The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-03-23

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They contrast what they are with what
other men are. who pretend 10 be better
! and find themselves not wanting.
For sin has its Pharisaism as we'll as
self-righteousness and while some boast
! they are better than other men, others
take pleasure In the thought that they
still prefer sin and It's fruit to what they
term the hypocrisy and cant OF Christian
! living.
! There are many men who could not be
| persuaded 10 turn 10 the Bible or to re-
! ligious truth who finally are led to look
/ squarely at the facts OF life and see life
| as they are living 1t. No man can do this
and not have some conception OF life as IL
ought TO be lived. Sin takes a man away
and outside OF himself.
The prodigai we are told came to him
self. Not every man who comes 10 him.
self says i will arise and go TO my Faith
er; but every man who stops 10 reflect on
the swing OF his life has taken the first
step toward religion.
The consciousness that life ought To he
something that II is not is n religious
faith. II is one thing in which the man
lost In sin may believe II is a thing
which when believed with heart and soul
may lead him finally 10 a faith as long as
the Thirty-nine articles OF the Westmin-
ster Confession OF Faith.
There Is still n third class OF men which
constitutes large per cent OF the Chris
tan church. They are not the men who
have been lost in sin. redeemed in an
hour and then brought face to face with
their old doubts and temptations to be
tried again. Nor are they the men who
still grope in sin and for the most part
are satisfied. Men such as we all are do
Ing good and evil. Making mistakes.
Longing to do right yet occasionally do
ing the wrong.
EASY TO QUESTION.
How easy IT Is in this day for the aver
age thoughtful man mingling with the
world. coming in contact with men who
make no profession OF religion, yet men
who had upright moral lives. to question
how much after all faith In Christ has to
do with uprightness and honesty.
There is not a man here who could not
recall some man whom they have known
who is just as good as he is yet who has
had nothing To do so far outward ap-
pearances arc concerned, with the things
OF the spirit. Train the boy I'm the way he
should go. Instil I'm him as best you can
the principles of Jesus Christ. Lead him
step by step into the church yet you are
conscious that the time will come when
thrown in contact with a busy world he
will be exposed TO temptation. yes: but he
Will be exposed to more than that
Look about you. Thousands OF young
trained In the church yet who gradually
sever themselves from IL and have moth
ing 10 do with IL. They do not become i'm
moral. They do not cease to believe in
the cardinal virtues. Such men consti-
tute large part OF the best citizenship
OF this city.
IL is no surprise therefore that wide
awake youth sees these things and says
can do well without the church as
other men. or what value is Il after all7
This has appealed at times to all OF us It |
constitutes one of the dangers Of Chris
tianity at the present time with the de- !
cay OF dogma and the perpetuation of a |
creed we are ceasing to have anything
distinctive.
We are preaching life and when we con-
trast the life of the world with the life |
of the church II is not always to our ad- /
vantage. In our own denomination today /
what Is there that charscterizes Il from 4
other denominations. What principle do |
we stand for. We began with n protest |
for liberty. The battle has been fought /
and won. Why protest longer?
One thing, however. the world forgets. /
Youth does not appreciate. few OF us
stop TO recall and that IL the all prevail /
ing fashion In which the ideal life of
Jesus Christ has entered into human so
ciety.
The outlook for organized Christianity
may not be bright yet who can measure
tnc lnnuenCe or the one restraining mower
In the life OF the world. The influence OF
that one thing that stands before every
man in the hour OF his temptation and
that mocks him I'm his sin. The picture OF
the Christ. The ideal OF his own manhood.
The possibilities OF his own living II is n
life ideal
If we are to preach life rather than
dogma and creed; II that IL to be the bur
den of the message from the pulpit In the
future then the value OF the church to
society Will be measured by the contrast
with which the sworn adherents of Jesus
'hrist lived that life with passion and
as opposed To the lukewArm-
ness and half-heartedness of the world.
~ is not that we believe too much as We
profess our beliefs In our creeds ~ is be-
cause We do not believe enough I'm one
faith ~ W.
our missionary zeal Is a farce II will
be so until we become so infused with
he spirit of Jesus Christ a. 20 Law hold
" the men and women about us rather
han content our souls and ease our CON
sciences with paying somebody we do not
know 10 help some one we do not know
10 something which We know nothing
about.
SHOULD BELIEVE MORE.
We should believe more n we believed
ess ~ we believed one thing with all
'ur nehrts ana souls and put our lives
rto " and did e. Pick out something
'ou verify believe and put your hands
% IL and work IL and see how your faith
md lie VIII expand. Your doubts will
hen take care of themselves and solve
themselves BY being swallowed up I'm a
working faith.
II would do us all good 10 take an
inventory OF our faiths and scatter our
'eliefs about nv looking for one that
vas real and vital some things never