01.30. The Aeroplane Blessing
Chapter 30 THE AEROPLANE BLESSING. The Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville, became convinced that it was possible to make a machine which while heavier than air yet could fly. In this they voiced a belief beyond the general faith around them, and in face of the popular view that the only contrivance man could construct which would float and bear human beings with it, must be less heavy than the air which its size displaced. So the balloon filled with a gas of much lighter specific gravity than our terrestrial atmosphere was the commonly accepted faith and highest scheme of mechanism as to a flying machine. But the Wright brothers had a mental vision of the aeroplane, and began to talk about it.
Perhaps they had observed that birds were heavier than air, and yet they skimmed and shot through the sky. May be they pondered over the fact that satellites, planets and suns were much weightier than the ether in which they floated. And so the mental inquiry and investigation began.
Evidently they reasoned from these visible data, and felt assured that there were laws and principles in nature which if discovered and applied would result in a machine that would rush and fly, although like the birds and worlds, it was heavier than the atmosphere they proposed to navigate.
They spent very many hours watching the flight of larger birds like vultures as they circled about in the mid heavens. Moreover, they talked so much about the machine they intended making and flying in, that it is said the women of the household were nearly distracted and felt like giving them another kind of flight through the air by means of their brooms. At this juncture the two young men applied to the War Department, unfolding their plans and asking for financial assistance in the matter which so profoundly interested and engaged them. The War Department tossed the letter aside into the waste basket, was much amused, said no such thing had ever been or could be, called the Wright brothers a couple of cranks and proceeded to forget the whole occurrence.
After this the two young men, though disappointed, yet not at all despairing, founded what they called an Experimentation Station at a place in North Carolina called Kill Devil Hill. Here they made many unavailing efforts to fly with their machine. With each baffled experience they would study the question again, working on the machine here and there as they thought they saw the difficulty, and then would try again. A number of people who had come to observe what was going on, and to witness a success, grew wearied and fell away in their attendance thinking that nothing would ever come of it. But one day the machine flew! And the Wright brothers were in it! Such had been the diminution of interest that only five people witnessed the victory; the "getting through;" in a word, saw the two young men get the Aeroplane Blessing. The news was flashed by the wires all over the land. A machine heavier than the air had been made to fly! And while some still doubted and said nothing would ever come of it but broken bones and destroyed lives, yet others believed, and it would be hard to enumerate the great number that are today working diligently and persistently on similar air machines that they might obtain the same blessing the Wright brothers got on Kill Devil Hill, and fly as they flew and as they have been flying ever since. In like manner there were those in the Church of Christ whom we can properly call the "Right Brothers" who believed it was possible to rise, float and fly in the experience of holiness even in this present sinful world. The Wrong Brothers and the Brothers-in-law in the Church took issue with them, and firmly and even violently and angrily stated no such experience was possible. That we had to become lighter than this world’s air. That we had to be emptied of the soul by death, drop this heavy physical body in the grave, before we could ever dream of being holy. That we had to be made ethereal by glorification and translation, and then in some far distant world where there was no such thing as the attraction of gravitation exercised by sin and things of time and sense, then, and only then, we could rise, float and fly in the atmosphere of the heavenly life. But the Right Brothers had been struck with the amazing analogy and parable going on in the sky about them of birds heavier than the air flying about easily, and worlds weightier than the ether whirling around safely, regularly and beneficially in the vast depths of space. And they had also found something in the Bible which agreed exactly with the divine handwriting and argument in the mid heavens, viz., that He could sanctify us wholly, and preserve us blameless in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, could keep us from falling and present us faultless at last before His presence in Heaven with exceeding joy. So the Right Brothers went to work to get the blessing that makes us overcome the world, the flesh and the devil gives us a "full joy," causes it to "remain," keeps us unspotted from the world and delivering us from the hand of our enemies, enables us to live without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
There was a natural application to the powers that be, for sympathy, instruction and help in the matter. But all such applicants soon found out that they had run up against a War Department instead of an Instruction Bureau. So that many who read these lines will remember how their letters were thrown in the Waste Basket, how they were dubbed cranks, visionaries, enthusiasts and even Pharisees; how there was much amusement at their expense at headquarters and elsewhere; and how with a great number, the occurrence, the individual, and all were put out of mind. Some quite eminent in the War Department said that really they had no time to devote to such twaddle and nonsense.
There was nothing left for the Right Brothers to do, but to establish an Experimentation Station. In other words, they fell on their knees and begged the Lord to give them the Flying Blessing. They started a Revival meeting in an old school house or in a brush arbor in the woods, and falling down at the altar pleaded with God for holiness or the Aeroplane Blessing. They told Him they knew but little of the mysteries of the universe and grace, but they did know that He was God; that He was omnipotent; that He was greater than the world and all the worlds; that He was mightier than His own laws; that He was infinitely more powerful than the Devil and all devildom put together; that if sin abounded, grace much more abounded; that they just knew He was able to do exceeding abundantly for them above all that they could ask or think; and that they wanted the blessing of a pure heart and a constantly victorious life in this life and world.
Oh how the Right Brothers prayed, wept, and kept trying to fly.
There were many efforts and many failures. But with each failure they would examine carefully the mechanism of their consecration, studied the steering gear of the Word, increased and perfected the steam of faith and then would try again. The Wrong Brothers were much amused and discontinued their attendance on the meeting. The Brothers-in-law said the whole thing was a piece of superlative folly. The idea of living a holy life in such a world as this. Of flying with these heavy natures of ours in such an atmosphere as belonged to this sinful planet. They were so indignant that they not only would not go to the meeting, but denounced it everywhere. The name of the place where the meeting was held was called Kill the Old Man Hill. It was not an euphonious title, and the name offended a great number of fastidious people. Some kept away from the Experiment Station Camp Grounds because of this objectionable nomenclature. Still others came out of curiosity, but after a number of services, and not beholding anything which rewarded their itching eyes and ears, they also fell away, and hardly a handful was left at the altar looking on where the Right Brothers were trying to make an ascension.
One day they flew! They got the blessing! They rose in the air! They sailed over the heads of the Wrong Brothers, the Brothers-in-law, the Half Brothers, the Step Brothers and all the others who knew not the experience of Kill the Old Man Hill!
They got the body, then property and all the heavy things of time and sense on the Altar.
Saw with a flash the principles and laws of a Redemption greater than the Fall. Got everything adjusted, and one day touched the spring and flew.
Moreover, they have been floating, flying and sailing ever since in the clear blue sky of holiness. It is a joy and inspiration to see them living above the world, though still in the world. And demonstrating to all observers that through the grace and power of the Son of God they can live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, and serve the Lord in holiness all the days of their life.
Meantime the news has been flashed in all directions. We can be sanctified wholly, and kept from falling in this life and in this world. Whereupon Experimentation Stations in the shape of Revival Meetings and Camp Grounds are being established in every direction. And letters and telegrams are continually carrying the tidings, that while the Wrong Brothers are out in force at the Experimentation station and obtaining nothing, yet the Right Brothers are getting through and making glorious ascensions. One telegram read, two hundred flew at this Camp Meeting. Another dispatch said sixty flew at the last service. And behold the conviction is deep and spreading everywhere, that to get the real blessing, the genuine thing, the floating, flying, sailing experience above the world and sin, the rise must be made on Kill the Old Man Hill.
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