The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1893-09-15

from gross and worldly pleasures by others
of purer kind, and to lead us into life
Of prayer and recollection; but to be con-
SANITY in state of enjoyment that takes
away the feeling of the cross, and to live
in fervor of Devotion that continually
keeps paradise open, this is not dying up
on the cross and becoming nothing. This
life Of illumination and sensible delights
is very dangerous snare-if we become
so attached to it as to desire nothing far
Their; for he who has no other attraction to
prayer, will quit both it and God, when
ever this source of his qualification is dried
up"
St. Theresa says, "Those who have
talked the loudest of abandonment. of death
to self, Of the darkness of faith and Of
desolatiOn, are often the most surprised
and discouraged, when they really expert
ence these things, and their consolation is
taken away. Oh, how excellent is the
way pointed out by John of the cross,
who would have us believe without seeing,
and love without desiring to feel!''
This attachment to sensible delights is
the fruitful source of all our illusions; souls
are earthly in desiring something tangible,
as it were, before they can feel him.
But this isall wrong; it is these very things
Of sense that produce vacillation. We
think while the pleasure lasts that we shall
never desert God. We say in our pros
perity that we shall never be moved Ps.
80 6; but the moment our intOxication is
over, we give up all for lost, thus SUBJ
shutting our own pleasure and imagina-
ton in place of God. Naked faith, alone,
is sure guard against illusion. When
cur foundation is not upon any imagina-
tioD, feeling, pleasure, or extraordinary
when we rest upon God only
in pure and naked faith. Then we are
indeed in way that is but little subject
to illusion. Those, then, who seek to
guard against being deceived by a constant
succession of emotions and certainties, are
by that very cause exposing themselves
most surely to such result. On the other
hand, those who follow the leadings of the
love that strips them and the faith that
walks in darkness. without asking any
other support; avoid all sources Of error
and illusion.
The author of the Limitation of Christ"
book ILL.,, says: elf God takes away
yonr inward delights it should be your
pleasure to remain pleasureless. 1t is not
true to say that we are afraid of having
lost God, on being deprived Of feeling.
1t is impatience under trial, the restlessness
Of pampered and dainty nature, search
for some support for self love, a WEAKNESS
of abandonment, and secret return to
self, after our consecratian to GOd.' l
have dwelt thus lengthily upon this part
of my subject, because 1 conceive an un-
reliance upon the emotions to
be prolific source Of vacielatiOn.
s. An indefinitnes in the experience of
many of our ministers may not be cOnsid-
cred among the least of the causes for
yacillatiOn among many Of those under
their teaching and influence. Other rea-
sons may be AS follows as expressed by
experienced minister's:
(a) A failure to discern between temp
tation and carnality, is doubtless point
where some fail
(b) Failure to discriminate properly be-
tween purity and maturity. We seem to
expect about everything that there ever
will be in experience at the sta"t.
(c) Improper discernment between the
reproof and the condemnation Of tue
Lord.
(G EndeavorinS to retain holiness while
Employment keeps souls fresh
and their minds off themselves, where God
can bless them.
(e) Failing to recognize the fact that
weaknesses will manifest
themselves in the character after sanctifi-
cation has been experienced; viz, timidity,
want of judgment. Where
these are especially strong before the soul
IS cleansed they will be manifested after
wards in the character.
(f) A failure to discern wisely at the
point of divine guidance. We give too
much attention to sensible impressions ard
revelations and not enough
o the Scriptures, common sense, and the