New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1867-06-16

lIOb say one worn ugaluSL them. 1npN 10 |
not swear far from it they do not wrange |
and quarrel in the streets-never : they are |
men that never break the Sabbath day vsi- |
bly, they are men that respect the church ; |
they are men thatpay their large premiums
and pew-rents they are men that would be |
shocked to see child kick the Bible, though |
they VIII KICK every precept in it them |
selves. They are men that have the utmost |
respect for the external forms of religion /: |
but when they come to that which religion |
was meant to root out, when they come to
those things which are the bane of religion
-seitishnes5 and pride, and the appetites
and passions-not only are there nothing
but they are not inconsistent with that
morality which they pride themselves upon.
And these men are like a garden which is
surrounded by an elegant fence, and lined
with an elegant hedge. aud encircled by
border of elegant flowers but the middle of
which is full of thorns, and all manner of
noXiOus weeds, growing up thick. 1t is for
tunate that these men that have such car.
nal heart that are so corrupt as TO be hate
ful to God and TO good men ; that are
coarse, and worldly, aud selfish that are
utterly dried, desicCated, and pulverulcnt
as the dust of the road-it is fortunate that
these men have something, if it is nothing
but morality. But is that morality going to
save them? Is that enough for them A
wretch is he that has nothing but morality
4. Morality leaves wholly out of view the
given in the NEST abbreviated form by our
Savior-"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and
with all thy strength, ard with all thy mind,
and thy neighbor as myself"
This ordinary morality is halfway bust
ness. 1t is very imperfect in itself 1t is
far better than nothing it is very good to
start on, if you leave it behind you very
quickly to build up something better: but
when you come to consider it as the whole
stock of IA mans higher life, and the ground
and reason of his expectations of i'm
mortality, it is wholly inadequate. 1t does
not undertake to fulfill the law of God, or
either part of it. II it did, it would be far
better than nothing; but it still would be
imperfect. The first part of that law is,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God" This
is what a mere moral man does not do and
does not think of doing. He would be
Christian mau if he did. \ moral man rec
ognizes this law, but does not undertake to
fulfill it.
And can that be a safe condition that
leaves out of view the law of God Is it
possible for man to be an engineer that
leaves out of view the attraction of gravi-
tation Is it possible for man to be a chem.
it that leaves out the atomic theory? Is 1t
possible to take the heart, the backbone,
and the lungs out of man, and leave him,
though deficient in some things, yet very
well off? And is it possible for man to
that idea the law of love toward God and
toward man, which is its very marrow, its
critical, fundamental element!
Now, | am not speaking theologically
| about this. | am making an unyarnished
| presentation of the case before you. GCu
| know well what is commonly called moral
| ity. II is that which you talk about when
/ you are sitting around fire at night, and
| warming your hands, and saying, "Nell, |
do not think much of these Christians about
here" Very likely they do not deserve
much better than you think OF them. You
say " If "a man does about as well as he
| knows how | believe that he will do well
! enough" ! believe so, too. But you know
as well as do that God requires that you
| should love Him, and that you do not do 1t,
and do not try to do it. The thought OF
| God is not agreeable TO you. so Tar from
| loving Him, you do not like to have the
subject brought before you. You do not like
| it in q sermon, and still less in conversation.
| You do not like the illumination and search
ing OF the Holy Ghost. That is the part OF
truth that you call metaphysics, or 1nySttc.
| ism or some other fauciful name. To love
| God is not a part of your attempt even.
| oh yes" says one man, " ! love God. /
| recollect one day, after | heard that my
uncle was dead, and had left me ten thou
sand dollars, | was so happy that all the way
home | said, Thank God-thank God-thank
God!" And that is what you call loving
fed, and that feeling OF basilar eXultation
which you experience, that mere excite
ment which comes from having your own
desires fulfilled, you call loving God why;
would you be willing that your chlld should
love you through CAKE and sweetmeats, ana
in no other way! You want your chi4d rs
he grows up to come into sympathy with
your real life. There must be sympathy
and fellowship IN true love between man
and man, and man ana woman; ana you
would not be satished Win any s9cn lo'e az
you undertake TO PAIN OH on SIod' VINO can
: not be expressed by the symool OF inc sur
by day, nor OF the stars by night. All th'
seasons IAN TO express MN. Nelther lu'
L winter in its majesty, nor the spring IN IL
4 glory, nor the summer IN It's richness, no
. the autumn IN ITS abundance can expires
| the patient, the IohS suffering, inc uyiI!
and atonlng Goa. Ana YOU once IN "hlie
n when you happen 70 nave soou .iicA, eeI.L
e thought up toward linn, ana on the sirehgll
7 OF that you say u love HIN, On hSP1
= critics it Is bad enough lhat you uo '''
d love Goa; 90 not make II worst oy pre-.
Il ing that you DO. lou know lAat you u
n not.
r Now, ask you, Is that morallty sun
n clent stopping-ground ana iouhdatlo
n enough for the perils OF ne, ior !he PERI
OF death, and TOR the perlis OF the Judgmei
e seat, which leaves ont TINS prime elehleh
j. love, and love to God, And YET, mOTtlt
s is great deal better than nothlhg. 20
have nothing better DO not give up tnat'
l. When men are in wilderness, ana nay
Sc ca en- the last bit oil bread, ana sun the
4, wander on, and have eaten the last mors'
id of bacon, and their Journey brings them
t; no civilization, and they nave slam an
b, eaten their very dogs, ana they haVe hotI
10, 1.f4t th1xr nVln IN