Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-10-15

Al part upon SJIenRln VI COIlN tIlOl.
To-day the pendulum has swung to the
other extreme. We are in day when
mischievous moral malaria steals subtly
into the fiber of st.ong cndeavor. The age
is drunk with materialis.L, the south wind
blows softly, and multitudes are enervatcd
by its soothing touch. Some would seem
to think that in this day the towers Of a
lofty Christian life and character and of
the great splendid structure of the. king
dom of God are going to leap up in the
night like .Jonah's gourd; that we arc
going to wake up some fine morning to
find the building miraculously finished,
without our cndeavor. to the ..rret-stone.
Understand me, the heart of the church
still beats strong and true, but great
masses of nominal Christians are in a To-
tus-eating atmosphere, listless, Idle, unac-
complishing.
Toeraton is long advance from intol-
erancc, but toleration easily becomes in
difference, and both are utterly made
quate to express the ideal relationship be-
tween bodies of Christs followers. Toer-
those who would thus cruelty the Christ
afresh! "Like mighty army moves the
church of Cod" shoulder to shoulder,
heart beat answering to heart beat, steps
swinging in time to the martial music OF
the church militant and the church trum-
phant "Like a mighty army moves the
oeulen e ol uoo ~ tb opo,os tho a., Of thc
Vi c"h,ie'i9l' pi' I"o,. ~ .mc 80 tho
leSin,enI' l'v nag " ~. 10y ~ ,,l';to
STANDARD OF .ne "u.,o,,'''a' 20 th Inu ho.+ tLo
banner u 'ne Lnpe",n " -" tlo "e1;t eaihfnI
non'1..nnuel ", ."J %,i' o,,d " otorn,1' Nnf
!he hns, oinl'.Potcns a'1,. W. ;ifor.
encc, but fellowship is the rallying cry,
and we may believe that it finds a symna-
thctlc choru III e'eis "e'i' u '"'' s'e"'
coi'p""!, n,
A good beginning has been mAdc. reu-
Grafton Is fcIoWship put ihlo nracticc'
Federation OF churches ana or 'hfiI,iah
worl lscrs has ceased to he dream; IL IS
far from uncommon to-day, IN single com
munites. in countess IN states. Lev me
indicate very, few OF the ines rn Wnch have
heen shggcstsu ana pctnd; io'enmv" nomss 81 81
q given community, resulting IN rell9ious
directory, showing church ana AunnaV-
school membership ana attehdancc; ,n'lS-
tian citizenship rhortS, including tnoSc
against the iega'lzed saloon; ana aGa'nSt
the dissertation and annlmlaton OF the
day OF rest, hulWark OF our NATIONAL ne
now thrown down and trampled IN lhr
dnst-our bret hron under otner hallo'att
flags are not Tree from the bitterness W
'"'' "'0"!''' " ,,'''i .'' ell
preservation, or the securing OF an 1ueaI
public school system; where 1t can pc done
wise direction OF donomlnat;onal enter
prlse@ IN the way OF the founding OF heW
churches, thus tending to economy OF el
fort and wise stewardship OF resource nut
chiefly. chiefly; cooperation IN me WAL
invauabIc work OF the church universal III
cva,ngciUa.lon., tins ah'yr everything t'sr
the joining hands OF tGose VINO hGiipVr
that the world Is lost wltho"t ',cNnS '.nr'SI
in harmonious and loving .telloWShin, OF
action ior the world 5 saivaNon. IN aIi OF
these endeaavorS we may work toGe.npI'
our hearts heating as one IN our common
love and loyalty to our common 1"rd'
Let me suggest two thongntS Which may
strengthen us IN our fciioWshlp. -.
tirst-Ihc enemies OF CHRIS, end Ills
followers are neither dead nor sIccplhG'
Luther SAID, as a TG,,nT'Scn'ati9h OF the
church IN his day: Nho WorIa pant
picture of the present condition OF the
wilderness. or IN some desert, pace ana
round about hcr let MN hTure Mons whose
eyes are Caring upon he, and whose
mouths are open to dcvour her substance
and her beauty. That IS the natura! con
dilion OF the church. .Nhcn the church
in that age, in tbs age, IN 2nT age, lS 'in!y
alive, and Is fuIilIIln. h[@r destiny she wiz,
find about her, a. OF o'd: men mo'c cruci
than rayIr"on8 beasts. me EmHSpc! means
battle. 1t ~ rightly on the offensive, NOT
he defensive. he Gosncl divides, when
it il manifested in = .dlSrIp'e whose en-
hodving of the gosncl is strong enough to
divide anything, The b'orE, viii bear at
most unmarked the edge OF an axe han
died by the feeh'r tn"crS of an infant, but
the axe goes cieaving through the wood
when the edge comes down under the
sweeping power Of a strong mans arm
True, multtudcs Of nominal ChrlStIanS
live, on most amlab,e terms WIN @ ,nr
world. and know ncNt to nothing OF any
trihulation or opposition orcaSioned by
their profession OF Christianity. But that
is not because there is any real alteration
in the consequences OF close union with
Jesus. 1t is because their uniol is so very
slight and superficial. The world loves its
own. and what can it find to hate in, the
shoals of people whose religion is confined
to their tongues mostly and has nothing to
do with their lives? 1t mas not ceased to
hn a hard thing to be real and thorough
Christian.
TO he sure, opposition finds different
foes to-day than in some other days. You
know TO what lengths II has gone. The
Inquistion, the massacre Of st. Bartholo-
mcw, the reign Of Philip II. of Spain, the
Duke of Alva with his satanic deeds in the
Netherlands. the ireS OF Nmllh'eiu, thcS',
are not 50 far in the past that mists of
oblivion have shrouded them. Bat let
ns understand, nv fellow Christians. that
the world and the fesh and the devil are
against (nristian building and Christian
living still. JUST as they always were.
I do not believe in people looking for
trouble, searching for some one who will
consent to Dcrsccute them. but have an
ilro that the sting of Smithfeld fires and
Tho wrenchne of Torouemada's rack, if
those experiences could he reneatcd, might
correct some vagaries of modern theology.
ne +hnndering summons of the enemy
Mt the door might be wholesome anti
Jote 81" for 'eo some Conditions in our churches
cf'e Of o.dav t There Is something in the call
to battle. battle for cause which is
richt"ous and supremeIy worthy, which
stirs the deenest and the best in us. Is
il true that there is today little of the
heroic in religion to appeal to men? Alas
wv