Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-02-14
vIsInIrNrss OF THE nrLroIovs LIFE.

NislBLENEsS OF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE.
Conservation to Christ must reveal itself
and justify itself i'll the visible conduct of
life. Our Christ is revealed Christ. IIeis
I: Cl::i't ci the world and for the world lie
is not u clustered Christ lie does not keep
himself in the clouds. nor in the dazzling
light of heaven. Ills work, His great re-
deeining work for ns, was done in the sight
of men on the conspicuous places of the
world. He did not atone for us in the far
heavens. But he made our common walks
illustrious by His footsteps on them, and our
common PLACES luminous and glowing by His
endurances in them. Bethlehem was n town
ofnogr:at distinction till His birth in il lifted
1t to n glorious renown. Nazareth was Il de-
spscd villngc until His life in il gave it
wider fame than any royal city of the
Caesars. Gcths name and Calvary have in
sprcd the poetry of the people, by their
voices of pathos and agony beyond any other
Erent enduranccs of heroes and martyrs be-
cause the memory of his voluntary and
priceless suffering Invertebrates and thrills in
their enduring and unforgotten names. lie
was i'll the world; he was seen among us.
The tones of heaven were i'll his human
voice. The light Of heaven was in his pity
5ng eyes. The help of heaven was in his
lhand. We bchcid his glory, the glory us Of
the only bcgoiten of the Father.
Since he went away, his followers, by
open confession and conduct, have repro
,duced his life in lowly and unworthy ways
Ut may be, but in methods and experiences
(which he has graciously accepted and
Plessed, and on which lie has pronounced
lhis "well done"
1t is not enough to experience religion in
the closet II is not enough TO come alone
TO God in repentance and faith, and to make
loyal VOWS in private. They who follow the
Master will follow him openly. before kings
and populace in country and in city, in the
temple and by the well-sidc. lie would
have no disciple ashamed of him. lie
would have all who love him confess him
before men.
st. Paus life was life Of declaration.
lie said: 81 stand unto this day, having
obtained the help that is from God, testify
ing both to small and great" He was an
open confessor. He wanted TO know Christ
and the fellowship of his suIcrings lie
would have gone into another Gethscmane
nnd borne cross upon another Golgotha.
lie said: '1ll fill mp on my part that which
rs lacking Of The Affections OF Christ for the
Church" lie knew what was meant when
he wrote: al bear in my body the marks of
the Lord Jc lls' (Gai. G:7).
We, too, five are Christ's, must know
SON cthing ofthis. Our Christian life must
be lived out before the world As III oldcn
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 us in places 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 TO
them, is verify present. They must see him
in us. We must speak his language. Such
words ms these that reached the intellect of
Nicodemls and the conscience of the woman
of Samaria, as revealed the young ruler to
him elf and made lilate fear as fell on the
sad hearts of the multitudcs, who in their
hunger and thirst hung on his lips, rs led
Roman officers, awed by his language, to
say. Never man so speak," must be our
words to our associates and to strangers
We must speak the language of heaven
amidst the Babel tongues Of the world.
Christian songs have oltcnCd awakened re-
sponsive tones in dull souls, and Christian
testimony has convinced gainsayc-s of the
reality OF personal filth in Chfist.
We must also interpret the meaning of dis
cipleship by the visible fruits of discp lcsliip.
From us men must learn that it means
Christ reproduced in his loving spirit, in his
lender sympathy, in his attractive grace.
They must see TINT religion is not mere pro-
fession, but that IL carries % large, generous,
winning practice. Light must so so out
from us into darkness and wrcichcd souls
they shall SEQ the peril Of sin and the
way Of deliyerancc, the attractions of the
cross and of heaven. There was profound
meaning in the words of him, who was the
Light Of the world, to his disciples when he
told them, aye are the light of the world"
Moreover, We must make it clear that our
religion. is one Of helpfulncss. Help was
laid on one who was mighty to save when
our salvation was laid ON Christ, and the
pitiful cry of the heayy-laden to him was,
Lord, help us. Men need it now. Involved
in sin, tangled in the meshes Of woridliness,
taken captive by Satan at his will, they
want the helping hand Of a brother for their
rescue. 1t is for us to give it in his name.
The joy Of giving it, the JOY of helping to
save brother, is the sweetest joy this side
of heaven; IL is akin to the joy Of Christ,
who, for hejoy that was set before him,
endured the cr S. .Jcanic Deans words. in
the Heart Of Midlothian" are, st is ma
when we sleep soft and make merrily our
sells, that we think on other peoples suffer-
ings. But when the hour o trouble comes
to the mind or to the body. and when the
hour o. death comes to high or low, then it
is ma what We hae dune for oursels. but
what we hae dune for others that we think
on maist pleasantly" This is the Christian
way to live and, so living, we shall never
die.-Dr. Hart IN Neo York Observer.
A perfect faith would lift us absolutely
oh To- t,t l,n nlro