The Penn's Grove record., 1904-11-25

how to reach the masses-while I want
TO hear (and never do hear)-about the
fundamental, elementary principles OF re-
liglon. Is man immortal? is there a God,
and if so, why does He leave US in doubt?
what IS the Christian religion reduced to
Its simplest expression? / am sick Of plati-
tudes, evasions and glittering generalities.
L want to be treated with sincerity. I
want 70 hear the simple truth, not as to a
little child" but as to a grown man, wh0
must reason as well as feel, q man who
has sinned and suffered and now fam
would find a safe anchorage for his soul
IN this sea OF doubt and trouble"
The editorial article written in answer
to this communication breathes the spirit
OF Him who went to His disciples in the
storm with which they were battling on
Galilee. II says very little about the
troublesome questions the man has raised.
1t takes God and the soul for granted. IL
reduces religion to its simplest terms and
lets 1t go at that for the present. Whether
1t has accomplished anything for the
storm-tossed correspondent / do not know.
But l do know some whom it has helped
and others whom it is likely to help. Men
OF whose spiritual vicissitudes / have some
knowledge have spoken of it with graft
tude.
The narrower method OF sectarian. dog
matte insistence is p%erilous. The existence
OF a denomination may depend upon the
observance OF the seventh day of the week
as the Sabbath. But it is a ruinous thing
Tor a young person to get the idea that the
existence of GOD Is wrapped up in that
dogma and that he might as well abandon
the religious life altogether as 70 let that
dogma go. 1t has been an element Of de-
nomlnatlonal strength to have certain fixed
ideas with reference to the proper mode
and subjects of baptism. But it is a spirit
ual misfortune If a young Baptist has not
a pastor wise enough to tell him, If he lets
go this doctrine. that religious life IS quite
possible without it. 1t is possible to cher
lsh and to insist on views of the Bible. the
modification of which seems to some. when
they find it necessary, to threaten the verb
foundations of their faith in God.
Religion is an affair Of the soul and God.
TIT Bible, the church, the creeds, the sac
raments are designed to serve the soul and
God in this high and holy relationship.
God has a life in the souls Of men which
these means are meant to promote and
never to hinder. They do not come be-
tween the soul and God. Some sweet old
mystic has said: "The eye by which / see
God Is the same eye by which He sees me-"
And we may say, also: The longing with
which We long for God is the longing with
which He longs for US. The love with
which we love Him is from fhe fountain Of
His love for US" In a relationship which
is the sharing, the identity of life, what
room Is there for intermediary means. and
MINISTRIES? We have precious documents.
precious doctrines, precious acraments and
ordinances. But 1t is not they hat give
life to the soul. They do minister richly
to that life. but it is, as it were. from
without that they minister. If the soul
ever really knows God at all, it knows Him
as it knows itself. The soul is sure of it.
self. BY the same sort of gertrude it is
sure of God.
Don't get the idea that YOU can prove
the existence of God. Some day you may
fall in with a man who is a better reasoner
who will take the other side. Then. if YOU
really think you believe in God because
you can prove that He exists. you may find
your faith badly shaken. Every one that
loveth is begotten of God and knoweth
God. He that loveth not. knoweth not
God; for God is love-" We know God with
that immediate kind of knowledge with
which we know the feelings of our own
hearts. If it is possible for us to love. 1t is
possible for US to know God and to know
that we know Him. And John tells Us
that the proof there is a God and to be
known and that we know Him, is the same
kind of proof, the very same proof, that
VS. must give, if we say that we love. T.
Luke tells us how Jesus sent out seventy
vi Alls AAcEiEfltS " QO III III Llt AOhAS OF
Galilee as they had seen Him do. They
healed the sick. They preached the gospel
Of the kingdom. Men and devils gave heed
to them. They returned to Him with
great JOY to tell Him all. As He listened
to them, as He looked into their faces, He
rejoiced. They had understood Him. i
was then that He said: Il thank Thee. o
Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth. that
Thou didst hide these things from the
wise and prudent and didst reveal them
unto babes" He has succeeded. Plain
men, seventy of them, had come to know
God through Him.
To every minister of His, to every fol-
lower, Jesus is saying: Enter into this su-
preme JOY of thy Lord. This is the JOY for
you to seek; this is the success for which
you should work and pray; that through
you men may come to know God" 1t was
for this very thing that He gave thanks
the night before He died. To some He
knew He had given eternal life. And what
could He say in His thanksgiving that
would be more pleasing to His Father than
what He did say? "And this is life eter-
| nal, that they might know Thee, the only
true God. and Jesus Christ, whom Thou
hast sent"
AS we begin our work, the words Of the
beautiful old prayer ring in my ears: 20
God. from whom all holy desires, all good
c~ounsels and a. Just works do proceed"
We want our fellowship in service to be
prompted and accompanied by hoy desires.
guided by good c~ounsels and Astounding in
lust works. The desire to know God Is
the hottest of all desires, the deepest foun-
tain of good counsel, the most effective IN
spiration of Just works. May 1t be the
honest and the constant desire OF our
heartsl