Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-03-03

men and we have lost EXPIRES. Har-
rison and Pres. Mckinley. Both of
these men had for years been a tower
of strength to our nation, each one
had been guided by wisdom from on
high, marvelously guided. The death
of Pres. Mckinley coming in so
tragic way seemed like a loss too
great to be borne. But while we can
not thank God for taking from our
nation two such great men, vet we
must recognize that our nation to-
day is more Christian, that it has
higher ideals and purposes even,
than at the beginning of the year 1901.
Our loss seems to have been the
means of strength. We see that our
mission is to go wherever men are
weak, oppressed and downtrodden,
and to protect and strengthen and
bring to them the blessings of right
eOusness. And now our Secretary of
State announces that it is the inten-
ton of our government to use the
Golden rule as the basis of it's deal
ings with other nations. 1t is the
first time that great nation has ever
tried to use the Golden Rule in it's
dealing with others.
AS we turn, very briefly, to the
spiritual attitude of Christianity, the
first thing that attracts our attention
is the higher type of life demanded by
the Christianity Of to-day. We are
often told that our Christianity is not
as sincere and pure as in the past.
that the church is not even holding
its own, that individuals are not living
as perfectly as did their fathers and
grandfathers. There is often the cry
heard that Christian people, the
Christian church ought to go back to
the purity and the faithfulness of the
early church, especially of the church
in the time of the Apostles. But it is
a happy thing for us that we do not
go back to the Christianity of the
Apostolic age, or of any age since the
time of the Apostles. Distance often
lends enchantmeut, and it is so in the
character of Christianity. One who
reads carefully the New Testament
finds things in the earliest churches
which he does not want to find o-day.
In spite of the influence ofsuch man
as Paul there were many things in the
churches which he founded which
would not moment be permitted in
any decent church in America. In
many an age since the time of Paul all
that has been considered necessary to
make one a Christian was to be con-
nected with some Christian body.
The life did not count for anything.
Christianity to-day means that a man
must believe something, but it also
means that he must live out this be-
lief in his daily life. If one claims to
believe in Christ he must Iiye Christ
like life or he is not a Christian. The
Christianity of to-day must refine, ell
evate, purify. The Christian must be
a man who controls his temper, a man
who controls his tongue; he must be
man who loves not himself, but
others; a man who is not seeking his
own advancement but that of others;
he must be man who believes in
other men, not simply that they ought
to be saved, but that they are worth
saving, who believes it 80 thoroughly
that he does all in his power to save
them; he finds time to help others
and bless them; he finds time and
opportunities to let the Christ life
shine forth from his, so that men see
ing him shall know that the Christ is
dwelling within him; he rejoices in
the privilege of giving of his means,
however small or great, that others
may have the knowledge of God
which he possesses. OF course not
every one who bears the name of
Christ is all this, we are all imperfect.
But that is the type of Christian that
is demanded to-day, and if a man is
not of this type he has no right to
pose as leader in the church or as
one vitality interested in Christian
activities. The purest forms of
Christianity thatithe world has known
are found to-day. And more people
are living this Christ life than ever
before.
Christianity means that all of
mans faculties are made Christlike
A Christian is one, not of the heart
simply, but of the head as we'll. To-
day we consider it the natural, not
the unnatural thing to come to Christ
And coming in this way the religion
is not simply emotion, but is that
which lies down deep in the nature,
that which conquers and controls all,
even the expression of the feelings.
The Christianity of to-day is not so