The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-10-13

ton or natural laws. A man may In life
put himself In harmony with natural
laws and succeed. but shall he be able
TO do this in death. AYE, there's the
rub"
Consequently It is the hereafter that
confronts US that causes fear TO rise IN
the hearts OF the strongest
The Hebrew feared God lest he should
not receive something now which he did
want. The modern American fears God
lest he shall receive something hereafter
which he doesn't want. This is the con-
trast.
But there is this in common. Both con-
ceptions are alike selfish and neither be-
longs to the religion OF Jesus Christ. Yet
IL must be admitted that no small per
cent OF the men and women who profess
the name OF Jesus Christ profess II be-
cause of fear and thus disown their God
in endeavoring 20 follow Him These peo-
pie wonder too why they do not grow In
grace, which is. love. and In a knowledge
OF God. who is God OF love. love the
opposite OF fear.
THE BISHOPS QUESTION.
Richard Harding Davis In one Of the
best short stories In the English language,
entitled. The Other Woman" represents
young man going to q Bishop TO ask
the hand OF his daughter In marriage To
eic Qutseiou Oh the yOunG man the 6lSn-
op replies: III you knew that you had
but one month to live. and could be re-
lieved OF all responsibility here and here
after for your action would you choose to
live II with my daughter or some other
woman"
The young man refuses to answer. Let
US ask ourselves a similar question and
perhaps II will help us TO determine what
motive prompts US 70 come even to the
service OF this hour. II you knew that
you had but one year TO live and knew
that life hereafter would be the same for
you whether you devoted yourself to the
high principles OF the Sermon on the
our hearts would you choose Gods COM
mandments or your oft-times selfish
wishes.
We too. as the young man would prob
ably refuse to answer. II we were honest,
and by so doing give testimony that II
was not love OF God but fear OF God that
actuated our prayers. our worship and
our discipleship.
Yet we are in a position Just here to
state an untruth by accomplishing that
which rightly stated Is true. To say that
the religion that Ia nothing more than
fear is unchristian and cowardly Is true.
but To say or leave the impression that
there is no fear In the highest form Of
religion and that II has there no place Is
to state a falsehood.
Fear Is bone OF our bone and flesh Of
our flesh. As children we fear the dark.
II contains the unknown. the strange. The
same feeling in the minds OF the sailors
that accompanied Columbus well nigh de-
feated his plans, They were going farther
and farther into q region which. because
II was unknown and consequently remote
from their lives, was filled with all kinds
of terrors.
But after we have conquered the night
and girdled the globe fear remains.
MANIFEST IN DUTY.
1t is manifest In every duty. An obliga-
tion appears on our horizon that makes
US tremble. II is out OF line with our pur-
pose. 1t involves the setting aside OF our
selves that II may be accomplished. Moth
ing so charges US with genuine fear as
that We recoii from IL and cry out for
help. Such fear Is not necessarily the fear
Of a coward IL may be the fear OF cour-
age. The fear OF man OF insight who
sees his own weakness and the greatness
OF his duty.
Think you there was no fear IN the
breasts OF those sons OF New England at
Bunker Hill. They may not have feared
the advancing red coats but they must
have stood trembling and in awe before
the greatness Of the principle for which
they had given themselves and the vast
ness OF the task that would be required
to fulfil their purpose.
Violent arguments were they not so
tragic would oft-times appear TO the in
telligent observer as extremely comic.
Two men discuss some question OF poll
tics or religion; these are usually violent
discussions. and they honestly believe
that they are bitterly opposed. The Re
publican believes that the Democratic op-
ponent is. so far as his politics are con-
cerned. eternally and hopeiessly lost. The
Congregationalist grfeves over and prays
for his Unitarian friend who can not un-
derstand as ne does the extremely lucid
ard Indispensable doctrine OF the Trinity.
The ludicious aspect OF the discussion
90 an observer lies In the fact that he
sees that while 10 all outward appear
ances they radically differ yet at heart
both mean the same thing. The comedy
often manifests itself as kind OF last
act IN the tragedy when they cease 20 ar
que and begin TO define their terms and
discover that they both really think the
same way.
Two men might discuss the element Of
fear in religion end go farther and farther
apart. Let them define what they mean
by fear and perhaps their conception OF
the word is diametricaliy opposed. This
misunderstanding OF the meaning Of the
word and not fear Itself was the ground
OF their contention.
ANALYSIS NECESSARY.
Analysis II Just as necessary In theology
as IL is In medicine. For this reason a
dogmatic theolosian is OF Just as much
service TO an intelligent audience az
Christian Science was TO Mark Twain
with broken leg. The virtue is all on
the side OF Christian Science for IL is
willing 10 give absent treatment
For myself I prefer 20 take both my
Christian Science and Dogmatic theology
I'm this way