Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-08-31

OF fearful tendency and unspeakabie
danger. Ministers are censurable in a
high degree who encourage their people.
men or women, to come to them with |
their family matters or secret sores.
Some men are themselves gossips, and
delight to get and give all they can of
social news, and the more secret, the |
richer the prize. They encourage reve-
lations when their ears should be deaf
to everything approaching to scandal. |
ALI judicious pastors discourage famili- |
arity on the part of their people, espeei-
ally of the female denomination.
For this way lies the danger. A silly
woman, piOus perhaps. but very soft
and shallow, hears the stirring words of
her eloquent pastor; is reused, warmed.
soothed, exalted-she thinks edited
and straightway she believes him to be
the man sent to do her good. She goes
to his study to tell him so; how much
enjoyment she finds in his words; or if
she writes him letter and pours out
her little soul full of twaddIe about her
gratitude for what her dear pastor has
done for her; how she sis lifted up
by his Instructions; how she loves him
as friend given to be her guide and
comfort, and so on and so on, more and
worse, running into mawkish senti-
mentality, a siekening man worship,
disgusting to every sensible person. but
very nectar to vain, worldly preacher,
who seeks only to make his hearers feel
good" Such people never 90 to their
pastor to ask ..What they must do to be
saved ?" 1t is to tell him how good they
feel; how he is exalting them, filling
them with joy, peace and love-" We
cannot 90 into particulars without offend
ing the tastes of every reader. We
make our meaning plain. We wish to
be understood as saying that what
worldly preachers and sentimental wo-
men call communion of SOUL and
kindred spirits. +" mutual help" and
"holy sympathy" and words in the same
strain. is not religiou-it is not even re-
Hgious 1t is ''carnal conceived in sin"
1t IS simply the lower nature, the human
passion Of one creature toward another.
God is not in it. God never led man
or woman to desire forbidden fruit.
LET no man say when he is tempted,
am tempted Of God; every man, when
he IS tempted, is drawn away of his OWE
lust and entieed. Then, lust, when it
hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin,
and sin, when it is finished, bringeth
forth death. 1t is in immediate con-
nection with these divine teachings that
the inspired writer goes on to say:
Wherefore lay aside all flthiness and
saperfuity Of naushtiness and receive
with meekness the engrafted word which
IS able to save your souls,
These are the truths that underlie all
moral character. It is . travesty of
the gospel to hold that this '.yearning
after an affinity" which sacrifices the
obligation of society, family and honor,
IS anything even akin to love. It isan
insult to every pure emotion that human
or divine nature ever feels, to call this
guilty passion by the sacred name Of
lore. Lust IS not love. Desire is not
love. Love is of God. God Is love
Love Is to be grati6ed. for all it want.
IS lovely, pure, and right. 1t never
seeks anything else 1t binds the fami
: ly and society and all thegood in COLDER
chains of pure affection But it nevel
l inspired sinful desire in a human
| breast No woman is drawn to auothe
woman's husband by love.
A man who is drawn" toward va
man whom he has no right to love,
D woman drawn" to man whom sh
7 has no right to love, may be more sur
l thar if they heard voice out of til
' skies telling them so, that they are No
. drawn" by divine grace, or a holy Dun
pose, or any good motive whatever
T Thedevil has hold Of the rope that draws
v Religion is not passion 1t is
: principle Religion does not consist i
feeling Religion is the intelligent b
lief Of truth that leads to right doing
j. the very meaning Of the word Is s.binc
ing or drawing back to God receiyiin
such views as constrain the soul to ODE
!. God. He who adopts views or has fee
: ings which lead him to do wrong.
covet another mans house or his vi
or anything that is his, is not religion
| man He may be priest at the alta
! but ne Is not religious And woua
! whose '-heart goes out" after anothe
, and turns away from her husband
! ind sympathy and support" in ii
. society Of her beloved PASTOR" an
writes him siekly notes and letters r
vealing her thoughts and trials, and a
re elaring her ardent attachment" to hi