The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-01-22
Zeal for CO..

Zeal for Co.
Zeal for God is the highest express
ion, the very essence of religion. With
out it there is no religion-only human |
morality and kindness and aspiration,
and endeavour. It's the great COM
mandment IL was the distinguishing |
quality OF the chosen religious people,
the nation Of Moses and Elijah and the
Prophets and the Apostles, and of
Christ, after the flesh.
1t has been the distinguishing charac- |
terstic Of all religious reformers. Such |
men have ever been linen Of God, ~ not /
Of men:-ElUah, John the Baptist,
Luther, Calvin, Knox, Wesley To |
them mems attitude towards God was
the supreme concern. For Gods King |
dom they were willing TO die-and to
call on others to die to die cheerfully, |
exuhantly. In all this they but follow
ed Jesus. Tear cut the eye, rather than
SIN; cut of the hand rather than sin.
If any man would be my disciple let
him take up his cross and follow be-
hind me. He that saveth his life shall
lose it. If any man is ashamed Of me
and my words, Of him shall the son OF
man be ashamed. Rejoice to suffer for
God and His Kingdom.
So soon as religion begins TO lose this
high loyalty, so soon is it already be-
ginning to die. God is pushed aside,
and Courtesy, Friendliness, Honesty,
the Second Commandment, not the
First, is made supreme. God is de-
throned and humanity is made the
most high pat once the essential Of re-
ligion is gone. Doctrines about God
and His Kingdom become little regard
ed. Men say: "He is good neighbour
honest, polite, sensible, kind-what
matters it whether he be Methodist
Catholic, Jew, Mohammedan,-or no
thing?n Truly, little, if there is no
God to be taken into consideration.
"What matters it whether he worships
Baal or Jehovah? Elijah, you were a
fanatic PAUL, Luther, Calvin, Knox,
We Miss les all-ye are nuisances,
brin1 Trouble, settlers Of fathers
agaits sons, and sons against fathers,
diysders of families, turner's Of the world
upside down. Away with you Let
people be kind and honest; be good hus-
bands, nelghbors, citizens, aud them
YOU let things alone What difference
do their belief make?" So men speak,
so thousands more feel IN their hearts.
But; brothers, no religious teacher was
ever man Of that stamp.
Decadent is an age that does not
preach about God. In decline is a
church that does not preach its dis
tinctive doctrines about God aud His
Kingdom. If the doctrines are wrong,
let them be abandoned, and spoken
against; if they are right, let them be
proclaimed and explained, for, If they
were doctrines plain to all, they would
not be distinctive doctrines; If they are
uncertain, then, ifofimportance enough
to divide the church, or be made a bar
rier to any that might wish to enter,
they should be talked about and studi-
ed and preached about
No branch Of the Church seems to
/, me to stand for God so unequvocally
as does the Presbyterian. They, es-
pecially. exalt God as the object Of uu-
=. questioning loyalty and obedience. Yet
they by their doctrines, not their lives,
do cause men to course God and die
to be unable to feel love or reverence fol
I God; to feel that He is partial and IN
, just.
Sad charge, if true and due to theil
fault. They do drive away many they
do shut the gates Of Gods Camp
against many. They are not success
ful in winning recruits for Gods Army
No wonder:-They can't tell any body
thst God wants him. they can't tel
{ anu body that God has made it possible
for him to come; they can't tell d9
{ body that God will let him come.
If their doctrines are right, then lie
/. them stand like men and proclaim
them. But if they are not right, anC
. they can't be right, such doctrines can
be right-then let them not post then
= all around the Camp, Christs camp, no
lust theirs, for they belong to Him an'
" His Army, and are His true soldiers
y Let them reflect that what they pos
; up, they are posting up in Christ
Camp aud that Of His whole Church
" If they and We cannot help sinners
ret them and US all 20 in sad and hum
: BILE prayer to Him that loved the World
'' to Him that came to seek and to saw
them that's are lost; to call sinners not. tn
righteous to repentance. His arm ]
- shortened. The fault is in ourselve
= and in the "sinners. Yes, We tina
may be classed rs "sinners," "Ho'
y shall We escape, if we neglect so grea
- salvation % We despise the Low
" and mercy and long-sullerng Of God
20 and lust love to criticise Us poor Chris
i ians. who, at any rate, are trying
Il serve GOd2
o Nav our Father help us ALI
~. RICHARD NJ. SMITH.
Herald and n. Y. World, Sl6O.