Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-05-23
Vital Religion-Nhat Is 1t !


Vital Religion hat Is 1t !!
Pure religion and undefiled before God and
the Father James j., q.
No more succinct statement of what
is essential in the formation of relig-
ious character was ever made.
We are told in simple language, which
the humblest can understand that
Gods requirements are few; that this
life can be made worth living, and the
other life anticipated with pleasure, by
obeying two njunctions-namely, be
ing helpful to those who are struggling
with adversely and keeping our souls
clean and wholesome.
If "pure religion and undefiled," EN-
bodied in our daily actions, will insure
the approval of God, and if it consists
in doing all the good that lies in our
power and in making for ourselves a
record of impregnable honesty, then
we must agree that religion is indiS-
pensable and we can no more afford to
live without it than we can live without
roof over our heads or food for our
table.
If the Church will pardon us for the
criticism. we should like to say that it
has taught men to look at life from the
wrong standpoint. 1t tells us that we
must believe certain doctrines before
we can lead certain kind of life. These
doctrines are of a complex character
and sharp controversy arises. Ii we
must believe before we can live, then
unless we believe we cannot live, and
many noble soul has lost its grip on
the higher life because it could not
make the doctrine Ineligible or even
reasonable. That is a misfortune of
the gravest kind and one to be greatly
deplored. When the Church says to
man, You must accept this and that
dogma, and accept it with the shade
of meaning which | ascribe to it, 1T
makes religion too much of an intel
lectual process, while the spiritual pro
cess is lost. If man rejects the dogma
he is apt to think that dogma is an es
sential element of religion, whereas in
very truth it is nothing of the kind.
That mistake may prove to be fatal,
and his whole life may be blighted.
On the other hand, when man is
told that since this is Gods world, and
he is Gods child he must therefore seek
the approval of God by being of service
to his fellows-encouraging the weak,
lifting up the downtrodden, defending
the oppressed, setting an example of
honorable dealing which will be attrac-
tive to others-there is no room for
controversy, and the only debate pos
sible is as to the best way of accom-
plishing these results He may begin
this work without any dogma what
ever, may not know that there is such
adocument as creed in existence, but
YOU cannot deny that he is loyal fol
lower of the ChIist. He need not hest
tate to carry his pure motives. his up
Brightness, his self-sacritice to the foot
of the Throne and need have no fear
L. Al
hosts.
Moreover, he cannot long pursue such
course without becoming. in its best
sense, firm believer. He may not ac
cept all of the Thirty nine Articles, but
that is of no consequence. He will ae
cept the general principles on which
the earthly career of Jesus was based
and the moral law which He proclaim
ed in such startling phrases that we
can hardly resist calling it a revelation
He will not only believe in a God who
rules the world wisely and justly, an(
in Providence which overlooks the
experiences which come to each one o
us, but will perforce reach the conclu
sion that this God has arranged affair.
in fatherly way.
When he is seeking for an ideal life
the best conceivable life the life afte
which it would be perfectly safe t,
model his own, he will find it in the
Christ, and the record of it in the New
Testament. That great example viii
impress itself on his mind, and his re
spect fer the Nazarene will grow to ad
miration, and his admiration will in
crease until it becomes worship.
Further than this, he will see at :;
glance that there is right and wron,
in the universe. He does not know
how owl nriuip naithor dnoc !,
care. 1t is sufficient that it exists ant
that he must avoid it il possible. 1t i
plain to him that the right enlarges tn
soul and makes it strong, healthy ant
happy, while the wrong hampers hi
action and makes him cowardly.
does not take long then to discover tina
it is always better, even though it b.
at great cost, to maintain the RICH
than to surrender to the wrong.
Once more, he sees that no man com
pletes his work in this life, and as incom
pleteness is an anomaly in wisel,
governed world, he reaches the conclu
present there must be a future; tina
death is only another name for change
and that he has nothing to dread wher
that change comes.
He began by living a good life, bu
while living it be has gradually acquir
ed a series of beliefs which constitut,
his creed. 1t is not the creed of tn,
Church, but it is quite sufficient for al
his purposes. No Church can afford tt
reject him, for he stands where st
James stood when he wrote the words
of our text, and where Christ stood
when He preached the Sermon on the
Mount.
He has in his soul all the essentials
of vital religion, is equipped to live
and prepared for Immortality Y
Herald.