ge, without an erasure or a correction. The
truths which had dropped upon his mind were, indeed, rudimentary, but
so well adapted was the soil to receive the seed that the fruit was
instant and mature. Seldom has spontaneity so well approved itself by
its utterances.

"July 6.-The immediate effect of Christianity upon humanity has been
to increase man's sensibility to the objects of the spiritual world.
Poetry, music, the fine arts, are ennobling and spiritualizing only
so far as they appeal to the nature of man divinized by the influence
of the Divinity. Previous to the coming of Christ the tendency of the
arts was, on the whole, rather to encourage licentiousness and sin
than to elevate and refine human nature. The tendency of Christianity
was to restore man to his primitive gracefulness, excellence, and
beauty. Hence the expression of man in art--or, rather, of the divinity
in man--became purer and more beautiful in its character. . . .

"In affirming Jesus to be the basis and life of modern civilization,
nothing is detracted from the great and good men who preceded Him;
nor" [is it denied] "that they have left traces of their genius upon
modern society.

"When we speak of Jesus as God, we affirm Him to be the Source of all
inspiration, from whom all, ancient and modern, have derived their
life, genius, goodness, and divine beauty.

"Jesus quickened the spiritual powers of the soul which were deadened
by the fall, and man again saw heaven, and angels descending and
ascending to the throne of ineffable Love.

"All the promises of Jesus refer to gifts of spiritual power over
inanimate matter, the animal creation, and the Man of Sin.

"Jesus came to give a spiritual life which would generate all
knowledge and physical well-being. He came, not to teach a system of
philosophy, however useful that might be; not to direct man how to
procure food for his physical existence with the least possible
exercise of physical strength, however necessary this might seem. But
He came to give man a new nature which shall more than do all this;
which will not only secure his well-being here, but his eternal
felicity hereafter.

"As we rise above our _time_ nature, and are united with our _eternal_
nature, we feel more and more our indebtedness to Christ. It was to
this He called us in all His words, and now calls us in the
Spirit. . . .

"So long as low appetites are cherished, and selfish passions
harbored, and vanity allowed