Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-05-16
ONE-SlDED PIETY.

Personal religion, normally cultivat-
ed and developed, would be symmet-
rical and round, presenting in due pro-
portions elements of action and contem-
plation. The perfect man," in the
Scriptural sense, would have gaze at
once interpretive and circumspective,
engaged with his inward state and his
outward duties. He would be equally
concerned for the health of his soul and
the useful employment of his hands
that his conscious communion with God
remain unbroken, and his helpful min
istry to man know no intermission of
lassitude and reluctance. He would be
devout and benelicent, "fervent in
spirit" and "diligent in business"
Even the ardors and raptures of a soul
on fire with Divine love would prove
perfectly consistent with an earnest and
practical attention TO the outward du-
ties of the daily round and common lot.
Beyond peradventure, this is the style
of personal piety VIII Oh constitutes the
ideal of the New Testament.
1t is pitiful 10 observe how much
given we are to divorcing these active
and contemplative elements, and Guilt
waiting one to the exclusion or neglect
of the other. A distorted sp ritual de-
velopment and crippled spiritual elf
cheney are the inevitable result. Diff
ferent centuries and generations have,
from the beginning, taken on this or
that distinctive characteristic, and run
into absurd and hurtful extremes in
this or that direction. Now, and most
commonly, it has been the contemplate
i've disposition which has prevailed, and
we have seen its outcome of extrava-
| gance in the useless austerities of the
Ascetics, in the dreams and rhapsodies
of the Myst;cs and Quietists, in the
struggles and self denying ordinances
of the Puritans. In its more restrained
development this style of piety is liable
to become morbid. Habitual introver-
sion Of the spiritual eve, with lack of
robust exercise in the effort to bless 9th
ers, almost invariably disorders the
soul and gives an unhealthy action TO
the moral powers. Such sanity men
as Bunyan, Edwards and Payson
showed in their experience the painful
effects of excessive converse with their
own hearts and conSciences When
Cecil said: Solitude is my chief ordi-
nance" he betrayed the secret of his
peril as well as of his safety and
strength. In n world SO sad and earnest
rs this the time given to solitude and
silence must not be large.
We are now in a state of decided re-
action against the prevailing piety of
two generations ago. Self-inquisitions,
the HASTINGS, the humiliations, the DAYS
of retirement from the world and of
formal devotion, the inward wrestlings
with the powers of evil, which charac-
teriZed our fathcrs-all this has given
place to n much more cheerful mode of
serving God. Our religion, taking its
type from the spirit of the age, has be-
come active, buoyant, enterprising.
The Christian, instead of questioning
himself and dwelling upon his personal
relation to God, questions everything
about him, and sets himself to reform
all abuses and put in order all the dis
turbed relations of his fellow-creatures,
Instead of allowing himself much .'anx-
ious thought" whether he is the Lord S
or no." he goes out in ceaseless and
practical efforts to relieve the suffering,
educate the ignorant, and give the
Bible to the world. His motto is "Do
good unto all men," and his Gospel is
emphatically the Gospel of work. :"
And now again our religion has become
one-sided. II, indeed, we must choose
between extremes, we own that we pre-
fer the extreme of our time to that of the
days forever gone. But then is in an
extreme; not perhaps in asking us TO
do to much, but in allowing us to reflect
too titte-not in causing us to be over
much concerned about our neighbor' 8
spiritual affairs, but in encouraging us
to neglect our own soul-garden. The
representative preacher of to-day piles
whip and goad to keep his congrega-
ton under a perpetual strain of doing
and giving. The cry is Work, work,
until earnest Christians, who feel that
they own some duties to their own
souls, have an uncomfortable suspicion
that there is no room for them in the
church.
Now it will be everlastingly true tina,
a mans first obligation in this world is
to work out his own salvation;" and
in doing this he must be allowed some
liberty of choice as to the means which
he finds most effectual. Granting that
''work for others: may be good
means, perhaps the best. it is far from
being sovereign prescription for the
cure of souls, and applicable to all
cases. We venture to put in a humble
plea of merciful consideration for the
large class of modest, quiet disciples
who honestly feel that they serve Goo
best, if not by standing and waiting. '
at least by treading rather secluded
walks. Let them not virtually be reac
out of the church by sharp criticism.
and by reproachful comparisons with
their talkative and dogmatical brethren
1t should not be forgotten that there
are diversities of characters and tenn
permanent. as well as of gifts, and tina
the yearning which has foolishly i'm
PEELED so many to conventual seclusioI
is not in itself to be despised.
Beyond doubt. as already admitted
the synthesis of the active and con
templative elements exhibits the idea
type of piety. There is no one sided
ness here. II may be true that ''h'
prayeth best who loveth best" but it i
not true that he prays best who work.
most The truest, most abiding an,
most fruitful Christian meditates a
well as works. His active life roots it
self in the rich soil of devout knowl
edge, reflection and emotion. He il
''like tree planted by the river o
waters."-M T. ELdminer.
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