Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-06-28

the onset though spirited for time has spent
| itself and has become wcarisOmc; nor vet the
| question of rctributiOn, which is passing
| through one of its periodic connections. with
no manifest stirring of deep waters thus far
| but the question, IOtr shall mankind attain
| to pUrer and higher mOrdiity' Let us see
what light our Lords words throw on this
| question.
"If thou wilt enter into life keep the com
| mandments. A. specifically interpreted tins
means, IF thou wilt 90 TO heaven, do right
| but it really means vastly more than this. - II
thou wilt enter into life, keep the command
| mentS. Ii announces broad and comprcheii-
sive law Of being. To enter into life. is nece>-
sarily 10 keep the commandments. Living Is
| obedience 10 the law of being. This was the
first truth revealed to man, and in one sense
| the greatest. Adam was told that life was con-
| ditional on obedience all these thou nlaycSt
eat; but ON the day thou eate>t that, thou die,t.
| Physical life is conditional on obedience TO ply
| steal law. Eat. drink, sleep, breath, move,
bahc, and thou live>t; cease To do these things,
and thou cea>est To live. Next above the life
which obeys law by instinct Is rational life,
which obey> from motives of prudence. con-
form To this and that rcIuircmt mt of my being.
because perceive that 10 he best for me, and
in 80 doing net nationally and live not II COM
mendablc, but Il con>idcraic, Il prudential llie.
To take step higher, moral liz ing. life in the
moral realm. is willing obedience, submission
10 law from free choice, because approve the
EiN Is Hbbl IlHHl- lTllH-ltlllilp - WIN
if tell the truth in order To escape the evil
consequences oftelling fll>chood. but it does
not become a moral act until tell the truth out
of regard for truth itself. Honesty n the best
policy is poor thing compared with honesty
n the best principle. If thou wilt enter into
life. the moral life, thou must keep the moral
law, which is not 9" thou shalt not steal because
thou woul,l>t suffer for it," but thou shalt not
steal even if there should he no suffering for 1t,
becaliSc-bccaII>c thou shalt not steal; because
IL. 1..,s..I
that law. Religious living is obedience
TO law under Il still more powerful motive.
\ distinguished writer has defined religion
TO he morality touched 10y emotion Thi,
Is all that religion can be 10 one who,
Liz. this writer. does not recognize 4
personal God. But To Us there i one God. even
the Father. and religion i the love and obedi-
cnce of Him, and religious liyin" i the rccoS-
milton of the law of life a. His law and loving
Obedience 10 il a. such. thank Mr.. Arnold
for the word: practical religion IS morality not
cold and abstract aS il i in itself, but touched,
warmed with an emotion which has lis spring
and lis object i'll God, As soon IL my life he
comes lifted above the dominion of mere in
stinct, above the control of merely prudential
forces, above impcr>Onal law, 10 the plane on
which God moves. 80 that il becomes quicken
ed by influences proceeding from Him, then
obedience to law becomes obedience 10 His
law, 10 the law of a being whom love and de-
sire above all things To please. because
Hc II illu llilItI-bllslllbl VI All
that is lovablc and adorable. | now keep
Gods commandments joyfuly and with my
whole heart, and enter into the religious life.
But because men do not Of their own accord
thus love God and lovingly obey His law and
enter into life. Christ has come TO enable
and persuade men TO love God in and through
Himself. SO that now eternal life is - 10 know
the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He
hath sent IL am come. said Christ, " that
they might have life, and that they might have
il more abundantly." In the highest sense,
therefore. 10 every Christian, A. 10 81. Paul,
to live is Christ.
In answering the question, therefore, how
shall mankind be brought To a purer and higher
morality. we gather the teachings of the New
Testament and the contirmatory experience of
mankind into two propositions
First. that religion alone can furnish |
the sufficient motive To high order |
Of morality. For human being to be good
implies struggle. Justice is 4 constant re-
sistancc 10 evil. The one hardest thing a |
man can do in this world is to he good. Jesus |
himself tells that TO enter into the strait gate
that leadeth into life, mere seeking will not |
avail we have TO strive Tor it like wrestlers. |
But why should struggle so hard for virtues |
sake: What advantageth it me. st. Paul asks, |
TO strive with evil aS with wild beasts at |
Ephesus Why not eat and drink, why not |
taste the ambro>ia and sip the wine of life to- |
day, for tomorrow we die Why should | |
knit nv brOws over Seneca and practice Stole |
abstinence with Epictetus, while those seduc- |
tive Horatian stanZas are singing in my car: