The sun., 1893-11-23
CREED AND CONDUCT.


By WILLIAM Gro. TRowER.
How often we hear men say "it
makes no difference what ! believe.''
But on serious thought ! do not think
a man would make such statement.
A mans belief does influence his
action. He is likely to do that which
accords with his opinions and con-
victions. The proyerb says "as a
man thinketh in his heart SO is he"
According to a mans intellige1
thinkings and convictions his
character and his life are likely to be
shaped. No one doubts this. Our
Lord says to our relations to God "ii
any man willeth to do his will he
shall know of the teaching whether il
be of God or whittier / speak from
mself." This makes the reverse true
that right conduct is an aid toward
right belief and wrong conduct will
help a man to believe false teachings.
When you see man giving signs
in all his conduct of a holy life you
are justified in supposing that his
face is turned Godward, Heavenward;
and that he believes the essential
precious truths which God gave for
guidance and consolation. On the
other hand when you see man going
astray in his daily life, going lower
and lower from the moral plane year
after year, you have good reason for
thinking that he does not bear as
high standard of truth before his
mind as his fellow man who is steadily
gaining and growing in goodness.
Lax conduct promotes lax belief
how sadly true this is; a man who
had positive religious convictions and
who seemed tolive in accordance with
them, bye and bye shows laxity OF
doctrine, it is not necessarily true
that he grows in breadth and liber-
ality of view concerning christian
truth, but that he entertains lax
views of truth. Observing closely the
man who is growing lax in his views
concerning the marriage state, and
the sacredness of family life. It is
quite likely to be found that his new
opinions are the result of his new con-
duct, ana that he is either consciously
or unconsciously seeking a lax belief
that will justify his lax conduct.
When we hear of man who was
once actively engaged in Sunday
School work, and regular in
attendance at preaching and prayer
services, confess that he no longer
believes in the main truths of christi
anity, which were once very dear tc
him, it is often the cause that his
laxity of conduct preceded laxity Of
creed. That the saloon, the dance
house had their influence in changing
his creed. Of course it would be un
reasonable to say this is always true
but it is in many cases the fact
These things drove him away from
prayer meeting and the home, and ht
soon wanted a creed to be shaped il
accordance with his conduct.
One of the most practical truths O
scripture is that spiritual things ar,
spiritually discerned." There is NJ
possibility of a mans understanding
the grand and potent truths of tn
christian religion while giving hi
time and attention to selfish living
"They that are of the flesh do mine
the things of the flesh" Whatever
man determines to do and to be viii
effect his views of religious teaching
No man in any sphere of activit,
reaches higher than his ideal. If tn
standard is lowered the conduct will
be lowered. If a man has his idea
of life the sublime life of Jesu
Christ, his conduct will show it. H
will follow after him and will not b
satisfied until he awakens in hi
likeness.