The Globe-republican., 1890-08-20

Written expressly for the GLOBE REPUBLICAN
CHRISTIANITY is not alone creed. it
is a life. Not alone an outward life, that
is morality, but an inward state or con-
dition of trust and love toward Christ
and God. The soul longs for life and
peace and love. Only the peace and love
of Christ can satisfy the soul.
| - I
| If THE SATISFACTION of the soul is
sought in Mohammedanism you fail. be-
cause it appeals to the sensual part of
body and soul and thus the higher nature
of man is left unfed aud starves for lack
of spiritual food.
| If YOU APPEAL TO Buddhism it ami
hilates the longing for life instead of sat
isfying it. by absorbing the soul into the
Great Nirvana. thus losing personal
identity and Inconsistencies.
If THE APPEAL be to atheism ii leaves
You no hope. for agnosticism and hope
lessness. and darkness and despair are
written in blazing letters across its face.
If appeal be made to pleasure. it is too
transient; the soul requires permanence
i'll its enjOyments If it would be happy.
If appeal be made to reason, it still does
not satisfy for it is too cold, heartless to
give the wealth of love the soul so much
desires. Literature alone appeals to in
tellect but seldom touches heart. So he
that would be fed and nourished must
recognize both heart and mind.
t+t
MAN naturally becomes like what he
thinks about and loves. If that object
be lower than himself he slides down to
it; if it be upon his own level he rises
no higher; but if the object of his ad-
miration, thought and love be above him
he inevitably tends toward it. Now raise
this object to an infinite height of per-
lection. ClOthe that object with the best
attributes of character conceived in earth
and heaven, wisdom. goodness, truth,
justice, mercy. love. and you have an
object higher than which human thought
cannot reach. A character of infinite
love and truth toward which the soul
may ever go.
The character that can fully satisfy the
soul of man is in Jesus the Christ. Here
is undying love, eternal truth, unbOunded
sympathy; here is hope, encouragement,
strength; here is highest aim. nOblest
purpose, greatest sacrifice. He said IL
am the way. the truth and the life" Be-
lieve his word and live. 1t is the Christ
alone who can satisfy the souls greatest
longing for life and peace and love.
| # t
MARRIAGE is an honorable and holy
estate, the ideal social and family life.
1t is il low estimate of such life that it
is one of convenience only. 1t is a
wrong estimate of such a life to presume
to be absOlved from its vows and obi
cations at the will of either or both par
ties. 1t is Il covenant for life. taken in
! the most solemn manner, on the part of
the contracting ones. Only three things
should be grounds for release. infidelity
to the marriage vows. permanent deser-
ton by either party. and death. And in
the case of desertlon the one deserving
should not be permitted to again marry.
+tt
SOME PEOPLE are so light headed as to
think marriage a trivial affair, but it is a
very grave and responsible matter. Two
persons. a man and woman, undertake
to live together for life. 1t is the most
sacred relationship existing in the hu-
man race. Two hearts and lives and
fortunes and destinies linked in one, and
to think for one moment that this is of
little account is to undervalue the most
sacred relations of human existence.
IT.
WHEN YOUNG people are keeping
company during the days of court
ship they think they know each other
we'll; but they have only seen each other
on dress parade. We would not deprive
the days of wooing and honeymoon of
their romance, but we would throw the
romance of the honey moon into whole
life time; taking care to he truly as po-
lite. obliging. loving and true during all
of the after years, as had been the case
through first acquaintance and the first
few weeks of married life.
II
DURING COURTSHIP and the first few
weeks after marriage the woman thinks
she has high order of being. perhaps a
seraph, while the man knows he has an
angel; but after few weeks when i'm
projections of speech, or action, or tenn
per. begin to show themselves. each real
ICES for the first time that the other is in
tensely human. Now if reason be used,
II reflection he exercised and true love,