The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-09-08

alast says it agrees with the old Indian,
who said, ~ think it is better for the pot
to boil over than not to boil at all" We
may add that if " too much zeal" is any
where exhibited in the life and labors of
any of the Christian worthless, it is in the
case of the glorious "apostle to the Gen
tiles Those who are nervous about
OVERRIDING the thing, need not feel con-
cerned about any over-e enthusiasm until
they have passed the point which he ex-
emplifed. There is no danger of any
one becoming beside himself, until he
is satisfied that he has gone step beyond
the stage of religious fervor reached by
Paul.
The fact is, there are so many sinners,
and the peril to the sinner is so great,
that one cannot well err in the amount
of his labors, or in the intensity with
which he works, if perchance he may res
cue some from the Inflated wreck which
has befallen humanity.
1t is exceedingly common with many
who call themselves Christians to look
with sort of cold disdain on any mani
festation of religious ardor on the part of
those whose vision is keenly alive to the
shadows that are cast from behind the
vail of the invisible world They regard
it in the first place as sort of rebuke
to themselves, and in the second, as an
eviden-e of weak, effeminate, and un-
practical temper. They esteem it "vis-
lonary" to magnify too much the objects
of the other world. IF the enthusiast
is right, then they are wrong, and so they
throw their influence to moderate the
pace at which their brother is moving.
We have all seen in polite circles, where
religion prevails in it's "mildest form, =
the mingled scorn and pity with which
the conversation of any over-zealous'
Christian about the love of Christ or
the work of regeneration" or sanctif-
GATOR" is received. That is a flame
which they will not permit to break out
in the hours of business or pleasure Re-
igion is thing to be confined in the
narrowest possible limits, and "hell, in
any serious sense, is thought not to be
breathed in a promiscuous company OF
ladies and gentlemen-not even in fact
with any degree of violence from the
pulpit. Even the name of Jesus Christ
falls like an unwarrantable intrusion
upon the ordinary parlor conversations
OF such Christian people. 1t seems out
of place when one has just observed,
CLUBS is trumps," or Follow your part
ner's lead. Perhaps it is, but if there
is any place where this name jars upon
the prevailing spirit of the work engaged
in, then perhaps the trouble is that the
occupation is unchristian. If young
gentleman and lady, both members of the
body of Christ Cor considering themselves
such), find any allusion to the work of
Redemption little awkward when they
are whirling around in the German, may
it not be that there is something incom-
patible Gn that giddy scene) between re-
ligion and the young lady's laying her
head on the young gentlemans bosom,
and performing those gyrations with his
arm around her waist2
Is there any place where we ought to
cease to love God -? Is there any compa-
ny composed Of persons calling them
selves Christians where it ought to be
out Of place to speak Of the love Of
God
We do not mean that when one Chris
tian Is adding up column of figures an.
other Christian ought to speak to him
about faith, repentance, and the like
But we mean that in ordinary social in.
tercourse such topics cannot properly be
placed under the ban of exclusion in 9
Christian company, whatever the propri
cites Of life may require in mixed com.
pany. And even in the latter case, i
there be fair representation of Chris.
tians they have as much right to talk