life which they anaemia* aaA Skm awaAwa ‘ A tlawSa sustain, and the exodus from Atlanta would be aa oertafn aa though she wwra ■mitten with yellow fever. What are you doing for your church? Every man and woman ought to hava a church home. Find one then, mm soon ae possible, and then pay for Its support. And If you cant pay In mon ey. as you wbttld' dearly lose to do, then remember that there Is still very much that you can do. 1 beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the- mer cies of God. that you present your bod ies, holy, acceptable; unto the Lord, which Is your reasonable service." CHRISTIAN AND THE WORLD “Using this world as net abusing it, for the fashion of this world passeth away.?—I. Cer. viit 31. By REV. JOHN E. WHITE, PASTOR SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH T he city of Corinth waa not un like our modern American cities In Its ability to provide religious IFIIMUlOIIS. It was a community of many opln Ions and conflicting prejudices. At the time of Pout's letter there sere two troubles on hand. Tbe first larolved the question of th* Christian relative to this present world, hi* view «f this life In the larger aspect and the second from the same root waa shout the question of eating meat that had been used In tbe Temple In con nection with the heathen ceremonies 'practiced there. Bo In Paul's day. aa In ours, th* question of the Christian relative to th* world and society, of which he Is a part, waa under discus sion. There waa danger In this ques tion end evil grossing out of th* salts tlon is there le now, because It had been reduced to a point In detail, •riclflc instance was up and men were treading on each other's consciences end nnumtng to usurp the liberty of Indt iiduals and to dictate ex-cathedra raor. i alltv l say this was dangerous. It was •nd it Is. It Is a danger Protestants should flee. The retort of Romanism upon Protestantism lias been that "Presbytery Is but Priest writ large." That means that where Romish priests Mounted to hold tha anathema over the IndiMdual conscience In tbe name of the church, Protestant preacher* were lullty of a greater assumacy. that of bolding dogmatic and dictatorial Judg ments over tha individual conscience •bout the details of morality and de bited custom In the name of God Him, MI. I should nay while Instance* have ■ot been lacking to tend color to this charge against Protestants, that In the main we have avoided and will always nient the whip In the hands of priest or preueher. For our Protestant prin ciple on this subject we have the splendidly sufficient authority ot Christ Hlmeeir about human Judgments and tbe distinct Instruction of that glo rious Apostle of whom It haebennbrill- '•ntly remarked that “If Peter was tho •fit ;ope. Paul wa* th* first Protat- aat. M Let us see first how Paul dealt with thla question at Corinth. Then w* will >urther go and seek to know what le >b» iTitistlan's right attitude toward tbs world In general. • No Apoetelie "Boetism." "’* will make note of the fact to be gin with that the apostle was In a- po sition of greet authority. He was the fouhder and builder of the church In Corinth, moreover his fame and power were such aa to give hie Judgments the greatest weight with Christians everywhere. He could have pronounc ed tha words that would have swept all before him. It Is significant that a man ao situated resisted tbe tempta tion to play the boss. The question upon which his deliv erance wa* needed was over the eat ing of meat previously offered to Idols. Now this meat was ot the most select quality. It was avaliahia to the poorer classes In Corfuth at a greatly reduced price. The carcase of choice animals wa* carried to the temples where only bits of It were actually used end then the balance was purchased by the butcher Shop* and placed on the mar ket. This was the chief meet supply for the poor In that city and it was not until Jews brought their Ideas and religious habits Into tha community that any question wee raised over the morality of this custom among the na tives. To the Jew*' tn Corinth this meat waa abominable, therefore all so cial Intercourse was about to be cut oft between the Greek Christiana who were members of the church and the Jewish Christian*. The Greeks had no preju dice on the subject, the Jews were vi olently opposed to any Christian par taking of such meat. Now Paul woe a Jew and could sym pathlse with the Jewish conscientious ness, but he hod risen out of Judaism Into ths cosmopolitan atmosphere of Chrletlanlly and could appreciate the Greek lack ot conscience on the sub ject. So mark him. He cautiously avoids giving either side offence. He ■poke to nil parties, saying; ■pect one another's prejudices end don't be too curious about where th* meat came from.” "Whatever Is sold In the market, that eat. asking no question for conscience sake." lie goes further and says that If they are Invited to an unbeliever's house to dinner "whatsoever Is sst be fore you eat. asking no questions, but If your Jewish friend whispers to yon •This meat w-ss offered to Idols.' why, do not eat It, for peace and conscience take." In n word Paul took hts eland on the rights of the Individual . coneclence ■bout this matter and this was hts po sition on ell such matters Involving the “ n tf.EMr.-.hi.f With the Bible. anything else con be assured te that the question of a Christian's dealing with the world and with society can not be determined by appeal to de cached portions of Scripture which contain either permission or probtbl tlon. That method will turn a man's con eclence Into a shuttle-cock or proba bly Into an elastic which will be con stantly flipping Itself Into somebody else'* territory, k will put the Scrip ture at cross purposes, an unholy thing to do. It will result In confusion. You can not hang the inoral universe on a sentence. There are texts which epit omise volumes, texts which, like th* one I have taken today, which culmi nate a philosophy at Christianity In a small apace, but the value of It will be In Ita .roots. Let me Illustrate the fa tality of deciding the Chrtatlan'a rela tion to the world by this dislocated Scripture method: Here In Matthew Is a very plain statement about the Christian's rela tion to the world. "Ye are not ot the world: 1 have chosen yon not of the world.” But Immediately you may turn and read. "As thou best sent ule Into the world, even ao have 1 sent them Into the world.' Or consider John’* words: "Lave not the world, neither the things of the world." That digs a gulf, doesn't It? But listen. "Uod so loved the world that He gave Ills only begotten Son." That bridges a gulf, doesn't It? Again, the Apostle Paul went very far In his yielding to Judaism on the subject of circumcision. But you must observe that Christ paid scant respect to the religious prejudice* of His day. The Old Testament had said, "Blessed IS the man that standeth not In the way of sinners not- setieth In the seat of the scornful. It was David's boss! to God. "1 have not sat with vain persons, neither will ~ go In with dissemblers. I have hated the congregation of evil-doers end will not sit with the wicked." That closes the matter, doesn't It? But Christ reopens It once end widely, too; “I am come to seek end to save that which was lost." The kind of «o- cltty the Israelite despised and avoid ed Jesus Christ sought out and com panioned with, "Behold, He eatsth with publicans and sinners." And moreover, Christ took Ills disciples Into these questionable haunts and low-flung aasoclailons. Nor did He go to the feasts of unbelievers as s' kill Joy. He performed the social act with out a suggestion of prudery. "Wine was a mocker and strong drink was The first point to observe before j raging" In Christ's lime, as In ours, yet TOtamnltUug t-umublaane-by Scripture even '.useful • fojhem. “All. things.” quotations. Th# Christian Visw of the World. There Is a- Christian view of the world and there It a Christian rslatlon to evsrythlng In the world. The prin ciple of It, I think. Is admirably de fined In the word* of the text. "Using the world as not abusing It” Th* rea son of It also statsd, "For the fashion of this world passeth away.” It will make the path of duty much dearer If Christians will let that principle and that reasoning become fundamental In corns* up . Now. there Is a sense In which the word world Is used In the New Teeta- ent, some passages ot which were toted" a Whits ago. - The world-here, rred to many times In John's Kplatl** os something which tbe Christian must guard himself again. Ha means there by the world, whet Is left after ,We t;Out fellowship with. sa the s^rv- clf C ' “ DR. JOHN E. WHITE. He did not abeatn from wine. He sent Hie disciples out without prohibition* Into the world end drew no line short of "all the world" and "every crea ture." The meaning and purpose ot thla la to show that the Christian's relation to the world can not be etaked off by Iso lated Scriptures. It Is different to repress pity when someone comes at yon with a red-pen cilled verse to show you what a Chris tian's attitude In matters of conscience ahould he. Thla method Is capable of much mischief. -• On the one hand It may be used to annul Christian liberty and confine the conscience In a peanut hull and thu* defeat the very objects of Christian duty and opportunity, a „d on the other hand It may be employed to give great oc-nslon