Smyrna times., 1892-08-10
THE PLEASURE OF RELIGION
AND The SECURITY OF RELIGION.
Sermon Preached in the M. E.
Church, Smyrna, Del, July 80,
1892, by Rev. w. E. England,
of Seaford, Del.
Reported Senogrqphtcoay by C. wrga Gordon.

reported SenOgrdphtc1ly by C. Virgil Gordon.
The foundation OF our remarks wi
be found in the 3rd chapter of Proverb
at the 18th verse. Her ways ar
ways of pleasantness and all her path
are paths of peace"
Without going into any formal expo
sitiOn of wisdom as we understand il
and without attempting any associa
ton of the text with the preceding
text and subsequent context whicI
you may find by reading the chapte
from which l have simply introduce,
this morning, two thoughts which w
see rising from the text; the pie asure
of religion and the securities of re
lgiOn.
These two thoughts may combine al
that we have to say this morning
And | desire to remark as a prelimin
ary to these outlines, that it is hardly
conceivable that an individual can bt
found in a probationary state under
conditions that exist around us who
does not derive some pleasure from hi,
environment. 1t is very easy to con
ceive how in a state of pure retribution
there can be an absence of any pleas
ure. But here in land of probation
and in land of beautiful scenerics
which God has spread about us, and
under the favorable atmospheric CON
ditiOns, there must always be a greater
or less degree of pleasure. 1t cannot
be otherwise. But the pleasures ofthe
world in this sense are common to all.
Now we desire also in connection with
this remark to state that there are two
sorts of pleasure which may be con.
templated by either an infdel or a
Christian.
The first we will term intellectual
pleasure and this is common to anv
individual who will cultivate his intel.
lecU in the right direction. And it NAV
be that very good degree of pleasure
may be derived, on a merely intellect.
ual basis, by the cultivation of the intel
lect even in a wrong direction. Yet
there are certain influences attached to
the reveries of the mind in that par.
tlcuIar and in that direction which are
very disturbing to the peace which the
soul desires and to the mind in its
outreachings for truth.
There are certain doctrines of scien-
tihc truth which cannot be received on
a basis of admission. There are Ger.
tain truths which are admitted and
must be admitted under the nature of
things. but it is when we come to con-
template the fact that in these scien.
tihc truths, there are conflicting views.
What is regarded as true in one age Of
the world even scientifically, is re-.
garded in another age of the world as
untrue.
The whole superstructure of the in.
tellectual progress is based upon this
suppOsitiOn that what has preceded it
is either true or false just IN proportion
as the mind has changed its views and
laid its old ideas aside. The Spartans
had very peculiar ideas of truth. In
Pilates day even truth was regarded
as thing of expediency hence, when
he put that important question to the
Savior what is truth" he did not
wait for an answer. He had imbibed
the question of expediency.
Now l want to say that this and all
other features of intellectual re-
search and revery fails to meet the
thought Of the text and fails to afford
the rest which the mind desires and
that pleasure for which it is continu-
ally stretching out after. Let us re.
member then that in contemplating
either science or moral truth in all the
exercise and in all the cultivation of
the intellect, there must be standard
that will remain through all ages and
that will never under any circum.
stances change its base. 1t must be
the same through all circumstances
aud through all ages.
Now do not say that there are not
some phases Of divine truth that may
be modified, because our explanation
of them may not always be correct
and unmistaken. New light may lead
the church in after times to change
her views in regard to certain phases
but the central thoughts are alwavs
the same and always must be.
Talk of new things, of new develop-
ments, speak of evolutions and all that
sort OF thing it is simply in the CEN
tral thought that the permanency of
the hope of the world lies, and the
salty of the world rests. Christ from
first to last is the redeemer of the
world. God in his common father
hood is the source of all existence. nv
which we have then that which is the
same through all ages. When l take
therefore biblical standpoint l can
travel side by side with the inlidel
just as far as he wants me to 20. I
can stand on the outskirts of creation
where he shudders and fails of victory.
and where all his forces stagger be-
cause faith resting on eternal princi-
pies helps through the darkness and
finds beyond land Of brightness and
land of bliss. And with David we
can walk out and look at the starry
heavens, we can see those beautiful
gems of God hung up in the world
above US and can say when consider
thy heavens, the work Of thy hands
what is man that Thou art mindful of
him ? and the son of man that Thou
visitest him? ?"
Here then we acknowledge the COM
mon fatherhood of God and his mower
In upholding the millions of worlds
above us. But beyond this let US con.
template the greatness of God and
learn His power from the work of cre-
alton. Out beyond in the far distance
above Us Is a constellation, It's light
travels 100000 miles second. Yet IL
takes the light of that constellation
thOusanda of vaara 70 ,aaoh .ks. -,