The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-02-12

side lies GOODNESS. on the Other evil. with
an inward voice ever commanding with al.
vine authority to Discriminate betwee-,
them. urging the choice Of that which ia
lawful and PROTESTING against sin. evprv
thought and action being approved or oor-
demned by this inward monitor There is
not man or woman living who does not
feel that conforming tn thn viii ut God -
the paramount duty Of life The soul i
the great battle-ground where the material
md corruptib'o strive in ceaselegs warfare
AGAINST the srir'trol I'D oterna, r. s''l-
mi ting to the lower instincts of our ma
ture we are destroying that watch is high
est and best and wilfu,ly striving tuncon-
sciously, it may be) to thwart the great
end which the heavenly Fathers marvel
Gus love would have lis attain.
Brethren, you may possess untold wealth.
Fortune NAV load you with her favors, the
world may fawn at your feet. but L declare
there is no happiness to be found in these:
neither does religion confer any outward
benefit that shall appeal rs pleasures of
sense hut its bessedness, the highest, pur-
est. MODEST gift in heaven or earth is char
acter-character Which finds its likeness in
the Christ. comforting Joy which the an
gels wonder at, and fencing the soul with
impregnable battlements of Godlike moral
rectitude. from which the concentrated fu-
ries and powers of hell are hurled Jack in
confusion MS the oceans waves I'm tne
mighty walls Of rock-hound shore. Thus
true happiness comes from beng. rot by
having from the life within, not influence
without.
Every man possesses conscience. and
Won will hear MANY declare that they ran
he Just as good quite as moral as Chris
tian through the Dower of that conscience
But what is conscience apart from religion:
In many eases it is slave II "teld OF
= L. n IL, IS
voice and week.-mrs. it by every deliberate
sin. A man believing in the existence of
no higher authority will drift upon the
current Of his animal nature, for those lem
der"es which ire strongest will eventu9llv
ers'ave him. No without y living faith in
God or q personal union with Him the con-
science loses its power to govern and guide,
bit RELIGION olnt1res it with exceeding
strength Ey revealing to man the sourrc 1T
those magnffice.nt r'oral attributes with
which he IS endowed. fhUs giving to that
"still small voice" within the soul an inf
mite worth.
There is not henrt but has some con-
ception of higher ltfe than i: now feels.
Every Young man and woman at the cate
way of responsibility is fired with enthus;-
assn and ambitious with great purpose
which they long to accomplish: going ont
into the world they have to STEM miGhty
currents. within and without. the tenden-
cieS Of their lower Nature and temptations
to sin clothed with beguifing frory. Crises
will Hrrivo when the future viii b. deter
mired. Moments Of dire nerl fraught
with Tremendous responsibility. The" will
then feel the weed Of higher power. a
greater strength than THEW own TO thwart
the enemy OF rectitude. The ideal OF rure
manhood and womanhood shining before
them will appear unattainably beyond
their reach, lost forever How, then. can
they safeguard AGAINST This dread exDer-
fence which has blghted many promising
Young lives. which. unable to stand against
the waves Of adversely have sunk helpless
and desnairing? [ answer, BY being relig-
ious. RELIGION alone can give them that
victory which crowns life complete IN
Christ. 1t places them into direct commn-
nication with God, whose delight is that
they should become worthy to share His
e!orv. Temptations will surely come, hut
religion gives them a new meaning; they
are but reminders of the existence Of a
Father who ever waits 70 aid and sustain.
and. as blessings in disguise they carry
messages of an infinite love for every indi-
vidnal soul. rroclaiming that virtue is the
beginning and the end of holiness, the mar
row road to perfection.
Another wonderful revelation of religion
asserts that you and sprane from the
is eternal we too shs& live through endless
ages, created in His image. sustained BY
His spirit. our life shall Gather unto itself
magnificent growth Religion sets before
lis a destiny whose divine spendor startles
and overpowers our weak conception OF it's
glory. The Word of God calls into being
an amazing sense of mower. To think. nv
brother and sister. that through aeons of
time we shall be adding purity to purity.
love to love, knowledge to knowledge.
glory to glory, LIVING forever in the pres
ence Of the immortal and infinite God. ris-
ing to spiritual planes of inoonoeivable
grandeur and beauty. scaling heights of
happiness beyond the dream Of angels. The
incomprehersible destirv of living soul
loyal to God and duty brincs orr faces to
the dust when we consider that this is our
heritage: Won and I. with all our weakness
corquering death and the power OF moral
evil
Tn the midst Of tho trif'irc folles Of the
world. the conceit NJ fashion, the deo-oes
of thoughtless society. and rhe whirl of
vapid pleasures let ne keen this thourht |
like n burning fire within the hrain-the |
thought of God. holiness end heaven.
Brethren. allow the character of vour
heavenly Father IS revealed bv Jesus |
Christ TO stand before Won as the goHi of !
all attainment Religion gives rs an ideal |
and an incentive to roach II. BY "onter,-
platino and roollv loving THIS excellence 's |
tn be inspired by II. The Christian 1ran is
ALWAYS conscious Of divine r~esanre. IN |
every rhose of his hfo hn rr"rlls the cuid- !
once of Cod. He hehc'ds His ha"diworl, !
in every flower of the fold The hosts Of |
shirinq etars % they whirl THROUGH snare
declare His nHi estv and IN the phenomena |
&c nature he discerrs living EXPRESSION Of |
His qlorv Thus nv contemplating and |
a9oriag His handiwo~k in the natural
warld without and the sniritual would |
within. p Christian is given grace to subdua |
oil things 'tnto the one Great end of moral |
growth True relirion is mt belief in n |
set Of doomas. or the recitation Of creed.
or a profession Of faith: these arc Init tho !