Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-03-21
AN HONEST MAN.

Letus walk honestly, as in the day.-Romans,
xiii. ID.
On the above as it's text, the N. Y.
Herald of April 3Oth, 1898, writes very
good, sensible, and practical lay ser
mon. 1t says
A life of honesty is the best illustra
ton of religion. That religion is to be
preferred which is capable of producing
an upright life, for the proof of the
truth of religion is to be found in the
way it works, not in the way it talks.
A man may have forty creeds of his
back. like SO many suits of clothes. but
unless he leads clean life he wi have,
a very warm and unpleasant time in
the future.
You may pray all day Sunday, but
if you sand your sugar on Monday the
| sanded sugar and not the prayers will
! settle your tate.
When religion gets such strong hold
of a man that it makes him honest in
II horse trade, or in selling goods lay
sample, and insures the delivery e
| goods that are something like the sam
| pie. you needn't stop to inquire wheth.
er the Athanasian or the Nicrnc Greed
behind il. for you want it for your,
self and you want it at the earliest pos
slhle moment.
The difficulty with the Church is that
it takes so much time to make men be-
lieve right that there is no time left in
which to persuade them to live right
A bad life enveloped in sound or
thodox creed is good deal like a tot
tering ruin covered with ivy and honey
suckle. 1t looks well from the outside,
and you get a fine impression SO long
Co. % 10 hrrf
| ment you cross the threshold end get
on the inside you see what a wretched
| humbug it is.
1t is that sort of honeysuckle living
which disgusts the common sense of
| the popuace and originates half of the
| severe criticisms against religion.
This is a fatal mistake, of course, for
moments thought will show that
religion and hypocrisy are by no means
interchangeable terms.
A first class pagan whose word is as
good as his bond and who disdains to
allow his honor to become beameared
by sharp practices is a better citizen
| and has a better chance for heaven
than the Christian of many professions
who must be hauled into court in order
to compel him to keep his contract.
1t may be a pretty bad world, but
preachers can never alter it's complex
ion by teaching their people what to
believe. When they begin to tell them
that the difference between heaven and
hell is the difference between an hon
est and dishonest life, they will fill
their pews and there will be settees in
| the aisles.
Heresy hunting may be pleasant
fanaticism, but hunting the evils of So
ciety and running them to earth would
be much more profitable business.
A learned discussion of free will and
fore knowledge absolute" may serve
to exhibit scholarship, but a practical
debate on how to alleviate the miseries
of poverty, shut up evil resorts and
make the city morally healthy would
attract the attention and command the
respect of the entire community.
If the Church could once see the
necessity of taking up that kind %f
work, the Indifference of the peOplN
would change.to enthusiasm.
Pope said very loosely that ian hon
est mans the MODEST work of tod" 1t
was misstatement and can be accept
ed only on the ground OF poetic license.
A man must make himself honest or he
will never become so-God furnishes
the opportunity, but nothing more.
There is more uprightness now than
ever before, but the supply is not equal
to the demand. We need it in public
office and in private life; on Wall street
and on Broadway; in politics, in the
home and in the Church
A sturdiiy honest man is the finest
: type of human being that exists on the
EARTH and SO far as his future is con
cerned he is entirely safe. The keeper
of the Golden Gate will give him a gen
! erous and hearty welcome TO the brsl
) joys that are stored up III heaven.