Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1904-03-03
THE PROOF OF RELIGION.

THE PROOF OF RELIGION.
a keen observer has said that the
greatest lesson of the Baltimore fire
Is the readiness of the American peo-
pie to take chances. In a dozen ways
baltimore. like almost every other big
city, was unprepared for such a vista
ton. 1t knew better than to remain
unready. but 1t took chances" and
lost. A similar paradox exists in human
lives not a few. Knowing the eternal
laws which have been expounded and
reiterated for centuries in the ears OF
all. they yet risk following another
course.
THE PLACE FOR RELIGION.
1t is remarkable what a CHASTITY sep
aration people often manage to make
between their religion and their life.
Nor is 1t merely the persons Of hypo-
critical intent in whose thought and
life duty Is divorced from devotion.
There are many who max much OF
their religion. but 1t is crowded and
clotted into the corner, leaving all the
rest of their lives empty and unblessed
by 1t. Many there are also who would
like enough religion to keep them
classed among the religious" and yet
not enough to make real demands upon
their time and attention: enough to
secure for them the life eternal. but
not enough In any wise to affect the
life temporal. Then there are. un-
doubtedly. those who wear their re
llgion as a mask. Jesus had seen such
among the religious classes OF his day
the scribes, the Pharisees and the
doctors of the law He said they looked
well outwardly, but inwardly! They
were like whited sepulchres, which are
beautiful without, but within were full
of dead mems bones inc all unclean-
ness.
THE MESSAGE FROM THE MOUNT.
In the sermon on the mount the great
teacher makes 1t plain that religion Is
eminently practical. 1t is not mere o.
trine. 1t Is duty. Goodness is profit
able unto all things. having promise of
the life that now Is, and Of that which
IL to come"
Obedience is the price of life.
Jesus declared that: Mot everyone
that saith unto me, Lord. Lord shall
enter into the kingdom: but he thai
doeth h will of my father which Is In
heaven" The clear visioned Christ.
the great searcher of hearts will dis
tinguish. Not all the clamorous and
self-complacent professors of orthodoxy
shall enter, however repeatedly loudly
and famil,arly they call Lord. Lord"
The confession Lord. Lord" Ia SYM
WIN VA q O0S NICOAs Cd WCIt al u
religious profession. 1t IL as much as
~ say that there are many who have
an unhesitating BELIEF in the doctrine
of grace and Of God, who nevertheless
are not true disciples sof 1SsAs--HA-das
| mAndn q profession OF MS name, out
those who offer him only this. he will
exclude and reject. Faithfulness as
well as faith is necessary to secure en-
trance into that realm of bliss where
his servants serve him with no divided
allegiance.
THE TIME OF TESTING.
So loyal was Jesus to the spirit Of
truth, and SO Indifferent to its outward
seeming, that lie early won for him.
self the name of hereto n az such
was put to an i~gnominious death. OF
course he was orthodoxy itself, but he
did not u a with the crooked little
sticks which the priestly measures tried
to apply to him as standard. He had
no zeal to conform to their type OF cor
%rectness. for he measured himself
and he laid this down as o principle
for all his disciples-by the unchangtng
will Of the father. and by the revela-
tion Of the great day Of clear vision.
AS Jesus lived his own life serenely
In the brightness of truths revealing.
SO he taught that there Is a day coming
when all mems characters sha be dis
covered, and their judgment settled.
Doubtless there Will be great consterna-
tion among many Of the loudly pro-
fessed followers Of Christ. Astonished
and incredulous they Will cry: Lord.
Lord, have we not stood among the
people Of thy representatives in the
we not cast out demons In thy name.
and in thy name done wonderful
Up from the depths OF a city's slums