“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 a seat in our bosoms, so long will men be slaves to their stomachs, backs, and business.  Every quickening of our sensibility toward love, heaven, equity, will lead us to change our circumstances so as to make them conformable to our new inward life.

“It is for us to be true to God, however unlike the world we may seem.  It is in silence, in private, alone, that deeds can be done which shall outstrip those of the Alexanders and Napoleons in their eternal effects.”

“July 7.—­All that we contend for is that man should obey God, and co-operate in His work with his will and not against it. Interior submission to the Love Spirit is the answer to all questions concerning man’s welfare, here and hereafter.  Whatever a man is led to do in obedience to it is well done and godlike, though it lead him to offer up his only dear son.