Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-10-21
Golden Rule.
GUSH, MORALITY AND RIGHT
EOUSNESS.
by REV. SMITH BAKER.

emotion, deep, warm. ana strOng,-an
emotion which melts the wilfulness, the
hardness, and the crotchety places out of
a mans lfc-an emotion which makes
one laugh for JOY and weep for pity. No
danger in this spcculating age of too
much spiritual feeling. Let the fires
burn hotter and hotter, bringing our
hearts into overhowing tenderness and
love. But an emotive religion and re-
ligious emotion are very distinct. The
first is the religion of gush,-the cheap
est kind of sentiment, the lowest form
of the aesthetic.
1t seems to be one of the necessary at
tendants of reyivalistic labors, when the
passions of men are wrought upon and
the hopes and fears excited, rather than
the conscience awakened 1t dwells in
particular upon the tenderness, the pleas
/ ing sentiments, the motherly side of our
moral natures. 1t appeals to the emo
tions by music of the tiattering, coaXing
kind, and by analogies from domestic
life. All the way from the incipient Sun
day-school talker who simply tells the
dear children how he loves them, to the
platform speaker who rakcs the universe
for illustrations of the love of God, it is
mainly gush; until people have been led
TO think if they feel tender toward God
and love sweet songs, and are charmed
with whatever is beautiful and emotjvc
in religious thought, why, that is piety.
If they feel good they are Christians.
The result is, this cmotivc religion
breaks down. II will not stand the
strain of life. When out Of religious
convocations and the influence Of pathetic
hymns, then the passions Of the body and
financial speculations are too much for it,
1t does not tougher the fbres of the soul
any more than sponge cake toughcns a
man muscles.
The religion of guSh, like a sparkling
soap bubble, floats awhile in the sunshine
and then bursts, and men see that it was
only heated air. 1t has no strength in il
to hold the soul and keep the character.
1t is in the religious world what fashion
able etiquette is in social life. gush OF
words without honest principle. It's evil
is, that it ruins those who trust in it,
deceiyes the superficial into false ideas OF
religion, diSgusts sensible persons and
brings reproach upon the truth.
Again, there is religion Of morality.
the other extreme from the religion OF
gush. 1t is fair, honest, and honorable.
1t has no emotion, for it is governed by
prudence, not by love. 1t reaches not
the higher sentiments of the soul, for i
is destitute of spirituality. It satisfies
not the lower emotions, for it is destitute
of passion. 1t is weak as a protection IN
life. for it believes that repentance can
restore character.
1t is good so far as it goes, but it can
never be sufficient to satisfy or reform, or
to keep human nature after it is reformed.
The religion of gush laughs at the re-
lgion of morality because it is so cold
and joyless. The religion of morality
laughs at an emotive religion because It
is so weak and hypocritical. And well
they NAV laugh at each other, for each
has what the other has not, and both are
deficient of real righteousness which is
true religion. Righteousness has faith
toward God, and morality toward man.
Righteousness has emotions which stlr
the soul to its deepest depths, and 1t has
moral principle firm as the everlasting
hills.
In true religion, both emotion and
morality are the result OF righteousness.
A man has not righteousness because he
has emotion. but he has sincere religious
emotion because he is righteous. A man
is not righteous because he is moral, but
he has genuine morality because he Is
righteous.
Righteousness is a new life and a new
principle of life born in one 5 soul. Right
eousness is not pious gush, or trembling
morality, or hattering reputation, but
character, which the more it is cut oper
the fairer it is seen to be. Righteousness
is realness,-loyal first toward God ano
not like DR.. Bacon's deacon, shak!
toward man, but also loyal toward man
because it is loyal toward God.
Christian righteousness is Christ borr
in the soul, not as beautiful sentiment
but as a living motive, so that our emo
ton will be as deep as the powers OF the
human soul, and our morality as pure "a
the golden rule.
Emotive religion without righteousness
is all gush. Morality without righteous
ness is only dress parade; but when oui
emotions and our morality are the result
of character, that, and that alone, il
righteousness.
1t is well not only to sing:
"oh, how love Jesus"
but also:
"when Thou, my righteous judge, shall come
To call Thy ransomed people home,
Shall among them stand;"
Let us have none the less emotion
none the less morality, but from top t.
: bottom, within and without, and through
out and without end, let us have right
eousness. Then our emotions will b,
real, our morality will be love, and ou
righteousness will be holiness.
Lovel, Mass.