, 1876-07-01

Mathew w. W ll''Nt'iNT ~ N'N''
.r-uits We shall know them.
Beloved, believe not every spirit lut
t-y the spirits whether they he OF God,
Was the advice OF AN ancient philosopher,
call him philosopher, because these
md other words Of his indicate that he
WAS such, Notwithstanding, perhaps,
because, he held the higher rank OF an
apostle and disciple OF Jesus Christ In
the language quoted he proves in an es'
pecisl manner that he is disciple OF the
Grcat Philosopher inasmuch os his adj
vice dovetails most perfectly into the
proposition OF our text Try the spirits
whether they he OF God, for 10y their
fruits We shall know tLem,' constitute
sn admonition which for practical Wis
dom in testing the value ot ideas pro-
Tossing to be true, can not he eXceled'
In these days when many false philoso.
,Dhes are abroad in the world, when men
are running to and fro in the earth seek
ing what old things they may deyour,
when the cherished hopes of ages are be.
ing rudely assailed and men calling
themselves rise are hcwing with might
and main at the ancient land marks Of
O faith which has stood the rude violence
and wild storms OF many centuries; it
is well to look carefully at the ground
work and superstruclure OF that faith,
and see if there be anything prriShable
in it-anything that will not stand the
test of fire, and come out of the tiercest
furnace blast all the more bright, because
of its trial-anything of the nature OF
.dross, an inferior metal, instead of the
fine gold of Gods truth.
This mode of discovering the value of
things or principles is common in all the
walks of life. The chemist possesses
tools by hich he decides the quality
and value of the ores and metals sub
mitted to his assay, and passed through
his crucib!c. The result of o commercial
enterprise decides its value. The prac.
tical working of political system tells
whether it be good or bad and the true
test of any particular course Of family
training is its results. 30 is it with
moral and religious principles 1t GER
tain dogma produce good results, that is
all the proof we need that they are good,
and il good, of course they must be true.
Though the Great Preacher and wisest of
all philosophers is speaking of individ'
uals>when using the language of our text,
yet he lays down principle of Judging
that seaches to all men and all times, all
ideas and all doctrines, in the simple
words, "By their fruits ye shall know
them." To this criterion we are there
fore prepared to bring the morality and
dogma of our christian faith. And ]
purpose to show that they arc good
things even for this world to say nOt.ing
about their bearing upon tAe world to
come; that among all the vaunted, phil.
,osophies OF the Old Pagan world, there
were none so ennobling and regenerating
as "the maaifeld wisdom OF God" set
forth in the gospel of His Eternal Son
that among the systems of morality
taught by the highest types Of modern
heathens or anti.christian crceds written
aud .pnwTitten these are not to be COM
pared with thenOrals taught 10y, and
manifested in, the life OF the Lord Jesus
Christ, the great founder of the present
form of the christian religion.
1t is fact too well known to need
demonstration that many persons, who
are in loye,with the preaching .of Chris
iian Morality, have no affection for
christian doctIine-forgetfui of the fact
that the former is related to the latter as
the truitage to, the tree. Morality is in
fact nothing else than the practical ex-
preston of belief in doctrines. Thus
the doctrine, Thou shalt not steal" has
"a its natural lfruitage the morality Of
honesty. The doctrine Thou shalt
nat kilf'-produces its result in the be
liever's respect for human life. Rever,
cnce for God must DO based, upon be.
iicf in the christian doctrine "that he is.'
And dilligent seeking of him in the
paths of all moral purity is based upon
belief in the doctrine that such seeking
shall be rewarded in some satisfactory
manner. Thus it happens that following