The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-12-12
vrslpLrvrss up THE RELIGIOUS LIFE.

yisinLESEss up THE RELIGIOUS LIFE.
Conservation to Christ must reveal itself
and justify itself in the visible conduct nf
life. our Christ il y revealed Christ IIeis
3 |h-,'t * the world and for the world. He
Is not u cloistcrcd Christ lie does not keep
himself in the clodis nor iu the dazzling
light OF heaven. His work His great re-
hccming work for us, was done IN the sight
"i men on the conspicuous places Of the
world. He did not atone for us i'm the far
heavens. But hc made our common walks
illustrOus by His footsteps on them and our
common places luminous and glowing by His
enduranccS in them. llcthlchcm was a town
otnoEf,at distinction till His birth in il liflcd
II To glorious rcupwu. Nazareth wa, "A de.
spiscd village until Ills life in IL gave il "A
wider fume than any ruynl city uf tho
Caesars. Gcths name and Calvary have in-
spircd the poetry of the people, by their
voices Of pathus and agony beyond any other
great endurauCcs of heroes and martyrs be.
cause the memory of his voluntary and
priceless suffering rcvcrberatcs and thrills in
thor enduring and uufurguttcn names lie
was IN the world; he was seen among u.s.
The tones of heaven were in his human
voice. The light of heaven was in his pity
1ng eyes. The help of heaven was i'm his
hand. We bchcld his glory. the glory rs Of
the only .bcgottcn oi tine Father.
Since lac went away, his followers by
open confession and conduct have repro
duccd his ifc IN luwly and unworthy w,ys
~ may be, but in methods and experiences
which he has gruciOusly accepted and
blessed, and ON which lac has pronounced
his well done
II is not enough 10 experience religion in
the closet. Ii ~ not enough 10 come alone
70 God IN repentance and faith. and tp make
loyal VOWS in private. They who follow the
Master will follow him openly before kings
ana populaGe, IN country and in city, in the
temple and by the wcll-sidc. lie would
have no disciple ashamed of him lie
would have all who love him confess him
before men.
ST. Pauls life was life Of declaration.
He said: II stand unto this day, having
obtained the help that is from God, testify
ing both 10 small and great" He was an
open cOnfcssOr. He wanted to know Christ
and the fellowship of his sunerings. He
would have gone into another Gethsemane
aud borne a cross upon another Golgutha.
lie said: "lll flI NJ on my part that which
Is lacking OF the aillictiuns of Christ for the
Church" lie knew what was meant when
he wrote: 81 bear in my body the marks of
the Lord Jc u.s. tGal. go.
We, too, II we are Christ's must know
something of this. our Christian life must
he lived out before the world. As IN olden
time men saw him on their streets and in
their homes and in their assemblies, and
knew that the Christ was visible, so must
they see ~ in plaCcs of business and study,
IN all places where men are, and must know
that the Christ, in the presence of one who
loves and serves him and represents him tp
them, il vcnly present They must see him
in ~. Wemust speak hs language. Such
words rs these that reached the intellect OF
NIcOdcmus and the couscicnCcuf the woman
of Samara, as revealed the young ruler tu
him elf and made Ilatc fear rs fell ON tho
sad hearts of the multitudcs who In their
hunger and thirst hung on his lips, as lei
Roman officers, awcd by his language %
say, Never man SO speak, must be- our
words 10 our associates and To strangers.
We must speak the language OF heaven
amidst the Babel tongues of the world
Christian songs have oiicu'd awakened re-
sponsve tones in duh souls, and Christinn
testimony has convinced gaiuSayrfs of the
Reality of personal faith IN Christ.
We must also interpret the meaning of dis
riplcship by the visible fruits of fdiscipcship.
From us men must learn that It means
Christ reproduced in his loving spirit, In his
tender sympathy, in his attractive grace.
They must see that religion IN not mere pro-
icssiun, but that il carries "a large, generous,
winning practice. Light must 40 20 ont
from us into darkness and wrctchcd souls
that duty shall be- made clear Ia them. that
they shall see the peril of sin and tho
way of deliycrancc, the attractions of the
cross and of heaven. There was profound
meaning in the words of him, who was tho
Light Of the world, to his disciples when he
told them, "Ne are the light of the world"
Moreover, We must make II clear that our
religion is one of hclpiulncss. Help was
laid on one who was mighty 10 save when
our salvation was laid on Christ, and the
pitilul cry of the heayy-ladcn to him was,
lOTJ help rs. Mon need II now. Involved
in sin, tangled i'm the moshes Of woridlincss,
taken captive by Satan at his will, they
want the helping hand Of a brother for their
rescue. II is for us 10 give il in his name
t.t tFItH of l,lt.
save brother is the sweetest joy this side
of heaven; II is ukin to the joy of Christ
who, for the joy that was set before hlm,
endured the or S. ,loanic Deans words in
the Heart Of Midlothian" are, at is ma
when we sleep soft and make mcrriy our
sells, that We think on other peoples suffer-
ings. But when the hour % trouble comes
to the mind or 10 the body. and when the
hour q death comes tO high or low, then il
Is ma what we hac dune for ourscls but
what we hae dune for others, that We think
on maist pleasantly" This is the Christian
way tu live: and, ~ living, we shall ucycy
Iic,-Dr. Haf IN Ncw lork Obsfr9cr.
A perfect faith would lit us absolutely
lbOve fear II is in the cracks, cranncS and
uilty faults Of our belief the gaps that are
Ut faith, that the snow of apprehension
titles, and the ice Of unkindness forms
IdcDOndd.
BY NAME.
What tenderness Of personal attachment
there IS in that phrase, "IIe calleth His own
sheep by name!" What an intimacy il be-
speaks! Every disciple, high or humble is
better known by Jesus than any child by its
own mother. All our peculiar weaknesses,
all our wants and griefs and back -slidings,
az well as our pc uliar capabilities for His
service, are perfectly plain to Him.
lne valley of lputl IL uO npw f1aa. 10
Him; for lie has not only trOd IL Him.
self, He has led myriads Of His redeemed
ones through il.
On the resurrection morn, we shall find
that Jesus the Shepherd has come out of the
tomb before us, the first fruits of them that
sleep Even into Heaven lie enters as
Oar Forerunner" And so all through the