Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-12-15

- "eIe was clear perception of
eiG rules existing between him
4; :li ana Christ, and also a percep-
s'1ll OF the value of those rules
t Ci"IlVe to other sources of life.
mere IS but one conclusion to be
ledChed by the honest man III re-
saIq 70 this question, ifhe stands
~ llie same relations that Paul
$1,000 to God and that conclusion
- mat all earthly achievements,
HoAors, emolunents, are but loss
Wnen compared with the know
I0GSe OF Christ. AS the sun
llanscends the moon in brilliancv;
aS the light of day dispels the
Weaker light of the stars, 50 does
'ne value of christianity trans
cend that Of worldly consider
auons. The builder is superior
TO the building Mind is SUPERIOR
70 matter, and religion whose
S'8ht IS Ill the mind and heart is
greater than that which supplies
d condition for its existance. No
man will question this truth
lof moment, and yet many are
daily subordinating the spirit
ual and the material, making all
end OF what was designed by God
TO be means Of the end, thus re-
VerSlng the order Of nature. Now
there can be 10 pro 1cr appre
cation ofreligion IS n a cas-
as this. 1t has no power in such
lite to purify. It has no place
IN such life to ennoble. The
religion Of Jesus Christ must
either be dominant, Or it does
not exist Ill the heart. There can
De no pretensions to spiritual or
material considerations where
that religion reigns. Hence it is
thatnone but a true christian can
have the proper appreciation of
christianity. Ask the uncon-
verified man What he thinks of
the value Of religion. Can that
man give any true estimate of
religion? He possesses his compu-
tat1on of what has come under his
observation. His estimate may
be high, b1lt it is made without
knowledge. Ask that humble
christian mother who has suffer-
ed untold privations, who has
faced death, who has struggled
Ill the battle for bread, seemingly
under cloud of darkness. Ask
her, and out of the rich depth of
her experience, she will give you
All estimate of its value that will
put to shame the computation of
theolOgiaEs and theorists. All,
it has given her light in darkness;
ithas brought order out of chaos;
it has turned griefand despai1linto
| joy and hope It has changed
sinful nature into a sanctified
temple for the indwelling of
purity and holiness. To her it
is invaluable; she has experienced
its effects and she knows its va! <,
All our knowledge, more or less,
is based upon experience, and
hence it is that infdels, atheists,
sensualists, cannot know the val
lie Of christianity. The creed Of
the Lord is with them that fear
him, and with them alone.
Nov we are beings of too
high ali order not to recognize
that the spiritual is before the
material, and when our hearts
are thrown forward into sympa-
thy with the great truths of
christianity, we shall have the
same appreciation of it that Paul
had when he said Yea, doubtless,
and count all things but loss.
But what a de1eCtable frame!
Power, ambition, worldly honor
and esteem, riches, qualification
of desires, all are but loss when
compared with the religion Of
/ Jesus Christ. The sinner knows
nothing of such exultant joy.
His heart is filled with thoughts
of darkness, and his life with
deeds of folly. His character is
stained with sin and his moral ma
ture disorganized by misconcept-
ION of its true end. But the christ
! ian, however, his heart attuned
to the principles Of God, his soul
filled with the peace and the joy
of the Holy Ghost, his moral ca
pacities charging, developing,
and consciously increasing, can
say I count all things butloss.
We notice, secondly, that the
value Of christianity is largely
based upon the fact that it IS an
! experimental religion and is cap
able Of Individual application.
acknowledge, as we have said
before, is largely based upon ex-
perience, and christianity has a
deeper Or shalloWer meaning to
us as we know Christ i'll Our
private lives and have eNper-
fenced the effects Of His Divine
Grace in Our hearts
"Now, religion is a beautiful
thing even in theory. The dis
cussions of its primal principles
have brought into existence some
Of the g,randest thoughts that ever
stirred the finite mind. Books
l.