LEARNING TO SEE.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1922, Page 11

LEARNING TO SEE.

USING OUR FACULTIES. (A lecture delivered to the New Plymouth Community Club by Rev. Oscar Blundell.) To begin with, the sharp eyes with which you are looking at me, you had at one time to learn to use. No doubt you have forgotten when that was. So far as you can remember there never was a time when you did not know, for example, that the things you look at around you are situated at varying distances. You know it so well now, at all events, that, curiously enough, you suffer a kind of deception whenever you look at a picture. You know that the objects represented by the artist are all exactly the same distance from you, but so used have you become to seeing natural objects at different distances that in looking at a. picture of them they appear to be what is not true; that is, they look, some near and some far, when in reality they are all represented upon the same surface or plane. To a certain extent then you have learned to see. There was a time, however, as I have already reminded you, when all things looked to you, as in a pictured representation of them they really are; that is, as if they were all at one common distance from you; very dose to your eye in fact. That was why, when you lay in your cradle in the early dawn of your life, you used to grasp at everything you saw, being under the impression that it was within reach. I don’t know whether in tho** days you ever cried for the moon, but if you did it was because you imagined it was quite as handy as anything else, and you saw no reason why you shouldn’t get it. It is so unusual for us to think that we had to learn how to see things in proper perspective that, when first it is brought, to our minds, we are inclined to doubt the truth of it. Yet as surely as we had to learn to walk and to speak, so we had to learn to see. Some very interesting proofs of this have been forthcoming in modern times, owing to the great increase which has been made in surgical knowledge and skill. In certain cases where people have been born blind, an operation performed upon the eyes when the patient has reached an age of from 10 to 17 years, has given these persons their sight. One of these very interesting cases I will recount to you. Two children, both born blind, were operated upon. One, a boy of 10, the other a girl of 11. In due time after the operation, the children were permitted to use their eyes., and it was found that, in a manner, they could see quite well; but everything they saw appeared to them to be at the same distance. An orange was held out to the boy. and he at once passed his hand across his eyes in an attempt to grasp the pretty object, and was much surprised to find that it was not there. Then it was held out to the girl, and she did the same thing. Finding her mistake she put her hand cautiously out to explore until she touched the coveted fruit, and, then, recognising by touch what it was, she said, “Oh, it is an orange.”

But though it is true to say that in the first place we had to learn to see. it is equallv a fact that we are continually learning to see or, at all events, we certainly ought to do so. The trouble is that many people go through life and do not see a tenth, perhaps not a hundredth part, of the things they might have done. “Having pyes but seeing not” is as true of men to-day as it was away back in the times of the ancient prophets. Wp are surrounded by things so well worth seeing and even better worth trying to understand, but we pass them by with scarcely a glance, because we say they are commonplace, and they fail to excite our curiosity. In that we make a grave mistake and our neglect makes ns the losers.

Supposing that we had lived until now within the confines of a cave or deep mine, as people have done before to-day. and then we came up into the light of day and saw these so-called commonplace things for the first time: the great dome of sky. the glory of the sun. the green grass, the trees and flowers, why, we should be over-powered with amazement and delight. There would appear to us such a wealth of things to look at that we might well feel that life itself would be too short for ns to take in all these marvels and beauties. But the things of nature around us and above us are none the less interesting and wonderful because we can see them every day. They all repay looking into and endeavoring to understand, but we have got to learn to use these eyes of ours.' Nothing is discovered without practiced looking, and ever as you discover you will perceive that more lies beyond. About the time that Sir Ernest Rutherford was a. youth in New Plymouth the ex-’stPTice of the atom was regarded as a dead-end in scientific knowledge, and now Rutherford, who learned to see. has shown us that a universe in miniature is whirling within the atom and the possibilities of knowledge in that direction are indefinitely extended. Anvbodv can obtain a general idea, a faint impression of a thing, hut only as you cultivate the habit of close inspection and get keen to see things propprlv can you possess the joy of acquired knowledge.

It has been shown that if a person is placed in a perfeetlv dark room and a sudden faint spark is made for a small fraction of a second to illuminate a picture hung there, nothing, at first, can be seen. But if the tinv flash is repeated for a sufficient number of times the observer will gradually become aware, first that a picture of some kind is there, then some part of it. will impress itaelf upon his mind, then another portion until finally ?verv detail of the picture will become disclosed. Tt is in that wav somewhat that we learn to see. Repeated inspection, earnest consideration of even so-called commonplace things will show us what no untutored seeing can ever reveal. You may. for example, travel quite a lot and yet see hardly anything as it should he seen, just because you have never cultivated the faculty of observation. A school teacher sprung a surprise upon his scholars one morning by asking them to make a list of things they had seen when on their wav to school that day. One boy could find nothing in memory but “the road.”

