The Republican journal., 1896-10-08

Alone with God the confused and dis
tracted mind gathers calmneSS and the
muddy current becomes clear. Private de-
votlon is the great secret of strength in
the religious life, and the divine life can
not be sustained without it. Jesus sought
it, and the wisest and hottest in every age
have acknowledged it's necessity and
power. Rev. W. H. KersEaw, Con-
gregationalist, Brooklyn.
| PERSONALITY AND ACTION. There
are two elements that enter into every
mans influence, personality and action.
| The one is the man himself, with the Pc
cullar individuality that differentiates
him from other men, the character that
makes him what he is. 1t was the man
Paul, the man Napoleon, the man Luther,
| that gave to each of these his power and
| stamped his influence upon the age in
which he lived. 1t was the man Jesus
Christ that revealed his life and by the
force of his own irresistible character COM
manded the admiration and recognition
of men. Rev. j. A. Burnett, Presby-
| terrain, Williamsburg, Pa.
GOOD WILL. We have repugnances
and antipathies to overcome. There are
/ people we despise for their weakness or
| folly. There are some to whom we are
Indifferent. These influences deter us
from laying loving hand on the tramp,
the prisoner, the beggar child, or even
our respectable but nninteresting neigh
Dor. But we must overcome this an
| tipathy. contempt and indifference if we
would carry out the work of healing
those around us. Here lies the solution
of many OF our difficulties, social, politi-
cal and religious. Anarchy is not to be
conquered by the repression or i'll will,
but by the expression of good will. Rev,
c. T. Weitzel, Congregationalist, Brook
Ign.
SUFFERING AND SYMPATHY. All men
at the bottom of their hearts believe in
vicarious pain. We are the SONS and
daughters of the living God, and in moth
ing is our relation SO distinctly shown as
in our human sympathy. We can suffer
for one another. Our pain is not selfish
pain. A king suffers for his rebellious
subjects. Parents hearts break not for
aught they have done, but for their wan
dering. prodigal sons and daughters. God
would not be God if somewhere we could
not find, we could not touch, the point of
sympathy in him-if he did not suffer with
us and for us in this anguish and sin and
pain consequent upon it. And we find it
nowhere else but at Calvary, in the sub
FINEST deed of sacrifice that was ever seen
or could ever be conceived i'll human
mind. Rev. D. J. Burrell, Presbyterian,
New ! ork.
CHARACTER. In character building
there are two principal workmen-God
and yourself. And, | say it reverently,
yourself quite as much as Cod. That is a
false and harmful theology which teaches
in this respect mans utter helplessness.
In ordinary life we are taught to depend
upon ourselves In his self reliance,
what wonderful works are accomplished
by the industrious man-how marvellous
ly nature is subdued and made the mere
tool Of man, But in the moral and religi-
Gus world there is in some quarters feel
ing, indeed doctrine, that in the great
est work of life, that of character build
ing, man becomes at once helpless, ut
| terly unable to accomplish any good
thing. Away with such a doctrine 1t is
false Il is unchristian. 1t is injurious
| and stultifying to human nature, Rev.
Horace Porter Congregationalst, Brook
lyn.