Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-06-04

INV dear fellow. r am sorry You have fall
len down there. II you could only get
out Confucius would show YOU how to WALL
so that you would keep out" Then Brah
min sees him and says, 81 am sorry, hut
there is no help for you; you never eau get
out. The only chance for you is to tat
into an eternal sleep and forget your ms
cry" Next comes Mohammedan, whe
SAYS. "I am so sorry to see YOU there, bu'
Allah is Just, and you deserve 1t. lie !
not merciful, and You will never get out
Last comes a Christian, who says, 81 my
self have been down there. [ tumbled dowI
there once. I know Just how you can &C.
out" And he gets q rope and pulls thu
man out of the hole and puts his feet upool
rock. That is the difference between itht
Christian and the PAGAN religions. 1M
Christian religion is the only religion II
the world that offers to help men out O.
the burden of their sins and the conse
uuences of their misery. But, o; the PIT!
Of it, men don't want it. Napoleon said
"Scratch Russian, and you will find
Tartar" Scratch Christian and You vii
find a pagan. II seems 10 me that Chris
tian congregations are full of paganlsm.
receive letters every week from men and
women who never vet have learned thai.
they have made a blunder or committed
sin, and perhaps involved others IN peri
because of their mistake, God can take carr
Of it all, and they can trust Him to help
Helpfuness is the secret of Christian the
ology. So it is The secret OF our Christian
ritual, 1t is at the heart of all worship
We come to church, not driven by fear o.
compelled by custom, and not by conVlo
lion. Why? Not to be entertained by al
amusing lecture. Then, why? At the hear
Of it all is this: Some sense OF the truth
that message that God is love and that
somehow or other, we are dependent OF
His love and have had something iron
His love, and we want to give Him some
thing in return. do not say that IS tru'
Of ali, but still if it were not for the sens'
of the love of God and the desire to b'
thankful the church would close its doors
and the chimes cease to ring. What is th'
Roman Catholic service? First confession
and then absolution. The same thing ~
the Episcopal service, and Of the Congre
gational We don't 60 into the confession
al; we don't stand up az priest pro
nounces an absolution, but ID. j. Moody az
truly preached absoluton as any Catholic
priest or Epscopalan rector. If you want
10 know what men believe, don't go to the
rreeds or catechsm. Go to the hymn
books. They express our faith and real ex
perience; they are our creed. sung oVe'
and over and over again. And what does
The hymn book say? ,
"Lovc divine, all love excclling.' "Ihanks
be to God who giveth lis the victory
Imagine, this Sabbath morning: citIzcr
pf Mars coming down and entering d,let
Int churches. He would go into Cathnlt
church and see the altar and the candles
md the robed priest and the incense, an 1'
he would saw, "What are you dong here
The answer would be-: 1--WE are here ttc
Worship the Lamb who hath redeemed us
I'm the Episcopal church he would see nc
candies and incense, and would again ask
.he question. The answer would he: wye
have come to praise the Lord Christ, vino
hath redeemed U.S." In the Congrcgat
Il, Baptist or Presbyterian church he would
what are yon doing hcre?' he asks, and
.he reply is: "Wc have come here to sing
The praise of the Man of God who hath re
deemed u.s." And in the Quaker meeting
house he would see no choir or preacher OF
service and hear no. singing. Dnt thry
would all be sitting still doing not hmg-ab
solutelv nothing. And their reply to the
lame question wouldbc: 1--WE are giving our
praise to Christ, who hath redeemed us by
His blood. We cannot find any utterance
which will express our gratitude, and we
ire simplv spcaking in the silence Of our
hearts" He would go back and say: They
we're all drawn together by sense OF
Gods love that had given His Son tor their
redempton." 1t is the love of God lhat
makes us one, and only that. | was once
N Catholic church in Paris and aite,
watching the service for a time ] walked
lround behind the altar and found there
service of deaf and dumb people, Inc ser,
rice was the same at heart; the love oil uod
inspiring the thanks of men,
remember an old English divine begin,
ming his sermon: 81 can do all things
md then saying. "That | deny. But let us
Zee. what is this: through Him that
strengthened me- All. that Is another
hing: that can do" 1t was a quaint way
bf putting it. but it made the text stick ia
nv mind, and | have never forgotten. 1t.
This is the secret of the power OF christian.
itv. Yon will find men say: Thou, shalt
love the Lord thy God with al my
strength" il the summary OF Christianity
FIAT il a mistake. Christ gave that as
The summary of the Jewish law, When
asked, ."What is the chief end Of the jew
ish law" He said. chou shalt love the
Lord thy God = and thy nctghbor az
Ihysclf," but when He was about to die tie
'eft as legacy to His disciples thus: "A
new commandment give ! unto You; tina,
yc love one another as have loved YOU,
How did He love us? lie laid down Ills
life for U.S. That is Christianity. Jud,nsm
4 justice, christianity iS sal IillNS' " H'
makes Christian nation? Not a creed
written in constitution. not an estab.
ished church, an organ or music. W nat
Mil make America a Christian nation! we
have about us dependent and inferior races.
Loving our ncighbor and the Filipino and
he negro and making them men-nothtng
Use will make us a Christian nation And
what makes a Christian church! Not flne
windows and music, but making the world
wiser and better, What would Christ 40
;or your employees and servants? Helpful
ness and service is Christianity; the heart
ind the centre and circumference of it.
All Christian theology, is summed up H. H.:
,nlv begotten Son" and all Christian ritual
IN the Psalm: blessing and honor and
glory and power to Him that stitch upon
xii Christian power is summed up in: II
ran do all things through Him that
strengthened me, and all Christian duty is
summed up in the one law: Love one an
other as have loved you"