The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1900-12-22


It is easy to ning an eDithet at "the
world and to cry out against its
fashions and follies But it is not so
easy to take just and discriminating
view OF the great social system that
spreads out on every side about us
like an intricate network, SO that its
advantages viii be utilized and its
perils avoided. The Christian position
is clearly describable in the familiar
phrases In the world vet not ia it."
and Using the world. not abusing it.s
The Christian man is not out of rela-
tions with the world but is in very
real sense In touch with the world.
The winning phase Of Christianity is
not the ascotic but the social type.
Al the same time the Christian is to
be in touch with the world for the
distinct moral purpose Of making the
world better In his lesser way the
believer must do what the Master did
IN His greater way, and that is touch
away the sin with which socially he
comes in contact And as the very
first condition OF success in such az
gressiye redemptive effort It is neces-
sary Of course that the individual
Christian believer keep himself un-
spotted from the world even while in
the world. Tho intricate social net
work, fair and fascinating though ii
be, must not be allowed to enmesh the
feet Of the pilgrim to better land. So
far as worldly relations are a hind
rance rather than help they should
be stamped upon and broken. An
heir Of a kingdom in the skies cannot
suffer his spiritual liberty to be curbed
by any cords Of circumstances. even
though they be silked cords.
But while the church from the first
has been Obliged to warn It's members
against worldliness, and while the sue
cumbing Demases have been many In
every century. it does not appear to
be the case that IN this age the attrac-
tions Of the world are Of a peculiarly
alluriug sort. fairly bewildering in va
riety and most subtle in their power to
appeal, not only 70 the classes most
naturally supposed to be coarse and
vicious, but even to natures more finely
organized. So diverse and engrossinr
are the enterprises and engagements
Of modern life as seemingly 70 can for
and absorb a mans every energy In at
teaiion to the things which do appear.
Yet there e. constant danger lest.
about in proportion as tie outlook
upon the material interest is broad
ened, the spiritual horizon Of the man
De contracted The thorough-roinr
man Of the world IS a man who lives
among the hedges. SO engr0ssed with I
his own little patch of earth as not 4
to be able to see over tha high bound /
aries with which his own narrowness 4
Of soul has surrounded him. and it IS /
to men Of his class that the ministry /
cnioincd 10 Luke xiv. p IS to be dir
rected.
We are reminded q This connection +
o. the episode recorded Ia Second sam
uel where it is said regarding tho
fleeing host discomffted at the great /
battle IN the forest OF Ephraim that
the wood devoured more people that
day than the sword devoured World
Illness is great wood and those who
once fairly enter is trackless depths.
rarely again see the sunlight Of Gods
clear day. The forest Of Ephraim OF
old was probably fun Of pitfalls and
bogs into which the Seeing Isrseiitss
stumbled. never to rise. So today the
labyrinth q worldly activities Is so
tense and impossible As TO render the
'oul once abandoned 10 Sc depths use
less Tor the purposes OF Gods king
lem. and the easy prsy Of pursuing
emptation- The only sure salvation