New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-08

81 tod's free sovereign indispensable grace, We VIII
gradually find all praying and toing ony 80 nuVn
homeless drudgery and will DO tempted to give up In
despair -. ..,.. ,..,,on
nor to show the life OF faith requires OF us tue com
pound attitude OF one who works as II al depehden on
will power victory. saIvntion-must be the donation Of
Gods free mercy tho operation OF that auorapo @
would certainly be lost MY wish is 10 submit some
can engage minds, some thoughts which deeply con,
Germ our peace. holiness, preparation iOr aea'n anu
eternity.
Religion from Re Loo means the rcattechmentto
God OF the soul which had estranged itself from Him
BY the very force Of the term we are reminded on ISp
divine Jurisprudence by which guilt is pardoned, the
piuings of despOiled humanity for reconciliation with
the Father" are satisfied, and our entire nature
senses intellect, conscience, passions-is readused
Tho subject assigned me Is Personal Kellg9n. ts Aids
and Hnderanoes nor was there ever period when TINS
topic claimed more serious and prayerf contemplation
For while in theory all admit that there can De no
stitute for holiness, yet IN reality spoclons
AID nOstrums are every side c0Truptng anu super
sedng the doctrines of the Cross ..,oso ,rv
light in the mind which sheds no influence on the me
DAu6gne tells US that alter hearing @ Si
doctrine in the Bible" "Yes" replied the Scottish
sress yet profound question which led to tho
OF the great historians and this Is now inc inquiry
feel it in 6oartsi 81 the way and the truth and
the life" 1t thing 10 admit this Imperial self
to reaIize II but nothing is saving faith which
stops short OF full, controlling reception of 1t
-
the mind the heart, the life. THIS Is the religion
of the Gospel. It is as simple as II Is severe and
sublime. There is. however TOO much reason To rear
that for this personal following Christ ana adherlng 10
him, mutitudes adopt loyalty TO creeds confessions
YEA general faith III the written wOrd may DO fatally
mistaken faith in that personal Savior whose me-
ecuvey. the grand, informing controlling ruo OF Iaitn
TO his disciples" Follow mel" When Jesus was upon
earth this the abridgment Of Ill his doctrines the
epitome Of all his sermons his whole body Of divinity
and this IL sin his strict demand refusing 20 obey which
lack Ouat
thing. Follow me-" me. not religion Jesus came
not to teach but TO be religion. Me not dogma
Me; not a doctrine. Mo not linen decencies, apocry-
pha SUGGESTIONS mystical, cabast!o virtues Nc not
Sbie Me-" Ne; come follow me; that is what the sa-
viOr requires of an and he who negecs TO comply taxes
M the whole mater amiss; he misunderstands neg
ieets the very Gospel by which hopes to be saved
Then again. instead OF personal conservation we de-
too all around religion OF imposing formaisms, of
fascinating rituaisms, of exernasns which may DO as
graceful the exquisite satuary in tho Greek temples
but just destitute OF real life which ull the con
science regae the taste and fancy but leave the heart
unchanged We are SURPRISED that IN the midst Of tho
nO0ntide illumination OF the Gospel men can SUI DC pc
wtched by the supersttons mpostures and pageantry
OF the Church of Rome. We forget two things first,
that in our fallen condition Imagination Is stronger thah
We see this in our child You take your utie
boy into q toy shop and purchase an ugly mask; lie
knows you are his father and the mask nothing out
piece Of painted pasGeDoard yet when yOu put on the
hideous false face be Is terrified HOW 90 you explain
thisf IL IA proof that III the chld lmaglhauoh Is
stronger than Nor il 1t otherwise with children
Of larger growth lady weeps over The s9rro "s OF
Werther" or some other sentimental novel Does she
believe 1t to be truef Docs she not know that 1t Is "a
pay is Hamlet Does he really suppose That no Is IN
Denmark Is he not certain that tho actor IN sabes,
with such rueful cOuntenance Is not the Prince OF
Denmark, but Mr. Jones' whom he met the night before
in drinking And the lady-with her dsheyeled
hair and picturesque miseresdOeS he think tnat se 10
really the Ovelorn Ophea Does he not know that sho
Is only Joness wfei Yet he sits there bathed In tears
And what is the solution OF all thsf We have already
given IL. In the lady and in the manas in the little
