The Portland daily press., 1873-12-08

Iney profess TO accept him and then go on Nv
ing their worldly life.
In some respects the religion of to-day is in
advance of that of our fathers, yet in great
measure it is not the pure religion of Jesus
Christ. We fail Because we take the world for
our guide instead of the Teacher himself. There
are men who call themselves religious teachers,
who scott at the very fundamental truths of
the Christian religion. But the doctrine which
asserts that man can make himself Christian
without the aid of Christ does not make men
better. '-' -. 2 ~
Science is all well in its place; but when it
says that the present age demands something
new for religion, it is wrong. This kind OF
scientific religion does not supply heart wants.
our teacher in religion. and to Him alone
Many fail because they do not learn that there
is no Christian life outside of Christ ...es
Putting on Jesus Christ is to become like
Him in heart. large portion OF the social
ed Christianity of to day has no spirituality
You will find large part of professed Chris
tians who make no pretensions to spiritual
life, No one would ever suppose that they
were followers of the humble Nazarene as they
have none of his humility and little of his spir-
ituality How can man be Christian and
not feel the woes of the world resting upon
him?
When we follow Christ we shall find personal
purity, of which there is great need In the
SSNS
in me clean heart."p -A ga q $751;
Again we should make Jesus our public pat
tern. Cody loving should begin when we be-
gin our Christian life. The church as it inter-
prets Christian life, by its services. its prayer
meetings, its Sabbath schools, is but poor ex-
preston of what church should be. 1t was
organized for the very purpose OF shbduing the
worl6. If evil is not to be fought blythe chnrch
then it is useless as an instrument of subduing
the world. But am informed that the church
is doing something to convert men. Thank
God for that. but it is not enough Jesus was
safe from the contamination of sin and his sal
walton was sure. But shall he stay at Nazareth
because he is safe? No; Nazareth and home
must be left and he must go out calling men to
repentance. He laid his hand upon the worlds
heart and tried to draw it to Heaven. He put
his hand in humanity's hand to lead it to sal
walton. As much as possible we should do as
Christ did. In all our works we should put
Christ first, then what belongs to earth. We
ought to put him on fully. This is the great
need of the church, to SO put on Christ that ho-
illness shall shine out in every act, that it may
go on until it rev0lutiOnizes the world. HE
ABYssINIAN CHURCH.
Mrs. M. D. Welcome of Yarmouth occupied
the pulpit of this church and preached in the
afternoon to good congregation, from I'd Peter
iii, IS. "But grow in grace, and in the know,
ledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ"
Progression is the order of everything in the
physical world. The child does not always re-
main So bat increases in strength and intellect
as years advances. So we should not always
remain babes in Christ, feeding upon the milk
of the word, but progress so as to be able to re
ceve strong meat. There are spiritual dwarfs
in the church, always being taught but never
beicg able to teach. There are many hind
RANGES to growth; the cares of life, pride and
worldly ambition crowd upon us, but these can
be overcome by Gods help, Conversion is only
the beginning of the Christian life Many are
satisfied with that, but resting here is 2 great
should build upon it, instead of laying it again
and again. Be sure that you are in Christ and
then press forward, and be ready to lend help
ing hand to others.
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
Rev. w. w. Bilden of Bristol, Conn, preach
ed from Is Xvi, A. 81 also will choose their
decisions and will bring their fears upon
them" The prophet is speaking of men who
were of great consequence in their own estimas
ton. 'They shall build houses and inhabit
them; plant vineyards and eat the fruit of
them. But remember, oh man the pride of thy
heart hath deceived thee; though thou exalt
myself as the eagle, will bring thee down.
They have chosen their own ways, but will
choose their decisions Man on earth is de-
luded being there can be no doubt about that. He
chooses his decisions God meant that our life
on earth should be just what it is, strange de-
fusion, dream, an empty show. M Ia a.Tfi5
l. The earth itself is strange Elusive fact
Study it carefully it is stubborn fact full of
rocks-crystals and coal beds. We classify
and arrange the facts of geology. We drill and
bore the solid earth and think we find regis
ter to tell exactly how old the world is Lysll
settles the whole theory of creation and then
corners. Agazzis and proves Lyell was mistaken
and Moses was right after all.
So of all our science, it is often mere theo-
rizing. We lavish many years of study on
what proves to be mighty enigma and find we
lack infinite art or the power to create. We
cannot unfold the soul of things as in nature
SO in moral life man is deluded. Chasing baub-
bles, actually thinking more of the clothes he
wears than of the soul which God says shall in
herit eternal ages. Deluson may play ter
rible but neadful part in the divine govern
ment not unlike that which the storm plays in
nature.
While the decisions of nature and science are
beyond our control, there are decisions
which as moral agents, we are responsible for
and If we adopt them we shall suffer for them
here and hereafter
Another delusion is the love of money. The
haste to be rich has to-day thrust upon US this
money panic and made the hearts Of men trem-
BILE and fears. Recent revelations in Con-
gress, and in business life fill the nation with
shame. We turn pale as ve think of the
mighty who have fallen and how low they have
fallen. Men in the United States to-day will
do things for money that they would not do
to crafty any other lust, even the lowest. Sad
fact; yet God teaches the saddest thing is not
the exposure, but the deed; yet believe the
cause of truth may vet be stronger for this ex
posure of the sad delusion of men.
We thought to name modern spir itualism as
among the decisions of the day. Also that
theory that denys human snfulness and ex-
poets the eternal favor of God by our own
righteousness They say yes, there is some
corruption in the race, bnt it is all the result of
bad education, bad government, bad blood, bad
digestion. Now to reconcile man to God, they
say, you have only to cultivate him, educate
him, make men vote right, reconcile capital
and labor, have an eight hour law, in short de-
velop him. We have no patience with these
new tangled decisions Man is a sinner and
needs a savior and there is no delusion about
these facts. Men are depraved and no hu-
man power can remedy the ruin, God himself
cannot make a man happy who carries a vol
canoe in his bosom. Nothing but pardon by