The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-02

IN all HIS failness and become them
sesvex lost in che ocean OF Ills rscse-niag
love
T1ers IS . uaE1der form Of this spirit Of
misguided zeal which eTe-veSc-s IN en-
thusIss-n ard overT0ws IN grozesque and
eceeztrie methods. rs want OF 6sscrsrni-
nation Is SIS manifest ds<ece. TIE good
done Is exceptional The cari>ature 90 the
solemn truths OF the gospel Is the natural
ard general result Religious excitement
Is 3 tremendous reality. and may Re a
tren endos2s power when II IS intelligent
II there - any subject that ough. 20
arouse 20 the boiling point every faculty
OF mans nature. II Is the salvation OF
his soul I have seen sinners under an
awful pressure OF feeling because OF m
pardoned sins. when Il would have been
blaspheEnous to crfticiSe their words or
manner Il Is well. however, 70 reme-n-
bsr that contrition and contortion are not
always synonymous. There is no DAce
where so little intellectually and so
m1ch Intelligence are needed as in
practical Christian work Too much
intellect viii smother the holy fame
Too little tact viii fail 70 see II kin
died You can argue man out Of his
convictions by attacking his brain Instead
OF his heart You can disgust a man. and
turn him away for years from a consider
alton OF the gospel. by storming his emo
tional nature as though you considered
his reason hardly worth acknowledgment.
Never was there a teacher so plain
spoken as Jesus. There were no groses-
quenesses III His methods. He spoke the
truth simply. tervently and powerfully.
and IL prevailed. Let Us ell become
thoroughly inbued with the strong
practicaiity OF the Master. ana then 70
our enlightened vision all the bEgotry OF
the zeaIot AMI all the fanaticism of the
enthusiast viii become minus quantities
The Other Side.
have only time now TO consider briefly
one or two things which Ne may have BEEN
apt 10 regard as subtractions from the
general progress and success OF our life.
and ind in them a cause for thankfulness.
Our confession of Christ In these days Is
not SO formidable a thing as was Paurs.
With him ii meant national ostracism.
dess~tion on the part OF his friends, ma
hgnity OF his foes. untold hardships and
dangers. shipwreck and Imprisonment
stripes and martyrdon: and yet all these
he suffered patiently. heroically. because
he suffered them for his Lord. And the op-
pos1ies OF these put in juxtapositfon by
Inference. friendship. ease, luxury, liberty,
fame, the very things that go so far in the
worlds estimation to make up a success
fui life. he counted as refuse that he
might win Christ. Our becoming a Chris
tian, that is, our stepping out into grand.
fun, noble life, may cause sheer on the
part OF some incredulous companion, or
peal or laughter from some one who rid
icules others 10 cover up the sad failure
OF his own life: but for the most part our
becoming a Christian will lift as higher
in the opinion OF unregenerate humanity
than any other step we can take. Why.
then, do people hesitate 10 assert their
faith? Because of the necessary loss of
certain things they have always held
dear and considered essential TO the sue
cess OF their life. To be Christian as
far as Its system of morality is concerned
Is to be the highest style OF man. IL, in
crossing the lire that separates the world
ling from the Christian, We are obliged 10
give up the favor and rewards OF the
world, IL Is because they are enervating
and cmasculating. Worldly and Christian
qualities may peaeeably exist in harmony
II the same individual, but the harmony
viii be but an armed neutrality, ready to
break out into open warfare at any mo-
ment: for We read that the flesh iusteth
against the spirit and the spirit against
the flesh, for these are contrary the one
to the other. To lose the worlds favor
and TO relinquish all claim TO its rewards
may be. then. 10 prepare the nature for
a grander indwelling and control. To aban-
don weakness in any form Is 70 accumu-
late strength. Sit down then by yourselves
IN hard thought, and you will find. when
you have concluded. that the world and It's
glitter have faded into nothingness. while
the things which are of Christ have be-
come supreme. Erase your first thought.
hauA GAINED Of las ~ Hagr a
Christian.
Il is equally so in the consideration of
discipline. None OF US court hardship. That
Is a morbid nature which glories in be-
ing made martyr. Pain ought not TO be
attractive to any one. We are continually
saying. How hard Il is to bear these loss
es OF life. How depleted we are through
them After ten or twenty years deci-
nation we seem to be but fragments OF
our former selves. Great subtractions
have been made here and there and we
wonder what We are coming 10 II the pro-
cess goes on in this fashion much longer.
Have you not often thought thus? I viii
venture 10 say that In every instance
you have failed 10 recognize the new
treasures that have come 10 you iu the
place OF the old ones that have vanished
You are a merchant. and have been In the
drive aud hurry of trade for a decade
or 50. You have hardly had time for a
vacation. You have always been planning
night and day. You have even been
tempted 70 muse over your business during
the dry parts OF the sermon on Sunday:
but every few minutes the preacher
would say something personal and you
would have TO wake Up. At length a pro-
longed sickness came, and You were forced
for weeks 70 remain quietly at home Now
you found that a trusted clerk had de-
velopel powers you had no idea Of This
set you thinking. You could branch out
anew. and leave to him certain routine
work which you had always done yourself.
On your recovery you put this enlarged
plan into operation. Was that Illness
loss. as you first supposed. or a gainP
You are a father You have given little
attention 10 your home Not because You
cared not for the company OF your family.
but because OF the demands Of your occu-
patton upon your time. A cloud looms
M. A shadow falls upon the hearth
stone. 4 merry laugh is hushed for
ever. A cluster OF faxs1 cllrls gathers
about cold, white brow. 4 new grave Ia
fhA cemetery tells the story OF your desc
lated home You stop 10 think, and 10 pray
You BEGIN 10 find you are not In such n
hurry as before. You az longer over the
table. You remain in the sitting room in
the evenings Of the fan and winter. and
speak Of her who s. gone. sud lock visit
fuuv from one remaining child 70 another
and think how dear they are 70 you. You
often venture careSs. and as you turn
away sometimes shed tear. Your heart
has become wonderfully softened, your
faith wonderfully stimulated, your mind
oreued 70 Tire blessed influences OF God.
Yot. ara a better man for tbs Discipline
Tel ne. in the light % Your whole life
has II been a loss or gain, a suotFac-
ton or Al addition Ask the other child
rc-. who wonder az this new gentleness