The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-04-13
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MORALSH MANNERS
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III A CLERGYMAN

BYA CLERGYMAN
Religion should be well advertised. We
do not mean in the press, but in the daily
life of Christian people. As shopkeepers
study the art of attracting customers. and
put the new colors in conspicuous places;
as the fruiterers so arrange their fruit as
to tempt passers-by; as the political ora
tors argue cases on the hastings to win
votes, just so should the believer display
his treasures In order to attract.
Too often the opposite course is pur-
sued. Religion is advertised by its mega
tives. TITS spoken of in a minor tone as
though it were a life of pains and penal
ties, of restraints and self-denials. The
impression is made upon the minds of
unbelievers that religion consists in keep
ing away from things that are agreeable,
but sinful; that it is hard to do this; but
that sooner than be lost Christians will
abstain"
The initial stages of the Christian life
are undoubtedly repressive. To one who
has been a wrong-doer Christianity comes
saying: Thou shalt not steal, or lie, or
swear, or be unclean, and this means self
denial. But, presently, the Christian
passes on and up TO the positive side
and into the liberty wherewith Christ
makes free. And here there is Joy
and peace in believing When
one feel tnat he has been pardoned. that
he is accepted of God, that he il guided by
the spirit of truth, that he is an heir OF
heaven, and that he is living in harmony
with himself with his fe' ows, and with
tn diyine-must not his Ii, le attractive?
On this plane Christianity no more clogs
a man than wings hamper bird or fins
impel a fish. The restraint period has
been outgrown-the stage, always painful
and self-conscious of beginning; and now
the glad soul swims like tsh in a sea OF
delight, and scars like bird into the
empyrean.
Let religion then be rightly represented.
BY happy, helpful Christian living believ-
ers ought TO make it clear to the world that
their faith is not a bRstile, but & magma
charta. IT'S loving az Christ loved; judg-
ing as Christ judged; aiding as Christ
aided. It's effacing distinctions which
now separate wiping out prejudices which
now cause variance, and attuning the uni
versal heart to the meiodic strains of the
golden rule. Such is religion. Let it be
so advertised.
Poets have been singing and orators
have been pleading for peace and peace
societies. have held national and interna-
tional conventions and passed millennial
resolutions, but war has refused to smooth
it's wrinkled front and furl it's battle-hags
and spike its cannon. Nay, our age has
witnessed the most terrific and destructive
wars in history. The nineteenth century
will be known as the century of blood and
iron. When it broke twas fondiy hoped
that the age OF bullets was passed and that
the age OF brains had come As IL closes
we realize that the hope was a dream as
wild As any story in the Arabian Nights.
But what reason and conscience could
not achieve. fear and science seem likely
to effect. The cost OF war 10 now 30 great
that it is well nigh prohibitive. The dis
tructiveness of war is now 90 awful that
it is we'll nigh preventive. A little fur
Their increase OF the cost, n little greater
magDiiying OF the destructiveness, and,
prestol war must cease.
Meantime, science is at work in a thou
ents in more deadly combine One day il
/ shall cry: "Eurekal | have invented an
explosive warranted TO sweep into instant
humiliation both contending armies
here is the universal peacemaker" As
was limited last Sunday in n Republic edi-
! torial, when navigable balloons are 80
perfected that they can be iloated across
the sea and across the land in oil
sorts of weather aud held under complete
control over enemies cities, upon which
they can drop dynamite enough TO blow
them into smil hereens-mutual considera-
tions and international decency will be
carefully studied and observed. What
country would dare to declare war il it's
armies and its cities could toe exploded
into humiliation 40 one stroke2 In this
view we may all OF us extend n cordial
welcome 10 dynamite, and pray for it's de-
We opment into such perfection OF horror
as shall make it the constable OF the
world.
The Rev. DIR. William NJ. Taylor, for whose
recovery from n recent stroke OF paralysis
Christians pray, contributes TO the cur
rent number OF the Homiiciic RepieC
suggestive paper on "The Praise of the
Sanctuary" in which he urges tho chant
ing OF the psalms. 81 do not mean" he
says, that they should be chanted by the
choir for us, but that the whole congrega-
ton, led by the choir, should chant them.
IL would take little care and some
practice, but by the introduction OF u
psalm. TO bo chanted by the people, into
the service. we would bring tho psalter
into prominence, and 40 make more
clearly manifest tho unity OF the one
church Of God throughout both the old
and now dispensatiora." Brethren, what
doth hinder us from making tho export
mont7
Careful preparation Il tho condition Of
success In lilo. Tho groat authors have
spent tho long morning OF their careers In
making ready. The great merchants have
mastered their trade from the bottom and
have climbed 10 tho top. Tho greatest
parliamentary orator in English history
confessed that he had spoken every night
throughout the session In the house Of
commons, but one-and regretted that no
hadn't spoken then.
IT'S Just so in the Christian life. Char
acter IL like the oak--a growth. IL cannot
| be oxtemporizod. The Christian is made
| by infinite. hard fights with tho world. the
| flesh and the devil and with that strange
combination Of all three-self. Grudge