Telegram-herald., 1890-11-24
ZEE rRoUaags d a caANK.


{ = aslllslesss ezsle .n.0 my oE1eS. sild
Ia eosEss Il eonyeEs4tson allaasd 10 :
ate aFt.ele u mise ca Zoe Elaieai (
wsakaess u Ao4sra Religious /
8 Ageaesess AID he made Whsl niay b I
{ called - eontession CT fzsth. o. may I
hap. some wiil eeem il = cpnless.oa q I
= Lzsk q fsiGhi nat IA elthsE case be
mirrors tbs sxpesienee OF many PEI
SOUS that / have kaowu. 1he subleeI
matter of my friends eopfsssou, / am
sure, VIII te Of interest 20 large .aua-
Der of youF readers, - / uili enoeayof
70 give the substance OF it II as bref
soaee ss possible.
he sAld. II have always thought !
was ia some respects = second samuel,
ia that ! was called OF the Lord IN my
early eh ldnOod, as cannot remember
when | MAS not religl0usly inclined, cor
! when | did not love 60 - TO church
When small boy, | used 10 ST en-
tEanced under the preaching of the
gospel, and / always telt / ranked
above all things 10 % a preacher. Al
an early age / was converted. or al
least thought was, and Others thought
50, FOR l was bsptized immersed
and was received into the
| church. | certainly did pass
/ through some wonderful and most
| delighted experiences which l never
shall forget. l was considerably gifted
III the way of prayer and giving testi-
mOny, and very faithful IN my attend
ance upon al the stated means of
grace, public and private, often walk
ing many miles 10 do so. | am sure |
nave enjoyed what IS called religion as
much AS the majority OF church MEM
bers whom ! have met, and | have be-
come acquainted with host OF them
during the past thirty-fye years.
think | have always entertained a
hope that | should be saved If called
away at any time. have never really
hated any man, or cherished any
grudges; and trust my influence has
not been entirely on the wrong SIDE.
Without attempting TO fiatter myself,
think | may say my life, considered in
It's outward respects at least, has been
fair. | am sure have not been barren
OF spirituality, anu of at least some of
what are called the Christian graces;
yet, after all, | must confess with
shame that my religious life, If it be
|
other, has not taken hold of my moral
nature with any perceptIble meas
ure of power. It has always been
easy for me to tell white lies,
aud some that we're not very white,
and upon very slight provoca.
tons. Countless times have | been
guilty of acts which were more or less
dishonest, in small way, of course. l
have been fighting these sins during all
these years, but | do not see that |
have made any headway. My sense of
honor Is not specially acute. / also
know | am continually playing the
hypocrlte IN very many ways. 1t hurts
me to give for the support of the
church, or for charity Ny temper
often easily gets the start of me, and |
do not see but that | am as eager TO get
! money as other men around me. In
deed, there are many mutterings with
: In me which ill me with a sense deep
, degradation, as | realize that it is quite
possible that | am indebted simply TO
, favorable surroundings for what little
, moral character | possess. | am also
filled with shame when | see other men,
who have never made any proft sSionof
religion, displaying moral eXcellencIcs
as great at least as any protesting
| have known"
''But this s not the worst of my pros
perity. l have known numbers Of men
who were leaders IN Israel-deacons,
class leaders. Sunday-school teachers
and perlntendents; men who had
! been universally respected and trusted,
men who stood exceptionally high IN
all that is deed nOble-snd yet it turned
out that these men whom no.
body bad ever suspected Tor an
e lstant, and whose credit was even above
r par, proved to forgerers, thieves, liars
5 and unmitigated scoundrels of the
/ blackest dye, having secretly carried
on their awful wickedness while looked
; upon as 'plllars IN the temple of God"
II had been common to hear the re-
mark, "If there ever was a Christian,
Bro. -- Is one.' but, alas, how Cften
have we been deceived even by the pas
tors ot the tiOcks." Then he turned to
me with a somewhat flushed face. say
ing, Chaplain, you. understand have
been preacher, and / suppose you are
one yet; what explanation can you
make? Have you had a like eXper-
renee, or have you known cases like
: the ones mentiOned?' | was obliged
T to confess that his experience and mine
were much alike, and that ! had pom
, dered deeply over the same problems,
but that / was unable TO nelp him
much.
, Surely. n faith that does not make
us faithful even over n few things in
the moral realm is OF very little value
20 the world. Faithfulness to a church
or party IS very poor substitute for a
? / practical mastery over the sins which
: 10 so easily beset us. Religion without
S ethics Is AZ best a mere superstition, or
e a mere devotion 10 n sect or n craft
e SO IN these days, when wickedness
/ seems setting upon us ike q flood the
! value of all sO-called religious agencies
IS determined by their ability to cope
: first with moral evils. It seems idle 10
talk about men being fitted for heaven
; VINO have not as yet learned the
4 7 alphabet OF ethics. ! am sure that
hundreds OF thousands. il not millions
! OF men, now IN good standing in the
I / churches would be obliged 10 make 4
E / ike confession with this brother refer
: ! red -. They do not lack IN religious
D I emotion, or that winch passes az such.
or in devotion 90 their church, and yet
when the soul begins an introspectlon
/ Il is obliged t. confess that 10 has moth
1 / ing but leaves" We want a faith
i. which VIII make faithful, aud the man
I who can SHOW us that his faith has
made his disciples faithful. that is
: I more honest, truthful, vrtuous. gem
? erous. patient, helpful aud kind. than
e men Of other faiths around him ia the
Eas which was 81 come. II = not