The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1878-01-03

prevails. Wbatis the cogIftlon of
the people of this community Do
they livetin peace and harmopy2
Are they neighboTlf Have theya
good word 70 say ofeach other2 Are
they chaste2 are they tdmperale2
A4e they industrions2 Are they
cieanly IN tAeirbabits2 Is education.
diaased2 Are the heads efhousoholds
diiigetit IN mqking their families
comfortable2 Are the wives and tts
Young nsaiiens modest Afe the
cbildren respectful 70 parents. Is
truth-telling held up ~ noble viz
WI lying regarded as a despisas
bic yieeg Is justice administered
without respect Of person. Has the
man in the humber walk of life
the same rights ACCORDED tSi'isd AS
the rich2 Doall look up.to 6od.ss a
common Father on ono anoth-
er ,as brethfsn2 IfSso, then the
gaidipg religions principle Of tiiis
comfaplftyisttae. 3hsfruitisgcod
ths teaching peeprdiasly must bs
good Bot people Pc
communicating otherwise; they live
in contention and wrangling; they
are enyious of each other the men
arc given to quarrcling, and the wo-
men are addicted to back-biting; they
wallow in sonsuality drunkenness
abound; they are idle, uncleanly in
their persons, ignorant, and prolane;
heads Of households neglect their
families; homes arc squalid; wives
and young ladies are immodcst in
looks and attire; children disrespect-
full to parents lying, cheating and
defrauding are become strong by ex-
ample; honesty is'laughed at; woman
ly purity is discreditod; justice is
measured ont only to him who is able
to pay for it; the poor man has no
rights which the rich man is bound
to respect; aristocracy-the develop.
ment of prido-towers up into caste,
and humanity, the work Of God, goes
down into contempt; God is not re-
gardcd as the common Father of all,
and all do not look upon one another
as brethren. What are we to tkink
Of such a community? What Of its
religion? One of two things is GER
tain; LIST, Either the religion Of such
a community is false, ID, Or, if true
the teachers Of that religion belle it
by their lives.
The practical effect of religion is
to make US wiser, better, and hap
pier men. Goodness is the object,
and our inner consciousness a(Iirms
this. If there is a God-apd that there
is all things attest-one of his attri-
butes must be goodness. Goodness
according to our notion. The intui
tive impressions of the soul relating
to questions of Right and Wrong
are but the imprint of that omnipo-
tent and invisible Power who, in the
beginning, made that soul in His
own image and likeness, What,
then, is our business.on earth? Man
ifestly to adore that Power that ere
ated US and to regulate our lives, &C.
cording to the lights given us, so that
every act and word of ours may con-
tribute to the happiness and edifca-
ton of our fellow-man. Or to sim
plify the rule, mans business on
earth is-1st, to glorify God, and 3D.,
to love his neighbor. 1t is unneces-
sary to lay down any law enjoining
justice 10 ourselves. Selfishness at
tends to that. Goodness, then, is the
practical effect of true religious prin-
ciples; peace, harmony, fraternity
and holy love, Goodness is the fla,
GRANGE and blossom of true religion.
These are its "fruits" and by these
"fruits" We shall know it.
Let us now retrace our steps and
60 back to where we started and say
something of the holy season we are
now celebrating. This sovereign
benefcence of which we have been
speaking is the chief distinguishing
characteristic of the Religion of the
Redeemer. The burthen of the eel
estial song of the angelic host, when
His birth was announced, was
"Glory to God in the highest,
On earth peace, good will toward men"
Every. word and act of ChrisFs af.
ter life were in most perfect keeping
with this characteristic beneficence.
Endowed with the power of miracles,