The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-07-10

Love Does Not Involve tho Weaken
ing OF Authority.


of nobody and nothing-God. man or
devil. When, by long intellectual train
ing, one reaches the point at which he
can pursue his Investigations with abb
soiutely no regard for the consequences.
he is thought by n circle OF
admiring disciples to have attained
the perfect balance of mind which
should be the scholars ideal. The
startling similarity of such mo-
tions TO the lawless recklessness of
the man who experiments on a like
principle In the domain of conduct may
well make us pause before we decide
to give up the saying of holy Scriptures
THE fear of God Is the beginning or
wisdom"
1t is n saying worthy Of all accepta-
ton, but little esteemed In these days.
Even Christian teachers lay far too
small emphasis on the cardinal place OF
reference in any true and worthy char
acter. They urge upon men the evil
dences of divine love and care in nature
and revelation. and speak persuasive
ly rather than authoritatively in COM
mending to mems minds and hearts the
constant, all-pervading thought of God,
No sentimentalism inheres In the docf
trine of the divine Fatherhood. Faith
does not exclude fear, IL we remem-
Der what is meant by the fear of God;
no Bringing terror before an irresistible
and unknown power which threatens,
but willing submission to one whose
purposes, though dimly understood,
are believed TO be just beyond measure
and full of grace.
Such decent abasernent before the
Creator and preservcr of all things has
too little place in the education OF
youth. There was a time when ir-
reverent or careless speech concerning
divine things was considered as sure a
mark of an ill-bred man as discour-
tesy towards women. IL seems to be
no longer, for the fashion Is among
young men to affect Indifference 10 the
supreme claims Of God as a mark OF In
dependence. The youths In our coli
leges and in business life who thus be-
tray their immaturity and lack OF in
sight into the true meaning of life are
often in other respects amiable and
measurably discreet. Many of them
outgrow theirshallow agnosticism or in
difference as they abandon youthful &C.
centricities OF dress and speech. But
IL Is for many reasons unfortunate that
such stage should intervene in so
many useful careers, dwarfing their de-
velopment and narrowing their infiu-
ence. The great problem of the re7
ligious training of children seems to
be no nearer solution than il was a
generation ago. Even in the public
schools, however, where any but the
most general religious teaching is pro-
hibited, competent teacher should be
able, by example rather than by di-
rect instruction, to guide most pupils
into at least that reverence which is
appropriate in all citizens of a nation
predominantly Christian and almost
wholly theistic. Independence of church
and state certainly does not require
that teachers paid by the state should
conduct themselves during school hours
as IL there were no God.
The fear OF God seems sometimes to-
have almost disappeared from the busi-
ness world, the realm of practical poll
itics," the negotiations of diplomacy
How dare we divorce economies from
ethics, politics from purity, diplomacy
from duty? In there not a God In
Heaven, or does He no longer regard
the affairs OF nations and defend the OPP
pressed, remembering the crimes OF
capital and the follies of labor, the sim
full silence of rulers, the iniquitous bar
gainings I'm human life and liberty.
against day OF Judgment? There have
been days within a single year when
chapters from the books OF the prophets
Isaiah and Jeremiah should have been
sent ringing through the world.
straight to tho ears of monarchs and
minister's, Legislators and governors,
armies in the field and voters Mt the
polls. There have been times when an
Amos might have Numbered forthcom-
ing disaster against complacent cow
ards and luxurious idlers, unworthy of
great trusts conferred upon them by
the accidents Of wealth and power. Such
voices have been heard from many pull
pits and from newspapers awake TO
the needs OF the time. But they were
all too few, and sometimes met little
response. The fear of God has not dis
appeared from this land nor from the
world-far from II. Each year Chris
tian people translate their religion
more accurately into terms of conduct,
and strive To enter by the straight gate
Of obedience 20 Christ into that king
dom of Heaven which He so, insistent-
ly and paradoxically located upon the
earth. But not for n moment can Chris
tian leaders and Christian followers
God Is one Lord, sovereign and demand
ing the service of oil His creatures. A
gospel OF love was never meant TO be
preached apart from a doctrine Of obo-
dience and worship TO the Most High
Chicago Standard.
Handicap Race.
Lies race is a handicap. No one
haa overv ADVANTAGE all the time and