Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-05-19

tested in frequent erupto,s of furious or
CYNICAL law,essness. Religion, COMPOUNDED
with dogma or ritual is he'd by many in
! little esteem, and the church is neglected
by thousands who once gave it their sup
| port aud by thousands more who, in the
natural course of life, should be among its
supporters. In the churches there Is
lack of spiritual fervor and a decline of
, faith in God.
! | think that I have not mis-stated the
actual conditions With no faint of pess
mism in my mood; on the contrary, with
| high appreciation Of all the good IN the
present life of our country, | am forced to
the conviction that there Is great need now
| of revival of true religion. What does
this mean? What is the religion a revival
of which we need? 1t is great and CON
trolling sense of God, as the Creator, Sow.
crcign, Father and Saviour of the soul
The nineteenth century was distinguished
bv the emergencies of new and deeper
sense of the worth of man. This dramatic.
ally began in the upheaval of the French
Revelation. 1t was manifested in the
growing demand for popular liberty, in the
rise of the workingman IN the extension
Of political suffrage, IN the development OF
popular education. in the rapid growth OF
| the Sunday school, in the spread OF the
missionary spirit, in new care tor emil
dren, in prison reform, in the breaking
down of religious eXclusiveness and the
tyranny of dogma, and IN many other
ways. The twentieth century calls for,
fresh awakening of the sense of God as the
source and law and goal of human exist
cncc. both individual and social
We need a reperccption of the reality OF
God in the word Avowed atheism. the
positive denial of God, is rare; practical
atheism is common. Many men have not
God I'm all their thoughts They have a
widened idea of law in the universe: but 1t
is vague and impersonal. They need to re-
alize afrcsh the integrity of the divine gov.
crnmcnt There is divine government OF
the world-a government that makes for
good and against evil. that is the tounda.
ton and source of all Just human law, that
i the ground of individual and social re.
sponsbi,itv and that rewards righteous
ness and Furnishes wickcdncss.
This sense Of God as a sovereign must
he vtalizcd ly the sense OF God as the In
finite Person. 1t seem to limit the hl'
vine Being by using terms that are prop
cry app,icabe only to finite being and hu.
man modes of thought, it is to be SAID
that the term personality does not neceS-
sariiy imply any limitation. We must think
of God under forms OF our own rational
and moral being and our very nature de-
mands the answer of a divine person TO
tho persistent and illimitab.c needs OF the
human person.
For a time many have lost the personal
God in mpcrsonal law and lmperSonai
force The divine immanence is graSped
in a way that excludes the Complementary
idea of transccndencc. There cannot he
real transcendencc without personality.
The being who thinks and wills and loves,
even in finite limits, is greater than an I'M
personal universe Man is greater than
! God. if God be only law. But he Graves
deity whom he can revere and trust ana
love with al the force of persona beng
As the mind needs and demands the fun
damental conception of unity IN order to
rational Interpretation of the world; as
. the conscience reeds and demands the
.onsc of universal and in>lo'ahIe law, 50
the heart needs and demands the con-
! SuiousntSs Of a perfect and responsive
p1odncss-the Almighty Performances.
ing and exercising compassion. love ana
providence and revealing Himself IN com
munion with His child. These expression.
must have vivid meaning as expressions OF
reality. The rule of God is IN aud over the
,,ul. as well AS in and over the material
word. and this rue is the manifestation
o. God as the Holy Spirit.
We need A renewed sense OF the realtv
, Of revelation as past and present comm"
u,caton Of the divine Will to man A mere
| historic God is remote and ineffective. lie
| ,ruSt be contemporary. IL lie spoke once
| l'r must still speak; not IN ways OF thco'
phany and miracle. but in ways that are
authentic and authoritative To conscious
ness This does not invalidatc historic
revelation. but it clears II OF error ana con
, fusion. Jesus represents and cmbodle'
( 10th He knew the historic revelation a.
if was cvprcsscd in the life and literature
Of the Hebrew people, and IN some meas
rre formed His thought on MS dISGI"snTtS
ni the divine nature and VIII. but ne
Lney also its defects and limitations, ard
lie knew God Immediately, as man may
,yritimatc'y and naturally know HIM. be,
! cause lie is Gods child. 50 there IS need
Of a new sense of Jesus As man III tuII com
! munion with God.
Finally, we need a new sense OF the re-
ality of the soul. Once men ignored the
body, save as they INDUCED or abused IT,
We have come to appreciate It's Importance
and to care for 1t III countess WAYS hu' IL
buks too large on our view. 1t IS not an
end hut an instrument. The soul Is III an
organism. but is not 1t nor mere anu
rnre from it, The soul is the man. Ter
Sonalitv Is the GROWING TACT. III means
| knowledge, power, character, immortality.
IL man is only cunning organism he
needs and asks no immortality. but' oe'
cause he is a persona spiritua' pe'he'
with power to think and will and love,
with memory and forecast, with unmeaS'
ured capacity for JOY and sorrow, WITH
sense for truth and Righteousness and Hou
in his best moments he requires MINOR
tality that he may have scope adequate 10
! his consciousness OF power, actual or az
tainable. and he takes his hunger for 1t a.
! Gods assurance that the promise OF pres
ent experience will have tnihlmeht III the
future In his baser moments, having eN'
haustcd his body by labor or by diSSlpa-
L., IL. rr WEAKNESS