There is then, seeing and seeing. A mere impression is made upon the mind that such and such things are in sight, nnd an acute perception not only of their presence but of their meaning. To see the waves breaking unon the shore is one thing; to see by what means and with what effect they come, how they originate, where they maintain their relative nositions as thev travel, what part they nlay in th? complicated mechanism of nature, this is /quite nn- • other thing. To see the river flowing over its s+onv bed is what anybody can if see*

make that river tell its history to you, 'for you will read it in the hills and rocks and plains along its course, and perceive the part it is playing in the economy of nature. Almost anybody can see the stars, but to people with uncultivated eight they are either commonplace, uninteresting or else they are invested with all manner of false appearances, from the child who thinks them nail-holes in the floor of heaven and revealing a not altogether secure support for the angels, to the misguided theorist who thinks they are occupied in governing the lines and destinies of the inhabitants of thits. planet.

How different is it for those who learn to see! The glorious pageantry of the celestial orbs takes on an ever deeper meaning, and the observer comes to feel himself a part of a scheme of things infinitely grander and nobler than could at first be conceived.

But to see things in the realm of nature is not all we need to do. To see properly will help us, however, to think properly. The world is greatly in need of seers, people with vision, and it is possible for each of us here to so use our eyes and exercise our minds that we shall be able to assist in finding practical solutions to the many problems which are confronting mankind.

SPIRITUALISM.

ITS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. (Sermon by Paster L. Currow.) The doctrine of natural immortality has prepared the way for modern Spiritualism. If the dead are admitted to the presence of God and holy angels, and privileged with knowledge far exceeding what they before possessed,, why should they not return to the earth to enlighten and instruct the living? Here .is a channel regarded as sacred through which Satan works for the accomplishment of his purposes. The fallen angels who do his bidding appear as messengers from the spirit world. While professing to bring the living into communication with the dead, Satan exercises his bewitching influence upon their minds. He has power to bring before men the appearance of their departed friends. The counterfeit is perfect; the familiar look, the words, the tone, are reproduced with marvellous distinctness. Many are comforted with the assurance that their loved ones are enjoying the bliss of Heaven, and. without suspicion of danger. they give ear to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.

The first sermon ever preached upon the immortality of the soul was preached by the Sernent to Eve in Eden, "Ye shall not surely die.” The divine sentence, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” is made to mean that the soul that sinneth shall not die, but live eternally. We cannot but wonder at the strange infatuation which renders men ro credulous concerning the words of Satan., and so unbelieving in regard to the words of God. Paul declares “If the dead rise not. then is not Christ raised, and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain: ye are yet in vour sins. Than they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” If for thousands of years the righteous have gone directly to Heaven at death, how could they be said to perish, even though there should never be a resurrection ? On that memorable day of Penticost Peter, speaking of David, said. “For David is not ascended into the heavens.” (Acts, 2:34.) Again. “The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence?’ (Psalm. 115:17.) “The dead know nought of God. For in death there is no remembrance of Thee.” (Psalm.. 6:5.)

The svmbol of death *s sleep, hut in sound sleep we are totallv unconscious. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth. Then said Jeans. “Plainlv Lazarus is dead.” (John, 11:11.14.) For thousands of years Spiritualism has through its wizards, witches, and its agency of demon spirits professed to bring the living mto communication with the dead. But what saith the Serintures? The dead know not anything, neither have thev any more a reward: for the memorv of them is forgotten. (Eccl, 9:5.) Millions upon millions have been deceived by these seducing spirits in the past. Its presence. This is the last act in the great drama of deception, and it is now being staged in our midst. I read. “The appearing of the lawless one will he attended bv various miracles and tokens and delusive marvels, for so Satan works, and by every kind of wicked deception for those who are pn the wav to perdition because they did not welcome into their hearts the love of the truth that thev might be saved.” And for this reason.. God sends them a misleading influence that they may believe the lie in order that all may come under judgment who have refused to believe the truth and have taken pleasure in unrighteousness.

“I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers. I will come near to vou in judgment. This uprising of awful deception will destroy millions upon millions.”

Then what of its failure? Isaiah, the gosne] prophet, paints the picture. “And your covenant with death shall he disannulled. and vour agreement with hell shall not stand. Judgment also will, I lay to the line and righteousness to the plummett. and the hail shall sweep awav the refuge of lies.” ‘’And then shall that wicked or lawless one. be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will sweep away with the tempest of His anger, and utterly overwhelm by the awful splendor of His coming.” (2 Thes., 2:8.) “And the slain of the Lord shall be at that dav from one end of the earth, even unto th? other, thev shall not b? lamented. neither gathered nor buried. They shall he like dung on the ground.” (Jer.. 25:33.) This is the dav when God shall laugh at their calamitv and mock when their fear cometh. “When your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction as a whirlwind. Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, hut shall not find me. For that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would have none of mv council: they despised all mv reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.” (Prov., 1:26-31.) Thus will vour covenant, with death he disannulled. Spiritualism says the dead are not dead and have made Gods word appear to lie. But Spiritism is the liar and God gives it over to be silenced in death for a 1000 years. This is the disannulling of its covenant with death. This is the time when its agreement with hell shall not stand. When? When judgment is laid to the line and righteousness to the plummet, when the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies. (La.. 28:18. 17.) Spiritualism is built on a lie. Its base will bp rudely shaken on that day. Its whole superstructure will totter and fall and he ’'riven over to the silence —