when the universal Christ is cradled in our souls, its
resting place is in the midst of a well-nurtured animalism. The Herod
of a ruling selfishness seeks to obliterate the loftier ideal. But
while he summons all his strength to prevent the embodiment of the new
thought, there are other faculties that perceive the star of promise
and follow it as a harbinger of truth.

The years of Jesus' life of which we have no record, save the one
instance of his questioning and answering the wise ones in the temple,
represent the time of preparation, discipline, study, culture,
contemplation, necessary to fit us to give to others the benefit of
our experience and attainment. For no one can lift another to a higher
round of the ladder of life than that upon which he stands himself.

The immersion in the Jordan shows a willingness to conform to existing
customs, when no principle is sacrificed thereby and a point of
contact with the masses can thus be established, so that the truth
symbolized by the rite of baptism can be shown forth through the
action of those formative, purifying, spiritual forces that sustain to
the psychical realm the same relation that water bears to the physical
world.

The temptation of Jesus is typical of the time of testing that comes
to every one who takes a step in advance of the age in which he
lives. The principle of resistance called Satan confronts such an one
at the very outset of his mission, and seemingly insuperable obstacles
arise as foes to his progress. But he who first meets and masters all
inward opposition, through knowledge of the law and allegiance
thereto, can conquer every outward phase of hybrid beast and human,
whose selfish pride and cruel greed have been well imaged as a devil
with cloven foot and fiendish face.

The Sermon on the Mount is a statement of spiritual axioms. It lays
before us the law of love for the neighbor, as the very instinct of
self-preservation. Not to do for others as we would be done by, is to
fail to furnish food, raiment, and shelter for our own souls. Physical
and intellectual man gains worldly strength and honor as he takes to
himself and retains riches and knowledge regardless of the rights of
others. In contradistinction to this, the spiritual man gets treasure
and wisdom imperishable, as he serves his fellow men, and freely gives
of whatsoever he may have, of which his neighbor stands in need.

The beatitudes, with which the speech begins, such as man