The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-06-11
SELECT RELIGIOUS READING


The conception which some people have
OF religion and the religious life as a ioyless.
solemn. painfully restrained state, full Of
/ crucned natural desires and impulses, seems
so little borne out, either by Scripture or
human life, that one cannot help wondering
how Ii ever came TO get such a hold upon
the average mind. Apparently II Is one OF
those strange, clinging misconceptions with
which the history OF the human race
abounds: like the idea that recreation IL
waste Of time, or that book knowledge IL
Incompatible with practical efficiency. How
these utterly senseless old notions have
clung 20 modern thought, almost up 90 the
present time and how hard itisto root out the
old prejudices against play except for chii-
dren, and book k-learning except for professors
and wool gathering theorists Not one whit
more reasonable Is the notion that religion
T. sour and joyless. than the notion that the
learned man Il necessarily all thumbs and
goggles ~ n matter of fact. there are no
people In the world quite so evenly and per-
cnnially. and supremely happy Is are Chris
tians. There Is n rapture and peace ia
having something to believe. that the unre-
generate heart knows nothing Of II IS like
the peace of the sailor Who rides Mt anchor
taking hold upon the foundations of the
world. while other ships. scorning the cable
are tossed by the storm whithersooyer IL
will
"Thcsc things have spoken unit, YOU"
said Christ. that my JOY might Tcmain in
YOU, and that your JOY might bee full.' l. il
thus that the worlds Rcicemef strikes the
keynote OF n faith of sad calf-henials and
compulsory gloOn2 The nrst outcome OF
His teaching. ~ He lObaCl back upon IT,
was 'h" JOY, the personal happiness, of the
believer. How significant Christ might
have said that He had spoken lis word, OF
life that the Christian mi ght have wis lom
that he might have sohriety and seriousness
Of mind that he might have a supreme
hatred Of evil. But no the first thought Of
Christ !. the Happiness Of his followcr,-not
the morr surface pleasure, but the grcnt
dccI-dlwn, blessed ioyfulncss of knowing.
and believing. and living the grandr~t moral
and spiritual principles ever uttered by
human tongue. The world knows better.
nowadays, than to honestly and seriously
believe that Christians are "a mirthloS., low
less. sOmhre folk. concerned only with the
gr"nt. tragic experiences Of life. the mystery
OF death, aud the miSt-Cuyclupcd problems
OF the future. In all that makes life rich and
sweet AMI lovely; iu all that plpyat,s and
charms and humani2cs the race: in every
form OF innocent enjoyment In all sunshine,
laughter, music. friendship, enterprise. love:
IN the best things. th" truc-t things, the hap
pie-t things. the Christian. i'm accordance
with tn" ioy-bringing purpose OF his Master.
takes, and forever will take, the lead of all
the world. Shrink not from Christianity.
young man, young woman. because YOU fear
II will curtail the legitimate joy of life, For
instead Of casting 50 much ~ "a hand'--
breadth OF shadow upon your soul. &c will So
Hood life with the very sunshine OF God that
you Will seem to have risen into nr,y
world, new atmosphere, genuine "a light
and beautiful as dreams.