The record-union., 1899-12-03

oppressed go free, the Calm, triumphant
manhood of John Brown dying mar
tyr to freedom and conscience on that
Virginia scaffold, were not physical or
intellectual triumphs. They were moral
victories. They We're spiritual exuita-
tiens ssss -
That there is something in man; supe-
Erior to mind and body has been recog-
1 nized among all people in all ages.
Man, wherever found, has what we
fcall a moral or religious nature. Among
all races, in all ages, we find that man
1 has reared temples, built affairs, offer
ed sacrifices made prayers to some Su-
preme Being. The outreach of the soul
for realities beyond the range of our
physical senses, the yearning of the
spiritual nature for God-"Oh, that l
knew where 1 might find Him"-are
facts verified by the history of man
wherever found. 1t is as natural for
1 man to seek God as it is for the new
born babe to cry for it's mothers bos-
ON. Belief in a Supreme Being may
suffer a temporary eclipse, but soon or
later it reasserts itself in all it's native
majesty. Only an infinitesimal percent
age of mankind have ever been athe-
lists. THE fool hath said in his heart
said it. A wise man would not talk So
He said it, too not from his head but
in his heart" The atheistic utter
| ance was the outcome of a bad heart.
The recognition of Supreme Power
is universal. It exists among the most
cultured and the most ignorant. Mans
| reason cOmpelS him to assign a cause
for the existence of the world about
him, and for his own existence Her.
bert Spencer said: 1.-The assumption of
the existence of a first great cause of
the universe is a necessity of thought"
That man takes a reasonable position
Who says, Il believe in God, the Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth
This world of sun and star, of earth
and sea, OF plant and animal, was not
| Self-eVolyed. Man is not Self-created.
ThlS body of bone and muscle and nerve,
this marvellous union of body and mind,
this creative brain, this restless mag
nation, this fount of affection and feel
ing, this immortal soul of mine, did
not come into being of ITSELF These
words that move through infinite space
with such unerring order, did not come
into existence of their own yolition
mere must be some creative control
ling mind back of and above them
reason compels us to assign cause for
! these, marvellous effects There is a
tpower In nature and above nature On
TINS power We depend for life and all
things. Before this power the moral
nature of man bows in reverence. for
IL is power that thinks and wills. 1t
possesses personality. The presence
| OF design in the universe compels us to
believe in the existence of a designer.
There lives and works soul in all
things and that soul is Cod Nature
is but a name for an eject whose cause
is God. Religion is natural, for it is
mans recognition of his relation to his
Maker
/ NO man can say that he is independ-
ent of God We are dependent on Him
Tor life. The beating of our heart
is not under our own control. The Most
High ruleth. The Lord God Omnipotent
Ireigneth.
What relation should exist between
man and his Maker? That some rela-
ton does exist is certain. Man is not
independent of God God is not indif-
lferent to man. The Creator has an in
terest in the being He creates The per-
1 son created has certain duties to and
claims on the Being who created him.
| The relation between man and his
Maker we call religion. Religion, there
/ fore, is reasonable, for it seeks to es-
1 tablish right relations between man and
his Maker.
/ NO reasonable man will say that the
Creator has no interest in or claims
upon those He brought into being. No
reasonable man will say that man has
no duties to or claims upon the Being
who created him. Religion of some
kind is inevitable. Mans nature com
pels him to recognize a Creator. The
man who never thinks on his relation
to his Maker, who gives no thought
concerning the duties he owes to God. is
| llvlng an unnatural and unreasonable
| life. Reason as well as religion af-
firms that man should live in harmoni-
Gus relations with his Maker
| Inc most reasonable relationship thai
can exist between man and his Maker
is that Of love and duty. 1t is as rea-
sonable that God should love and care
for man as that father should love
and care for his child. 1t is as reason
able that man should love and obey
his Maker as that child should love
and obey wise, loving father. Es-
arrangement or indifference between 4
child and its parents is unnatural. The
man who is estranged from or indiffer-
ent toward his God and Father is liv-
ing an unnatural, unreasonable life and
needs to repent and return to God
| What is religion? What are the re-
quirements of religion? The various
definitions of religion that have been
given unite in assuming that a certain
relation exists between man and his
Maker. They all teach that God has
certain care for and claim upon man,
and that man has certain duties to and
claims upon God Jesus was teacher
of religion. He taught that mans
Maker was wise, loving Father who
desired good and did good to all His
children. He taught as did the proph-
cts before Him that the relation be-
tween God and man should be such as
exists between loving parent and
dutfful child. Religion as thus taught
is simple and reasonable. Men are to
revere, trust, love and obey their Crea-
tor. Religion is summed up in the
prayer: Our Father who art in heaven.
hallowed by Thy name Thy kingdom
come, Thy will be done on earth as it
is in heaven. Give US our daily bread