to llrenae and excess by au thority of Scripture. ca found the Bible loving Boer farmers Ice 6f God. From that word we must keep ourselves unspotted. He says. "If any man lovaa Ihe.. world the love of the Father Is not In hint. But we understand what John means. It Is rite world ot Satan and resistance tn God, nbout which Christinas must be ■greed el once, that though we may be In tlie midst of It. we must maintain In our lieartn an unswerving attitude of hostility to Ue gettlns Into ue. But even here there I* needed a warning lest w* give up too much to the Devil. raul's principle le a sound one here, as everywhere else. 1'ee the world, but do not abuse It. I expect the time to come, though probably none of tie will live to dee It, when many things we now give up to the monopoly of evil will be wrested to the advantage of good. You wlH go back but a few hundred years to And some of the very things we now make glorious ue* of In God's service classified among the Dev U'e possessions. This church Itsalf In lte genesis woe battling for a musical ■add Ail, "are lawful to me. but xtt- thlngs are not expedient." But the truwattttude of Christians I* to deny' and resent the Devil's owner ship bf anything that could be mode for while at- the some time for coneclence sake they make a sacrifice of It. But It ought always to be a sacrifice to Ood, not to the Devil. We need a. Warning In our day against a yielding over ot God's world ■ Ms! neefa n# f3<x,l'a ear**m1*t tn anil *i-4tl*_ and parte of Gad's world to evil with out a protest as well as a warning vantage »f evil. The courageous Christian attitude la resentment against enei the fee • simple titles that. are being freely to tha Devil for realms nr IWe--that do- ’ not belong to him. Christ came not narrow life's range and es tate, but to broaden .and enlarge IL . am.come that they might bays life, end the Devil's "box __ Whatever le good for a men le for th* glory ot God. There wee en eg* when art and music and science were dented to Christians. I say It was a grand day for Christ when Michael Angelo and Tleset mads color and canvas hie min isters, and when Handel made musle Ihe vehicle of his truth end when Klp- ler end Aggosts laid claim on science In Qod'e name. Not yet hoe the hour dawned when th* earth and It* full ness Is fully the Lord's; not yet may Christian* enjoy many things that are not harmful to them or that might bt more abundantly." The Abue* ef.the'World, Now we ere dealing with an evenly balanced principle "TTIe the world.' Ah' 1 We like that. That is liberty. “But do nob abuse It." You must have IMM algo It you hgv* the other. I am going to tell you now why It is the devil's label has gotten on eaae things It ought not to bo on. It Is hseaaso men abused them end made a curse out of them. They took God's good thing* end turned them Into sin. Wsalth was good, but men loved money, mode a God out of It. and so riches became a snare. Theatrical rep resentation was once a religious Instru mentality. hut men took It and abused U and J believe most positively that the theater as an Institution Is a degraded thtng. There le nothing In the rang* of hu men activity that may not be made bl* of transformation Into auperstltl About everything you touch In life Ha- ten stands, urging you to abuoe It. So whenever Its abuse becomes general and habitual, that nnre good thing has been ruined for noble uies. Society, hospitality, friendship end nelghborll- nexs are primer)' social virtues, but see flow th* social function, the party gathering, the round of gayety has ab sorbed this life and that life to such an extent as to become tbe one paaalon and therefore th* one curse. Bo with business, so with literature, ao with many things, so with anything. Th* prlnolpla I Impress Is that title whole world end lie Ilf* are a curse when so absurd aa to enxlav* a, eon! to tte-potato*.—-‘What shall It pmflt a man If h* gain the whole'world and lose hla own soul?" It is a beautiful world we live lo. Life te glorious. On some grand day oonslder It. It will thrill you throtgfh and through Just for a moment to re alise tbe goodness and greatness . of God that Is written into tha face of Nature and" Providence."Men have scarred tL hut over It stll may be read the sign manual of our Heavenly Fa ther. I will tell you what to do with religion. -Take It out of doors. Toko off your hat to tho beauty of tho world and the glory of the world as you may *■* It frra starfish to esgts. from * tiny MfLj flower to a myriad minded man. And life le good. Its privilege Is spltndld Its happiness desplts Its tears le sweet, lte opportunities. Its achievements. Its honorable destlnctlon. Its crown* of Success, Its vast usefulness, how won derful. But withal this worid and this Ilf* wither and shrink and shrivel Into a curs* If w* risk them for ouf weal’s sufficiency. I* Passeth!.’ It"PaossMif "“"TT-' JTbe fashion of thla world. Its whole plane and schstn* Is going. Tho stage upon which wa -"t—tlMIrg la moving alowrly, aurely forward. In NgWjjfhkk I saw peapls embarking for • voyage. The great ship stood against the wharf with steam up and flags flying. Ths people took their places on m roller: gangway and as It turned, they stand- j Ing still, were thrust up on tli* dock,.’ till all were aboard. That la the truth and fact of human Ilf*. We or* on'the j moving gangway of Time and It I* oar-' rytng ue on board the great Eternity. Therefor* use this worid, but use it always to set yon forward Immortally.' Ueo this world, t BHU.-EI | use life, use all things to an eternal advantage. I bring every I perplexing question In morale and place t her*. I submit every problem ot doty to this Issue. I challenge ovary con science to this standard. Dare ■ . BUM thing that girds your own soul or an other's for Its outlook and movement upon the endless life. Dare nothlag that leave* you or another weakened for duty or hindered for Immortality. For remember that the supreme Chris tian Ideal Is to be ilk* Christ, Inwardly ■o pur* In purpose, eo divinely strong that even though you lay your life In the midst of hell, and touch evil orery- where, and go through all flames of sin you nuiy com* out perfected and puri fied without the smell of lira upon yous garments. KMMlHt*—IH—«MHMMMWI MIND BEFORE MATTER ittMmftttnmtMMMMMmttHMmuiMHMtu By REV. JAMES W. LEE, PASTOR TRINITY METHODIST CHURCH Tl-.' materialism of Haeckel wt'lmr to sir Oliver Lodge, antlquat- ri and science hoe come round to th* •'i'iix'it ..f the position that th* primal m the universe I* spirit and not Pr,,f Hlr Oliver Lodge declares that ['* voice le *‘<*r Haeckel'* voice le th* voloc on.. , eying in the wtldemeee, not as ! -"iimner of an advancing army, a* the despairing ahout of a stand- ™T"r<f still bold and unflinching. , ■ ■m-indor.ed by tho retreating rank* ’ ‘ "' tredee as they march to uew 2.’ 1 hi a new direction." , “toms, men thought they knew '"'"••t about in the seventies, we ; “•»'- taught by men of science can onderetood at all without ref- ""‘ to th* creative directive power , 1 -"‘flighty God. The atom ha* turo- ‘ "Ut t.) be eo email that It te nec- Wl * ry f ,r » billion of them to get to- meke a speck large enough ■>'en by the most powerful ml- ick has to lie Incr. "a Anl1 *•*•■ spool 11 ""d a million times before It i, 1," ’ a b»rtlcle of dust large enough ... , ! ‘* n by the naked eye. And yet , ", ®* .•■»• elngle atom te, ws are 1, . by modem science that It universe, and that within It ‘ " iron, or point of electricity, -, ■ “bum like a mouse In a catlte- lii, >• traveled a long dlatanre " Point of view ocrupied by npenrer '. hen he wrote tho fa- ‘"1 1 ,ft-quoted words: "Amid •t-ttes which grow the more pro*' 1 ’ the more they are thought voMtcnii-i* 1 about-there will remain.the one abso lute certainty, that man stands In tbs presence of nn Infinite anil eternal energy from which all thing* proceed.’ It Is not st *11 surprising that Mr. Spencer loqhetl upon thl* msnrelou* procession of matter, force, plant, ant- jJiai and human bedim ns a mystery the! tnrealened to bteome the more mysterious tbe more It w-a* contem- nlated. because he regarded It as marching out of nn Infinite store house of Inscrutable senseless energy and t keeping step without any reason to the pulsations of unending dynamics. A procession of soldiers on the ■tDJfl would become ■ gicet mystery to the "“pli wbo Observed It. If they moved bTfike a lot of Imbeciles under the command , of , * genera, lue, eecaped from e lunatic esyium win™* *•*” -Ii.ht.st Idea of where he came from .lightest mea^ ^ wlU| h l, army tt bra fnle ss*battal iona’iTyttery enough or oraiowp- --.htem, of existence mrnt passing out front the source of all reason Hi accordance with the pur-' pose of rational and directive will. The aource of a thing I* entitled to th* rank and atandlng of the highest that proceeds from It. and a* mind In man has pro h.mrs Shorn the problems of existence but by de* •vc?