The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1881-08-18

VI uS die required TO nave, or at least
to make sho,O, of the same mUk-re7iq.
ION, or have our religious character
held at large discount, if not indeed
set down as altogether spurious. How
often it IS that when attending these
so-called revivals of religion we hear
those who are bold and inconsiderate
enough to do so, exclaim that theirs
lis spiritual religion and no dead
formality y"-that they thank God that
they k,aoao aohat real religion is, that
they k1aOU Of their conversion and can
point to the place and time and are not
noV cropping their acdy darkly-as if
to say that those of us who evince a
more quiet nature or can say but little
OF place or hour have no claim to call
ourselves the followers Of Jesus. On
such occasions timid and modest per-
sons are made to feel really unwel-
come in the assemblies of which they
form part. They often sit in abso-
Lutte bewilderment caused by the
strange behavior around them, won
dering why they themselves can not
feel as others door wondering
whether they really have any religion
at all when they feel so differently
from those good people who "have
given up all for Jesus"-who have
felt no disposi- tion to sin for many
years, who are so truly spiritual be-
cause they say amen so loud and clasp
their hands so earnestly!
For long years we used to have
such feelings utterly discouraged
because we could not assert ourselves
in this confident sty or join in the
various modes of expressing religious
joy. We often felt that if no such
models of religious life and expert
ence had been set, or, rather, had set
themselves before us, we might per-
haps, following the better impulses of
our own nature, have some confidence
IN our religious status, and be able to
hare, VIII ther we should tell it or not,
religious experience; but to obey
our own feelings we consider to be a
grievous sin, when our feelings did
not prompt US to do as those good
men and women did, and so we
passed along through the years,
doubling whether we knew what re-
ligion was, because we could not
'rise" and confess or tell how good
we were, or call aloud, or shed tears,
or groan, or fall down, or do some
thing of the kind, utterly inconsist-
ent with our feelings and our views
of propriety.
Are we troubled in this way still?
Well, we have no very great profess
ions to make, even now. One thing
we know-that we desire to be good
man, loving God and trusting Jesus,
and we no longer have any trouble
because we can not speak and act as
others do. We sometimes grow heart
sick and weary when we see all kinds
Of bodily movements handshakiug,
genuhexion and general regeneration,
together with confident professions.
passed off as the only religion, true
and genuine, all other being mere
Journalism or hypocrisy; yet, as an
ordinary thing, we keep our peace of
mind, and pursue the tenor of our
way.
Three things we think we have
learned in the matter Of religion:
First, th inasmuch as there are di-
versities Of gifts and operations, some
may upon occasions, display all man
ner Of either mental or physical ex-
citement, while others can participate
in no such thing, and yet both classes
of persons may be very good Chris
tians. But secondly, we have also
learned that noise and clamor do not
constitute religion, and if we are to
Judge from facts patent to the candid
mind, we must express our deep con-
viction that the more reliance is placed
upon any means of propagating the
gospel, other than the Biblical instru-
mentalities of prayer and preaching,
the more adulterated with human
folly will be the religion; the more
will impulse usurp the place of reason;
the more will men make religion a
thing of profession instead of living
power in the soul, the more lax will |
become the morals of the Church, the
more ground will infdelity have, or
seek, for opposing the Church and
the cause of God. In the chird place,
we are ready to accept tie criterion of
the religious life given US by the
great Teacher, and to confide in that
character, and in that alone, which
shows itself in the fruits Of holy
life, kind affections, temperance, for
bearunce, justice, truth, high sense Of
honor, fur dealing, mercy, generosity,
courage to do the right, seB-sacrJ7ce, I
1mseLfshness, hUing for others, and do
ing to them as aoe Wonld be done by,
these we are willing to take as evi-
1ences of the power of God in the
soul, whether exhibited by ourselves
or others, and we attach very little
to any profession, how
ever earnest or upon whatsoever oc-
casion made.