Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-08-27
RELIGION IN COMMON LIFE.
"Whatsoever Ye Do, DO All in the Name
of the Lord Jesus"

"Whatsoever Ye Do, DO All in the Name
of the Lord Jesus"
There is nothing connected with re-
Hgion which men resent so keenly as
the completeness OF it's claim ard the
comprehensiveness of its control.
Is it not very common opinion that
the Office and function of religion is
only to prepare men for the world to
come? We are looking forward to Il
Heavenly home, to an eternal state of
being, and therefore it is very necessary
that we should pay good heed to what
ever may make us ready for these
charged conditions of existence. 1t is,
therefore reasonable enough that we
should pay attention to religious duties,
and that we should devote certain times
and seasons to the diligcnt care CT our
immortal souls.
When, however, religion goes beyond
this, and asserts her right to exercise a
paramount control over our ordinary
business and occupations; when she
lays her hand upon every thought and
word and action of our daily life, and
claims us wholly for the Lord, then il
is that men begin to resent her interfer-
cnce, and ignore, even if they do not de-
ride, her pretensions.
Speak to the man Of the world in this
strain, and he will look at you with
scornful and contemptuous pity, as
though you were talking of what it was
impossible for you to understand. You
who speak like this may be very we'll in
tentioned, but you must he singularly
wanting in knowledge of the world.
And so the claims of religion are re-
scented and resisted.
Hence it comes TO pass that there is Il
growing tendency to separate our hui
man life into two distinct departments;
to put religion by itself in one and all
that relates to common human affairs
in the other. The world is not to inter-
fere in the work of religion, and on the
other hand religion must have no part in
the control or direction of the business
OF the world. A clearly marked division
IS made between things which are sec
ular and things which are religious,
and we are told that it is unreasonable,
impossible and absurd to attempt to
push the claims of religion into those
affairs with which religion can have no
concern.
/ have said that the tendency is
growing tendency, and this is natural
enough; because if you once allow that
any part of our life may be withdrawn
from the presence and control of God,
there will be an almost irresistible
pressure to widen and expand the APP
plication of this principle, until it en-
braces almost every detail of human
conduct. Admit the principle, and it
will be found that the restraints of re-
ligion become more and more irksome.
And the mostgrievousresulto isl that
men at last will he content to acquiesce
in this divorce of religion and common
life, until cash will begin to claim in his
own individual life to separate the
secular from the religious, and religion
is at last degraded from its true posi-
ton of supreme control, and becomes
mere conventional performance of eX-
ternal acts of devotion formal, lifeless,
heartless thing, without any vital en-
ergy and power.
Surely it is high time that in the
name of God and Gods truth we assert
Gods claim to be in all things para
mount and supreme. whatsoever ye
do, do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus" whether ye eat or drink, or
whatsoever we do, do all to the glory of
Goo" -Chantauquan.