The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-02-04
The Winter of Faith. +"

Religion ha. It's aeasonS There ta spring. in
rhHsa rev faith nrfnlde lis ewes Of doctrines
anc lies. here IL simmer marked hy itg
AatAllh ~ devotion AZ Zeal, In which the faith
heaIt i;s ifuiln. There - autunn when the out.
esowH losves Of docirins ana rte dry and fall.
There J" Writer, whsp sae cir becomes cold and
critical. 1a1 the ecelssiassit al tree Glands GUS
against the sky bare Ike O okolStOn,
AOst Of christerdom 10 tc-aay In its autumn,
81 fat h.-the Old dOctFincs ass crying and falling.
The more literal part hiss alrea6Y reached I'm
winter. the ths0lOric leaves have pretty Much
Disappeared, The air has gsiscG IN Intellectual
cleRIness, eut har lost Its eRaesfaGAl warmth and
10 cAtll and irOsty. Perhaps wa Can be- Rtill more
liberal ana say that with MANY people today,
!. Is the neuth ct JaAsas! 'nSsl gi0s; faith stands
like the old God Janus, trsfne is.ok both ways
AID cannos decide whether 70 60 with the old
year or the ne4 Some Keep their calendars
"Old Atyle;' some hsva sdpptsd new style aud
say the Hew year has eume.
Thia IL not thing wise complained of Relig-
ion like the earth Is subject 10 law and must have
tie seasons December il, tGat rs natural ana
aivine ~ June. AnG The cold critical period In
faith, - just az nst1ral and divine 81 prayer
meeting and reSiYsl Tie she order OF nature,
And We can see that 1t Is blessed order.
] nsi ths forest casts Its wern cat leaves to-
make ny for frrpher cues: jipt AZ insect and.
cruasceen cast OF their cepfining skin or shell,
10 grow 10 larger ones; 90 We east OF old forms
of thought and religion only ITO grow larger In
MUD anu soul. We could not grow without it.
lis All unpleasant process IN the forests; . pain
ful Proccss for ;he insect: painful one for us
IT. We should not fear IL, Nature il not afraid
to let heS old leave 60; she even sends on early
froet now and then to strip them of little before
their time Aud probably the ri er blows, which
do Nat allow 0ET lain 10 die gently away hut
sometimes kills our beliefs unplcasanlly are on
the whole beneficial nike rOst which checks
levers
Here ia another advantage of the cold This
critical air which has involved our CHURCHES, and
has without doubt chilled Our devotional fee linga,
has yet done gued. The knmmer hea..u of re-
and J.
and lrult, does yet like any summer breed feverE
In our sOulh. and all sorts of @Orbid conditions,
The psrlOd III Wh ch our feeling are active are
the productive periods OF our ivek, but are Ike
tropical July pregnant with poisonous infu-
ences. ZeAi 10 powerful force like the fire
which typi6es it but like the fire must kepT
under riga control New periods of religious
warmth cultivate zeal al d emotion at the ex-
pense OI Intellect and judgment. IC !s Oae-
Elded culture ending IN defOrmity and disease
To escape danger we must have an intellectual
revival following the spiritual, even il II does
red ace the temperature. We Il ust clnse the
damper or burn up To come back 10 Gus figure.
we mutt have q frost touch vi winter, to
cheek The malaria and kill the germs Of disease
when Inc thinner n@s bred, 0r-rehgou Will die
Of fever.
Probably 10 day. in spite of the cold ON account
of the cold, liberal religion Is in heal nv state.
Not III vigorous safe. 1t is somewhat in the
condition nf u nlan who has taken medicine to
Du'lfy system. 1t le.ves him weak, bnL It
gets n p0isnu out OF hts bCod and prepares hi N
tor higher degree of life. Or like any creature
that has Cast its skin religion lies rather to pid
just now, but is only getting ready for larger
growth. Thanks 10 the theological moulting we
have passed through; thanks to the clearance
from the system of useless superytitions and
pos Op0us errVrs; thanks to the cold critiral air
which has i'ped for the time our "tionai
tendencies; We are in q healthy state even if our
religious pulse IL low. We are, it Is true not far
from the winter sOstce or stand rtil of religion.
But winter Is healthy season and nature herself
tells us thai this very Eolstice is the commence
ment Of new year, which shall bring warmth,
growth, 6Ower and fruit usain,
From Rev. Fl. H. Simmons sermon of last
Sunday.