Experimentation Is stronger than reason. And now
hand, and We will understand why the muInmerles OF
Rome exert such d magical spell over people IN thelr
secret Is secret. IL Is tnat speca
ees rites festivals, processions robes censers relics,
chOrsers priests and affairs all appeal directly to tho
And we overlook another fact We forget that these
ceremonies the most subtitle form OF selrghteous-
ness They are pleasing to the unrenewed heart be-
they performed to merit Gods favor aud they
thus offer the most grateful incense TO the secompa-
cGuCy OF uuTegenerate nature Nor Is IL only in
tns crystaHzes into seductive FORMS that matefIoa
tries are counterfeit for pety. The bitter hostility Of
the Pharisees famed against Jesus because they
cHnery OF the temple by which their spiritual
pride was intensely hattered and was requiring
day. the of Christ the obedience the sefrenunci
alton, the holiness OF the gospel stir up the enmiy OF
muu;udes because they aSsall the traditions OF their
fathers and abolish those old hereditary sanctitios
which, under the nsidous garb OF religion atter their
her-looms, transmitted through long line Of honorod
ancestors.
mention only other substitute for personal pety
This may designate sort OF corporate religion,
dsvotedness to some Church by which we become, not
Christians, but churchnen ana the lmposltons which
men and women practice upon themselves under this
deuson almost incredible. Never perhaps, did any
body OF soldiers regard themselves as enlisted in such
high and holy enterprise as those who rallied under the
banner of the Crusades yet was there an army
deprayed and dissOlute. And a selfdeceptiOn,
every whit Infatuated is witnessed now In thousands
who the bigoted advocates OF ecclesiastical
ganlzaton who contribute their wealth ana would pour
out their blood for some Church. the tenes OF which
they neither understand nor believe. and the morality
Of which they treat with undisguised contempt
PROFESSIONALLY, the very mission OF the gospel all Its
aims and appointments suppose and require the exist
enoe OF churches nor do tho Scriptures recognize as
Christian any one who refuses to Identity himself pub
earth But few hereses have been degrading to the
religion OF Jesus that which exalts fotn in
heart and life. Surely If union with any peculiar society
were essential to salvation Jesus would have clearly
His Kingdom pubsned in the sermon on the mount, nor
single word about church Nor this surprise for
visible churches only aids their ordinances and min
No Of the Church OF Rome is fatal than
that which teaches that Church can do something
Chemically 10 And all Churches practice the
Impostures which get rid OF religion by something
that seems TO be religious; winch overlook the great
stead of seeking and nourish the spirit Of
faith peneDce sanctty by their prayers by nns les
sons sermons services invest these performances with
a superstous vlrtue and thus satisfy the conscience
with something short OF holiness and FIX the heart on
have thus Indicated some OF the dangers which, at
this day. urgently admonsh us to insist upon the great
duty OF omtvatng true, personal piety what, how
ever. do by personal pietyf T0is is question
OF eternal moment therefore give tho answer seek
ing In this, in all utter, to ascertain the MUD OF
BY personal pety mean, first aprinciple. new gra
cious principle; not a succession Of good deeds but
spiritual principle Of which such good deeds are the
fruits and evidences.
BY personal pety internal lIfe not outward
activities, bot inward power, an instinct OF DEVOTION
81 faith, prayer, selfimmOati0n, haOitual communion
with God, which Is incorporated among the very ele-
ments of our being One OF the most remarkable feat
of Is the energy with which men combine
efforts every OF enterprise In the Church,
in the world whatever people wish 70 DO they form
society do with and therefore, III the Church as In
the world Of perils Is religion which Is from
without not from within the nstakne what we do Tor
what we are and consequently the neglect OF our own
spiritual health and prosperity, while We engage In tho
diversified systems concerted movements which In
cessanty claim our attention.
BY personal piety, / mean yitalizing principle;
principle the vitality Of whichlike all real fe-is at
tested by continual growth. III there be spiritual life.
VIII be progressve enarge ment OF The mind and