*when mind I* celled In to help Take but ih'-m but whin all meaning le Kid out of thin** and the poMlbllUy IS “Lowing anything Is denied, he —# knowing •nyllitng - become* the «xpr«*»lon universe Itseir oeco nothing Hr ll n 5 u."’V. ,o‘rr hClnS 0 Hm*when'"min I* represented ae , Li:,,- |„ I t(> piesence of an Infinite standing -*- „.i from which all thing* mi I eealon can be ordei ly move- proceeded out from the source of ■11. we are driven to the conclusion that the eternal mind If bock of all that appears. To represent all thing* as proceeding from an Infinite and eter nal energy le to think ot mind as a mod* of motion, and this reduces all things to the level ot heat. Difference* In quality and degree between thing* are removed. In the Trolltw end Cre- ■Ida of 8hakeep*are Ulyaaea la repre sented ns saying: "O, when degree le shakod. which Is lh* ladder to ell high designs, then enterprise le sick! How could communities, degrees In schools, and brotherhoods In cities, peaceful commerce from dlvtdabls shores, the prlmogenltlve end due of birth, prerog ative of age, crowns, scepters, laurels degree (tend In authentic place? but degree away, return that string, end hark I What discord fol lows! Each thing meets tn mere op- pugnancy; the bounded waters should lift their shoulder* higher then th* shore* and make a top of all this solid globe: strength should be lord of Im becility. mid the ruile eon should strike his father dead; force should be right, or rather, right and wrong be tween whose endless Jar Justice reside*, should lose their names and so should Justice, too. Then everything In cludes Itself, In power, power Into Will, wl:i Into ap'jetrre, apd appetite an uni versal wolf. Bo doubly seconded with will and power, mint make perforce and universal ptty-and Inst eat, up himself." It would be a watte of time tn refer to Bpencer's outgrown philosophy or to lluickel t belated materialism were It not that there are a few who still have not learned that the.real science of tooay. represented by such men as Lord Kelvin end Htr Oliver Lodge, hts created u complete revolution In th* eptrilu.il thought of the present time. Instead of ruling God out of ths uni verse. It makes belief In Creative, di rective. divine |K)wci a necessity of thought. Life Is not the product of matter: It comes from pre-existing life, mind Is not Hie <re-,tion < f atoms; atoms are the creation of mind. Praysr Is not the superstitious cry of Ignorant help- lessnsqs. but tccordlng to 8tr Oliver Lodsc the rations! appeal of a ra tional child of God to a rational end loving Father. Modern science he* come bark to the homely and beautiful spiritual thought expressed by William Cowpcr: And marshals ell the order of the year; Hr marks th* bounds which winter may not pees, And blurts ttwpointed fury; Jn ll* case, Russet and rude, fold* up the tcuder "Thrre lives end work* germ, 1'r.Injured, with Inimitable art: And ere one flowery season fades and dies. Designs th* bloqmlng wonder* of th* next. The Lord of ell himself through ell diffused. Huitalns, end le the life of all that live*. Nature le but ■ name for en effect Whose reuse Is God. One Spirit—Hla Who wore th* plotted thorn with blood ing brows— Rules universal nature! Not a flower But shows some touch. In freckle, streak, or stain, Of hie unrivaled pencil. He Inspires Their balmy odors, and Imparts their hues. And bathes their e>*s In nectar, and includes, In gralne ■■ countless as the seaside ■ends. The form* with which He sprinkles all the earth. A soul hi all tilings, and that soul Is Happy who walks with Him. whom God. The beauties of the wilderneia are Ilfs. That make so glad the solitary place Where no eye sees them; and the fairer forms. That cultivation gRries In. are HI*. He set* the bright procession on it* way. what he finds Of flavor or of ac.-nt in fruit or flower. Or what he views of beautiful or gram] In nature, from tlie breed majestic oak To tho gieeti blade that twinkles In the sun. Pi-ompt* with remembrance of a pres ent Uud!" In tho language of Emerson, wa have through science aa well a* spiritual In sight come to understand that: . "We lla In ths lap of lmmenao Intel ligence. which make* us receiver* of Its truth and organs ot Its activity. When wo descry Justice, when w* descry truth, w* do nothing of. our selves. but allow a passage of its Thus when we are completely In harmony with God s truth through our Intellect, end with God's law through our wills, and with God’s lova through our hearts, God works In us to -will sag to do ot Hi* B00d.pl—01% dBd It be comes possible for ua to know whet Ood Is through th* express— He •neks* ef Himself through our higher nature. “So nigh I* grandeur to our dust. Bo near in God tn man. When duty whit pars low Thou must.' Tbe youth replies, 1 con.’" DR. J. W. LEE. DONT USE POOR OIL. For ueo on sewing machine*. Mer cies and all purposes requiring n flne lubricant, th* best Is cheapest in the end. Genuine Singer oil enn only ha obtained at Singer store*. Look for th* letter- 8. ■ , • 4 Whitehall street, telephone fflsEV ‘ ISt-t: 414 Decatur street, tele*' (Belli SITS; 74? Marietta street, phone (Bell) lib.