The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-04-12
Long Faced picty.

l have seen deacon in the pride OF his
deep humility. He combed his hair
straight, and looked studiously after the
main chance; and while he looked he
employed himself in setting a good ex-
ample. His dress was rigidly plain, and
his wife was not INDUCED in the vanities
Of millinery and mantua making. He
never joked. He did not know what a
joke was, any further than to know that
it was sin. He carried Sunday face
through the week. be did not mingle
IN the happy social parties of the neigh
borhood lie was a deacon He starved
fils social nature because he was deacon.
He re.rained from participation i'm free
and generous life because he was deacon.
He ma lie his children hate Sunday because
he was a deacon. He so brought them up
that they learned to consider themselves
unfortunate in being the children of
deacon. They were pitied by other child
rem because they We're children Of a Gea-
con. They were pitied by other children
because they were children of deacon
His wife was pitied by other women be-
cause she was the wife Of deacon No
body loved him If he came into circle
where men were laughing or telling stories,
they-always stopped until he left. No one
ever grasped his hand cordially, or slapped
him on the shoulder, or spoke of him as
Il good fellow. He seemed as dry and
hard and tough as piece of jerked beef
There was no sofiness of character-no
juiciness-no loveliness in him
Now, it is of no use for me to undertake
to realize TO myself that God admires such
a character as this. | DO not doubt that
He loves the man as He loves all men
but to admire his style of manhood and
piety is impossible for any intelligent
being Itlscks the roundness and fulness,
aid richness and sweetness, that belong to
a truly admirable character Such man
caricatures Christianity, and scares other
men away from it. Such a man osteuta.
tiously presents himself as one in whose
life religion is dominant. 1t is religion
that is supposed to rub down that long
face. and inspire that stiff demeanor, and
to make him every point an unattraciire
and unioyahie man. OF course, it is not
religion that does anything Of the kind,
but il has the credit OF il with the world,
and the world does not like it, 1t looks
around, and sees great many men who
do not pretend to religion at all. and yet
who are very loyeable men If religion
can transform a pleasant man into q most
unpleasant one, and change q free bright
and happy home into dismal place of
slavery, and blot out mems aesthetic
and social nature, the world naturally
thinks that getting religion would be
almost as much of a misfortune as getting
some melancholy chronic disease, and
do not blame it. II is not to be wondered
ct, that the world should mistake the true
nature of Christianity, when Christians
themselves entertain such grieyous errors
about it.
suppose God is attracted to very much
the same style of character a. men are
Christ loved a Young man az first sight
who lacked the very thing essential to his
hghest manhood But Heloved the kind
OF man He saw before Him H. was
upright, frank hearted, open-minded. and
bright; and Jesus beheld him. loved
him" There are men whom one cannot
help loving and admiring though they
lack . great many thinss-thines very
needful' to make them perfect men.
Now, put it to good, conscientious Chris
tian men and women, whether they do
not take more pleasure in the society Of
a warrn-hearted. generous. chivalrous.
v-eii-sei man nf the world than in the
society of any OF that class of Christians of
whom the deacon / have mentioned is "a
type. / know they do and they cannot
help il.
There Is more Of that which belongs to
first class Christian character in the
former than in the latter and if were
called upon 20 test the two men by com-
mandiDg them respectively 10 sell what
they have and give to the poor, ! should
be disappointed were the deacon TO behave
the best A ch facter which religion does
not fructify-does not soften, enlarge,
beautify, and cGrich-ls not benefited by
relic;on-or, rather. has not possessed
itself of religion. God loves that which
is beautiful and attractive in character,
just as lauch as we do, and It makes no
difference where he secs ii. lie does not
dislike the amiable traits Of sinner be-
cause he is sinner, nor does he admire
those traits of Christian which we feel
to be contemptible, and simply because
they belong TO a Christian. \ Christian
sucked dry Of his humanity is as .iuiceless
and as fiavorless as a sucked orange. and
/ believe that God regards him in the
same light that we do. He will save such
| doubt not. for their faith and, in the
coming world, they will learn what they
do not know here; bat the question
whether they are as well worth saving as
some of their neighbors may, | think, be
legitimately entertained In saying this,
| mean TO be neither light nor irreyerent.
| mean simply 10 indicate that some men
are worth great deal more to themselves
and TO their fellows than others limo
thy Titcomb.