Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-05-09

sirnplifes life, and Tids 1t OF all COM
plexity and embarrassment. There is no
conflict of motives. there is no friction
at any point. Most of the ensnaring
temptations of the world are ruled out;
there is continuity of purpose, a steadi-
ness of aim, one simple, ineligible rule
| of action which pr>cludes all confusion
and ENHANCEMENT consequent upon irres-
oluiion. 1t is thee solvent OF ali moral
| questions, indicating to the submissive,
well educated, obedient conscience both
| the lawful and the expedient; and amidst
| decentralization and back-sliding and cor
ruption of truth, it projects an airline
along which the resolute, cheerful pill
grim may travel without waste of time
or fear of loss or hazard of departure.
The meek will He teach His way. The
work of righteousness is peace, and the
effect of it, quietness and assurance for
ever. The style of religion of which |
am now speaking christianizes secular life
and stretches far beyond the district of
what is commonly included in what we
call devotion. This idea of religion many
clever professors seem never to have ap-
pretended With them, common life is
regulated by one set of principles, and
what they mean to be their religious life
is controlled altogether by another. Per
haps, hetweenthe two, there are no down
right an agonisIns, no glaring inconsisteR-
cies, but then there is no mutual service,
no cooperation. The common necessary
duties of life are not exalted and refined,
made sweet and healthful by the infusion
of the religious element, but the relig-
iOus element is diluted and corrupted with
worldly admixtures. They seldom or
ever carry their religion into their bust
ness; well nigh always they bring their
business into their religion, and their re-
ligion is mere patchwork. The scraps
artistically combined form coat of many
colors, when it ought to have been unit
in its material, and seamless in its manu-
facture. If man is with God and for
God only when he sings and prays, or
reads and hears, it is obvious that he can
be but little with Him. The larger pOr-
ton of our time is demanded by bread
and raiment; the toll and the struggle of
life; and if there be no recognition of
God, no reverence for His authority, Oh,
what psrenthesis is there iG the biogIa-
ply of the christian heat!
l confess wonder that many of our PEG
pie endure as long as they do-unfruitful,
because the cares Of this life and the de-
ceitfulness of riches have chOked the
good seed-Gnhappy, because religion is
periodical visitor, wayfaring man
that turneth aside to tarry for a
night, and not an inseparable companion,
clesving all through in the citizenship of
the country and the union of the society,
TO the fellowship of the church-un-
thrifty, because the cheering signs of &C.
casional promise having no depth of
earth from which to draw the needed
supplies. No wonder if when tempta-
ton comes they fall away. All, we want
a religion which shall go to church with a
man and go home with him, preside at
his table, chasten his conversation, sootLe
his temper, plan his labors, regulate his
business, dispense his charities, inspire
his devotion. We want a religion which
by a sanctified intention converts the nat.
ural into the moral, the civil into the re
! ligiOus, the place of business into the
house of prayer, the field and the forest
into holy ground, and the man Of the
world into the man of God. This, my
brethren, is no mystical piety. These
views are not strained, overweight, i'm
practicable; but if 1 could propagate, il
the church would but adopt them, what
csrefUlness they would work in them TO
avoid sin and please G0d-yes, what
! al OT oil =
reproach, yea, what indignation against
evil, its occasions and instruments, yea,
what vehement desire to attain and TO Ii.
lustrate holiness, yea, what zeal to dc
good and to glorify God, yea, what re.
yenge against our follies; that we MAJ
redeem our life, repair damages and re-
! cover what we have lost.
On, that in all these things God may
help US to approve ourselves, that We
may be clear III this matter.
1t will be conceded tina! the example Of
Christ is the standard by which ali pre-
tensions to religious character and con-
! duct should be settled. He that saith h(
ebideth in Him ought also to walk as HI
walked. If any man hath not the spiri
of Christ he is none of His. Now, the
history of our Lord, as it is recorded il
the New Testament, is BOT, according Il
some poetic conception of elOquence, Ii,
development of 3 single virtue, but iht
complete union of all the attribu-1
which can be thought of as virtuOus az
praiseWOrthy in human charac er, tht
perfect combination of whatsoever thing
are just, and true, and pure, and lovely
and of good report. In HIM we have de
votion, benevolence, self denial, fOrtitude
patience, humility, charity, meekness
industry; and all these we are commanded
to initiate. These are all mOIatexcellencie
and therefore they may be human excel
lencies. l am not speaking now Of tn
wisdom and power and majesty Of tn
Divinity, but of the voluntary action
the choice, the self denial, the prefer
ences of the man Christ Jesus. All thes
are imitable, and all these resolve them
selves into one simple, uncompounde,
principle, TO please God, to do His will
to fill up the divine programme. Gu
SayiOru's voluntary acceptance of tn
work of human redemption, with all tn
iDdignities of its humiliation, the extremit
of its toll, the agony of its death, wa
announced in this language. do,
cone, Gin the volume of the book it j
written of mel, TO do thy will, o, God.
And when he came, and Christ at twelv
years of age went up with his repute
parents to the feast at Jerusalem, and O
their departure fingered behind ard the
went a days journey and missed him an
returned, seeking him s0rrOwful and auX
iOus, ana his mother softly chided him, say
lag, "Wby hast thou dealt thus with US (?
his excuse and his vindiCatiOn re. afl1rme
the objects and the end of His coming
by saying: "Wist we not that l must b
about my Fathers businesS2H came int
the world to d. and to suffei tle will 0
Him that sent me. This is my mission
;hs is my choice; this is the religion
came to teach aud to exemplify. Whe
Jesus sat by Jacobs well, weary, hun
CRY, athirst, and the disciples returne
from the village whithec they had gone t.
purchase food, and said: 'EMaster eat,
he answered and said: 81 have meat t
eat ye know not of. My meat is to d
the viii of Him that sent me, and to fin
ish His work l pity the Christian
especially the preacher, who, in the tIars
ports of his joy, or the vehemeuce of hi
zeal, never forgot the hours Of food an
rest. Ali along our SlviOT's eventfr
, life ne referred 10 this great principle I
Justify both His sayings and His dOingi
He referred to it to relieve himself froI
the surprise Of his friends and from th
repToach Of his enemies. The will {
{ God was His compass and His goal an
: HIS authority. 1t was the measure {
His labor, of lis self-denial, of His az
tivity, of His preaching, of His miracle
and of His suffering3. Now, s
i Jesus gave Himself 10 CD fC
! us and our salvation, we a.
: to give ourselves freely, fully, j
recoverably to him, TO be His propert
| and 70 be at His disposal. This is th
, religion of the New Testament. l stan
upon my SavloI's words, Then said OIL
unto Him, behold Thy mother and Tn
brethren stand without, desiring to spea
With Thee. And Jesus said unto hin
t who is my mother, and who are IN