The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-12-15
iOOLATRY OF SELF.

tOOIAIRv Or SELF.
The scir-Lovc Which rredominates in the
Nature OF Him Who Il Not Conformed
to the Divine will.
Inquest onably self may be an idol.
That which Is loved supremely. as God
only should b loved, is idolized. Nat
urally. self is that object upon which
mo It of the aFect,ons arc placcd, and is
not to b, overlooked in complying with
the injunction: "Keep yourself from
IDOLS" The old writers put the case of
self-idoiatry quite strongly. John
Flavcl. who wrote about the middle OF
the seventeenth century. sad: "Oh. if
! could be master of that house id u.
myself. m.ne own wit. will. credit and
ease. how blessed were I! We have
need to DO redeemed from ourselves, as
much as from tho deviian the world"
Stephen Charno *. who wrote contem-
porancously with Navol. said: "Self Is
the great anti-Christ. anl ant'-Goi in
the world. that sets up itself above MI
tn It IS called God; sclf-love is tho cap.
Ia n of that b ack band e Tim. 3:2>; it
SITS in the temple Of God. and would be
adored As God" 81
A more modern writer expresses him
self no less vigorously when he says:
ale that will not submit himself to,
nor comply with. the Eternal and In
created win. but instead of it endeavors
TO set up his own will, makes himself
the most real IDOL in tho world. and
cxalts himself against all that is called
God, and ought to be worsh!pcd. TO
worship craven image, or TO make
cakes and burn incense to the queen of
heaven. Is not a worse id ,latry than
it is for . man to sot up self
will. TO devote himself to the
serving of il. and to give up himself to
accomplishing, with his own will, as con-
trary to tho Divine and Eternal Will"
Self. ccnceit and self-decept on onter
largely into tho idolatry of self. There
are too many who are represented by
one Chrysippas. OF whom there IS an ac-
count that . no ghbor asked him to
whom nc should send h s son for in
s,ruct'on. and he repliel "To me; # I
did bu. imagine any person cxcelcd
myself, / would read philosophy under
him" Arthur Helps, an Engl sh
vritor, says. "Many a man has kind
of kalc doscopc, where the bits of broken
glass are his own merits and fortunes.
and they fall into harmonious arrange
IN 'nts and delight him ten most MS
oh evously. aud to his ultimate detri-
ment; but they arc pr ,sont plea sure. "
Se'f-pioasure is an element of self
idolatry.
In every uRrencwed person sclf-love
is FREEDOM nant sad idolatrous. Th s
has been conclusivcly sh,wn by Rev.
DIR. Edward rayson, who says: Sup.
pose. for illustration, that you have IN
image. which is in reality. extremely
ugly, but wi,ick you tn nix bea otiful
and you sponh ali your / mo in polish
ing and adjoining it. At length, how
ever. YOU beg n 10 SEQ somcth nc Of it
defOrmity. an endeayOr to conceal il
from oti,crs, and. ifpossible, from your
self, by paint Nc and dressing it. Not
withs,a~ding all your iorts. t grows
more and moro ugly, till, in despair o
amend "g il yoursolf. you pray thai Coz
would makc It more lovely. It is evi
dent. "a this case. that your PRAYERS
would not proceed from love to God
bu, fl IN love TO yoar idol; aud there lore
there weatd he 40 goodness in them
Suppose that during at.th t'mo sper
son was cntreaL!ag you to look at |
beautiful dSMolHi statue, which you re
fused 10 do anil, Wcarind with uscles
efforts to mako your image appeal
more i,cantifal. you urn and look a
the statue. imuscd atciy you SOC you
idol ia all its native deform ty; yo'
cast il rs DC. and begin TO admire an,
exto, tho statue. tn s idol repre- sent
self, and every uNrcncwcd person ad
mires AID loves it Supremacy. Whel
h $ conscicnoo is awakened to SOC some
thing Of his siAfu.ncss. no first cndcav
ors 10 make h..a,sef tcttcv. and it is lon
before H. Gnds that he can not chang
h own lseart a:Whpn. hyfnds that not
withstanding silshis eadcayofs. !, 8 hear
seems 10 grow worse aud worse, h
pyays God fOr het. lis not from low
TO God, or because God has commando
it. that he prays; but because he is uu
willing 10 sce himsclf SO sinful; 50 h;
prayers arise Merely from pride IN
seliishacsS Hut Il no vii, only tur
and }o,.., 10 Car.,t. h, secs ha sinS in
now light. asd s.o lcNgcr loves h'mse
sporc,uctv All his Affect oos are tran