The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-12-15

IN the forefront. while the spirit or
God end the spiritual life have been
relocated 10 n secondary place. The
result has been both natural and in
cvitable.
Honor. virtue and 9ll the snlrltual
graceS have been readily sacrificed 10
the Unsuitable greed for gain. but the
handwriting Of cSd Is upon the wall.
BE sure your sin will find Won out"
is an old adage. hut true. Man can
not continue forever 10 disregard God
without having ultimately to reckon
with Him OF thc basis of the deeds
done in the body. Some instrument
in divine Providence will vindicatc the
requirements Of the spirit God and
the spiritual life When the finger Of
God through some stalwart Nathan is
pointed at the sinner. il matters not
whether he Is king upon his throne.
he must listen 10 the "rhou art the
man." wherefore hast thou despised
the word of the Lord To do that which
Is evil i'm His sightg" and In deep con-
triton OF soul he must cry out Cor
mercy and confess. II have sinned
against the Lord"
Not only have men ms individuals
been led 10 n false emphasis upon the
material, and 10 blindness toward the
spiritual. but the church herself has
become too material in the expression
which she has sought 10 give 10 the
religious impulse. TOO much of stress
has been and Is laid upon form and
organization and not enough upon the
spirit. Not until the church comes
again to the side of Jacobs well and
hears afrcsh the sweet emphasis OF
the Man of Galilee upon the essential
spirituality of God and the supremacy
and priority OF the spiritual can she
ever enter into her full heritage of
divine power. IL is high time that
We should have done with the be-
Jogging and befooling effort To meet
the requirements OF that God who is
spirit. with substitutes that are nero
material foibles. 1t is the inners Of
the soul that God desires and requires.
II Is damnlng folly 10 offer any sub
stitute for that self which God has
destined for eternal fellowship with
Himself. Goodness, not goods: char
acter. not cash; plety. not pretense:
sincerity. not sham: these are the
sacrifices acceptable to that God who
il " spirit and who would be wor-
SHIPPED In spirit and with reality.
Another truth is placed beyond per-
adventure by these words OF Jesus.
True worship is not matter Of local
ity or nationality or sect. Men love TO
distinguish themselves by some dis
tlnguishng mark and will congratulate
and hatter themselves that IL I'm some
way makes them superior to their
brother man. IL he Is white, he con-
graduates himself that he Is not black.
If he is black, he congratulates HIM
self that his eyes are more shiny and
his teeth whittier. Doubtless demon
stra tions and sects have served some
good ends. but If men had but learned
TO sweetly insist upon the truth FOR
truths sake, instead of lining up
against their fellows In war paint and
with tomahawk in hand. in utter dis
regard Of the true spirit OF the gospel.
the millennium would he much nearer
than il IL to-day. Argue AZ best we
may. the essence OF religion IL n spirit
i'm harmony with the infinite spirit; n
spirit to which reality. fact, truth, Is
the supreme consideration. To truly
worship God is To pay 10 Him tho
homage Of reverent thought and feel
ing. and Of filal trust and love. Tho
real temple OF God is human heart
wherein the spirit OF n man meets in
shekinah presence the Spirit OF God
Such worship and such worshlpcrs
God seeks.
Again. true worship is the great
solvent of life's enigmas. In one or
the psalms credited of Asaph he seeks
10 express the doubt and difficulty
that possessed his mind when he
sought to explain the prosperity OF the
wicked. 1t Is surely u source OF CON
slant question TO n thoughtful mind
that the wicked flourish while many
righteous are constrained to live in
comparative II not quite penury. The
question will arise, How Is II that
Gods material good so constantly min
isters 10 the wicked and unworthyF
In honest doubt many hearts have
asked. "Why should | worship God
who so unequally distributes His bless
ings" This was the difficulty Of the
DSalmist. He says: Then thought /
TO understand this. but II was too hard
for me: until ! went into the sane
tuary Of Cod. then understood / the
end OF these men" When the psalm
lst entered into spiritual fellowship
with God and saw the glory Of that
God In all His spiritual beauty there
dawned upon his soul the reality or
the larger truth, that Gods greatest
good Is not material good. His rich
est gifts are not houses, or lands, or
mines, or stocks. His richest gifts are
those which bring the inner spirit OF
man into perfect harmony with d.
vine heart No wealth or pelf can
ease n restless conscience or lift the
burden from berea1>d heart. Only
God can fill TO overfowing the human
soul with that quiet and calm. that
peacefulness which makes all life a
song.
Does your he0rt cry out for God?
Would you know that peace which
passeth knowledge? Then be assured
that these blessings can come s. your
life only as you recognize the eternal
reality OF the spiritual and placing the
first emphasis upon the Kingdom or
God ana the spiritual life seeks 10 live
I'm perfect harmony with the divine
mind