Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-09-05

be Just good. quite as moral rs mrs
tan through the power OF that conscience.
But what il conscience apart from rclieIon!
In Inany cases il is slave ~ -tead OF a
astcr The power of passion browns its
voice and wCakens it by every deliberate
sin. 4 man believing in the existence al
no higher authority will drift upon the
current of his animal nature. for those ten
denotes winch are strongest viii eventually
ens'ave him. No. without a living faith in
God or personal union with Him the con
science loses its power to govern and smde,
but religion clothes ii with exceeding
strength hy revealing to man the source al
those magnificent moral attributes with
which he is endowed. thus giving to that
"still small voice" within the soul an inf
mite worth.
There is not heart but has some con
ception OF higher life than i; now feels
Every Young man and woman at the gate
way of responsibility is fired wit en husl-
assn and ambitious with greet purpose
which they long to accomplish: goin; ont
into the word they have to stem mighty
currents. within and without the tenden-
cies OF their lower nature and temptations
to sin clothed with hegiilng irery. Crises
will arriv" when the future viii b. deter
mined. Moments of dire peril fraught
with tremendous responsibility. Thcv VIII
then feel the need of n higher power.
greater strength than their own 10 thwart
manhood and womanhool shining before
them will appear unattainably beyond
their reach. lost forever. How. then. can
they safeguard against this dread eTper
fence which has hlichted many promising
young lives. which. unable to stand against
the waves OF adversely have sunk hc!p'ess
and despairiug: | answer, by beng reiic-
louS. Religion a.one can give them that
victory which crowns life complete N
Christ. 1t places them into direct conmu.
nicatio1 with God. whose delight is that
they should become worthy to share His
glory. Temptations will surc.y come. hut
religion gives them new meaning: they
are but reminders of the existence OF
Father who ever waits to aid aud sustain.
and. as blessings in disguise they carry
messages OF an infinite love fo- every indi.
vidnal soul. procaiming That virtue is the
beginning and the end OF holiness, the mar.
row road to perfection.
Another wonderful revelation of religion
asserts that you and | S;,ranc from the
bosom of the eterna, Father. That as lie
is eterna. we too shall live through endless
ages. created in His image. sustained by
His spirit. our life shall gather unto itself
magnificent growth. Religion sets before
us a destiny whose divine spendor startles
and overnowers our weak conception of its
glory. The Word of God calls INTO being
an amazing sense OF power. To think. my
brother and sister. that through aeons OF
time we shall be adding purity to purity,
love to love, knowledge to knowledge.
glory to glory, living forever in the pres.
ence of the immortal and infinite God. ris.
ing to spiritual planes OF inconceivab.e
grandeur and beauty. scaling heights of
happiness beyond the dream OF angels. The
incomprehensibc destiny of living soul
loyal to God and duty brings our faces to
the dust when We consider that this is our
heritage; yoa and ]. with all our weakness.
conquering death and the power of moral
evil.
In the midst of the trfiiug fol;es OF the
world. the conceit OF fashion. the DEGREES
OF a thoughtless society. and the whr. Of
vapid pleasures. let Us keep this thought
like burning fire within the hra;n-the
thought of God. holiness and heaven.
Brethren. allow the character OF your
heavenly Father as revealed by Jesus
Christ to stand before you as the goal of
al attainment. Religion gives us an ideal
and an incentive to reach it. by contem-
plating and really loving this excellence is
to be inspired by it. The Christian man is
always conscious of divine presence. In
every phase of his life he marks the guild
ance of God. He heholds His handiworl;
in every flower OF the field The hosts of
shining stars as they whirl through space
declare His majesty. and in the phenomena
OF nature he disccrns living expression of
His glory. Thus by contemplating and
adoring His handwork in the natural
world without and the spiritual world
within. Christian is given grace to subdue
all things unto the one grca. end az roral
growth. True RELIGION * not hc.jef in 4
set of doamas. or the recitation OF n creed.
or a profession of faith: these are but the
accessories of a particular at:itnic toward
truth. but it is infinitely more han this
il is the life giving breath of ;hc spirit Of
God which rules. not certain cations. but
81.
body with the Creator I'd with, fellow
men.
There is no limitation to tho exercise o.
the intellect. yet without moral principe
tn guide and en,ghten its rcscatch there
can be no advance i'll the path "f truth.
MANY OF the greatest thinkers have died
atheists. Religion gives to intellect an
added power OF ana,vsis an discrirnina-
ton. medium whereby we discern truth.
1t places the mortality of man in comrnu
MON with infinite know'cdge. Gifted
with the eve of the spirit" the glory of
Tod streams upon the page OF history aud
every DEPARTMENT of scientific research tes-
titles 10 His perfection and wordrous iove.
The mind OF the most brilliant scholar will
ONLY sec IN phenomena natural results.
Rch-ion alone has mower to pcrmcatc his
work magnificent meaning. mere Is
a hidden wisdom on V revealed to the child
OF new birth" who has had special
and individual revelation OF the Father.
Religion crowns ,nte,lccI with deem in.
sight into the mysteries OF lie The ea,th.
sea and sky. the com,ex organism OF 50.
cic;.'. the denths OF human nature. the
history OF rat'ous. al these things shine
with Il r"w lli>trr. and .,ood the mind with
profound incoming. \ b'adc of gross oe-
comes wor;hr OF study. Tor the Suprcmc
intellect has imprinted on It's fragile stem
divine thought Hnd action. In every hing
we see God. Under the bcnc;iccn; iaa,..
eroe OF His Sn rit car faculty OF cnmnre-
henson is rcbed with sacrcdness and gran.
dcrr. 10" He calls it forth to glorious
com'':""iHn and expansion. unit! one iav
it Shall fi..y understand the love which
nov plsso'h knowledge.
Trrc religion above MI things forms an
upright nina: il c.evatts the judgment
above fojudice. and creates noble pur-
pose to receive knowledge through a.! To-
gitlmate Charnc's. 1t ondows man with
sincerity end a quality of fair dealing
which 10 university can teach. 1t breaks
down he barriers of set opinions and de-
stroys the bitterness between sccts and
parties. 1t opens the heart to conviction
aud a ready candor to confess error. The
intellect was never intended to he bound
to set rules or encompassed with man-made
regu 'atioas. Its destiny is an upward. on
ward march toward truth. and true re!ig-
ion fashions all our INQUIRIES and misgiv-
ings with reverence and ever Ieade US 10
the feet of Him. with whorl there is no
variab.eness nor shadow of turning"
Fame il only lasting after man is dead.