Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-09-03

tan through the power OF lhat WIN,
, But what is conscience apart from religion!
In many cases it is a slave ir,tead of
master. The power of passion browns It's
voice and weakens it by every deliberate
sin. A man believing in the existence o,
no higher authority will DRIFT upon the
current of his animal nature, for those ten
denotes which are strongest will eventually
ensave him. No. without living ta'th IN
God or personal union with Him the con
science loses its power to govern ana gulde,
but religion clothes it with exceeding
strength by revealing to man the source OF
those magnificent moral attributes with
which he is endowed. thus giving to that
"stil small voice" within the soul IN inf
mite worth.
There is not heart but has some con
ccption OF higher life than it now feels.
Every young man and woman at the gate
way of responsible" is fired with enthusl
asm and ambitious with a great purpose
which they long to accomplish; going out
currents. within and without. the tendon
cies of their lower nature and temptations
to sin clothed with beguiling fnery. Crises
will arrive when the future will b, deter
mined Moments of dire peril fraught
with tremendous responsibility. They will
then feel the need of higher power,
greater strength than their own to thwart
Vne enemy OI TeCllluue. ne tdi VI pulc
manhood and womanhood shining before
them will appear unattainably beyond
their reach. lost forever. How, then, can
they safeguard against this dread eyper-
fence which has blighted many promising
young lives which, unable to stand against
the waves of adversely have sunk helpless
and despairing! ! answer, BY being rellg.
ious. Religion alone can give them that
victory which crowns life complete III
,,1,,o, thc,,, ipt 70 l;ront mn,
nicaton with God. whose delight is that
they should become worthy to share His
glory Temptations will surely come. but
religion gives them a new meaning: they
are but reminders of the existence of q
Father who ever waits to aid and sustain,
and, as blessings IN disguise they carry
messages of an infinite love for every ind.
yidual SOUL proc,aiming 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 / sprang from the
bosom OF the eternal Father. That as He
is eternal 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 destiny whose divine splendor startles
and ovrrpowcrs our weak conception OF its
glory The Word OF God calls INTO being
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 inconceivablo
grandeur and beauty, scaling heights OF
happiness beyond the dream of angels. The
incomprchenslhle destiny of living soul
loyal to God and duty brings our faces to
the dust when we consider that this is our
heritage: YOU and ]. with all our weakness,
conquerng death and the power of moral
evil
In the midst OF the trifing follies of the
world. the conceit OF fashion. the DEGREES
OF a thoughticss society. and the whlrl OF
vapid pleasures. let Us keep this thought
like burning fire within the brain-the
thought OF God, holiness and heaven.
Brethren. allow the character OF your
heavenly Father As revealed by Jesus
Christ to stand hctole YOU as the goal OF
all 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,
ancr OF God He heholdS His handiwork
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 dsccrns a living expression of
His g.orN. Thus by contemplating and
adorins His haniiwork III the natural
world without and the spiritual world
within. a Christian is given grace to subdus
all things unto the one great end of moral
growth. True religion j. not belief in
set of doamas, or the recitation OF a creed
or profession of faith: these are but the
accessories III particular attitude toward
n but infinitely moro than this
il is the lie giving breath Of the spirit of
God which rules. not certain relations. but
all correspondence of the heart. soul and
body with the Creator and with fellow
men.
There il no Limitation TO the exercise Of
the intellect. vet without a moral principle
to guide and enlivhten its research. there
can be no advance in the path of truth
Many of the greatest thinkers have died
atheists Religion gives to intellect an
added mower of ANALYSIS and discrimina.
ton. medium whereby we discern truth
Ii PAGES the mentality of man in commu
MON with infinite knowledge. Gifted
with the eve of the spirit" tae glory of
God streams upon the page OF history and
every DEPARTMENT of scientific research tes
tifies to His perfection and wondrous love.
The mind of the most brilliant 7rholar will
only see in phenomena natural results
Religion alone has power to permcatc bls
work with mavn,fiCpnt meaning There i,
n hidden wisdom only revealed to the child
of new birth" who has had A Snecial
and individual revelation Of the Father
RELIGION crowns intellect with A deem in.
sight INTO the MYSTERIES ri lie The earth.
sea and skv, the comp,eN organism OF 80.
history OF nations ali these things shine