The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-03-30
LOVABLE CHRISTIANS.
DO Not Sour Religion With the Acidity OF
Consciousness,

DO Not Sour Religion With the AcidIty of
Consciousness.
There is no line of eulogy in the Bible
that is more to be coveted than this sim
gle line, ''the disciple whom Jesus
tooed" The original possessor of this
precious encomium was John the evan
gelist, and the inspired writer of five
wondrous books of holy Scripture.
There is a very false conception of
him in many minds, as if he were a
mild, effeminate person, lacking in all
the robust qualities Of an athletic man
hood. On the contrary, he was pecu-
liarly bold and energetic and outspoken
one of two sons of thunder" He
was a man of flaming zeal for his
Masters glory and of red-hot hatred
for everything false and wicked. And
yet he was the author of those three
marvellous love-letters which have the
effusive sweetness of the pressed honey
comb. There seems to have been pc
culiar inner sympathy between Jesus
Christ and this favorite disciple. he
penetrated more fully into his Masters
mission, understood more deeply his
Masters character, and partook more
of his Masters spirit than any other of
the twelve. He was the planet that
rode nearest to the SUM- That cleaning
on the breast of Jesus" at the paschal
supper had meaning in it: it meant
that Johns heart drew so strongly to
Christs heart that their outward en-
brace was as natural as the kiss of
husband and wife.
John might have sat for that portrait
which Paul afterward painted when he
described the Christian character as
possessing whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are honest" and then adds
as finishing touch whatsoever
things are lovely and are of
good report" This word 'lovely"
does not occur elsewhere in the New
Testament 1t signifies what is dear to
anyone, and the phrase "things of good
report" signifies that which wins adj
miration and approval. We might para.
phrase the expression, and render it
be l0cable, SO live as to win converts
to your Master" Every Christian is
or ought to be, representative of
Jesus Christ before the world He has
been well styled 'the worlds Bible
and is about the only Bible that thou
sands ever look at. 1t should be the
aim of every follower of Christ to be a
living epistle, not only legible, but at
tractive to all who study him. Is this
always 80? Is the religion of every
good man and good woman truly low
able? We fear not. Some mems piety
has quite too much Of the flavor of the
'old Adam" still lingering about
it. Others sour our religion
with the acidity of censorious-
ness, and their conversation sets
every ones teeth on edge. After an
hours talk with them you find your
self almost insensibly prejudiced
against some of the best people of your
acquaintance. A fly has been dropped
by these censorious dyspeptics into
every pot of fragrant ointment, and a
smirch has been left by their uncharit-
able tongues on the fairest characters.
There is quite too much lemon and too
little sugar in the composition of such
people to make them agreeable to any
body, Only half converted themselves,
they convert no one else.
Somewhat akin to these are class of
knotty and grabbed Christians whom
everybody respects, and almost nobody
loves. In my early ministry had a
most conscientious and godly-minded
officer in my church who rigidly prac-
Iced whatsoever things Were true and
whatsoever things were Just, and
whatsoever things were honorable.
He was honest to farthing,
and devout to the very core.
never knew him to wrong deed, and
I scarcely ever knew him to do a pleas.
ant one. There was deal of good,
solid and most excellent meat in him,
but no one liked to prick his fingers in
coming at it. The rugged old chestnut.
bur Christian might have been a great
power in the church: but even the chill.
dreu in the street were afraid to speak
to him: and so he went sturdily on his
way to Heaven, praying and working
and growing as he went. II there had
been few drops of the Epistle of St
John distilled into him, he would have
made a grand specimen of Christian,
and probably he has become sweeter
and mellower by this time in the warm
atmosphere of Heaven. That good
man did more than make a mis-
take, he committed sin by de-
stroyiug n large part of his influence
winning others to Christ. Asa soldier
has no right to wet his powder or C