Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-05-25
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No. 81 ZPly[4[?l1T' ]

l have been teaching he is like one who
builds on rock. One thing marks the
rock founded life, the doing Of Christly
deeds. The course of conduct, the kind
Of character He has just outlined In
the sermon on the mount gives the es-
tablished, staple character.
The enduring life is not built on
dreams. Many people think that their
lives are rock, founded because they
have a nebulous admiration for the
moral teachings Of Jesus. On the whole
they admire the sermon on the mount ;
having taken the trouble to say as
much as this as they sit back with the
comfortable feeling that they have set
themselves in their right place in the
universe, that the Almighty will be
delighted with their Endorsement.
One of the most dangerous hypocrites
is the easy going, thoughtless being
who fancies that the Endorsement of a
duty is equivalent to the doing Of It
He evaporates his convictions into COM
pliments instead Of crystallizing them
into conduct. So far from being built
on a rock he floats around like a wisp
OF hay In a high wind. A butterfly
might better hope to drill and quarry
out foundation than he. Besides this,
his hypocritical praise Of right pre-
cepts makes them only offensive to
those who desire to practice them.
Others imagine that an intellectual
assent to certain statements concern
Ing the church or the Bible or Jesus
Is sufficient to fix the life in stability.
But the Great Teacher does not place
the emphasis so much on what men
may think Of His character or mission,
nor even on their honest opinions on
the theories Of the past and the future,
which have delighted mental gymnasts
since the world was young, to Him the
great differentiating fact touches those
dynamic convictions that are determin-
ing your conduct this day.
He places conduct before creed. He
long ago took that method of teaching
which modern pedagogy approves. He
taught religion by the manual method.
Instead of saying, as theologians do,
first comprehend these doctrines and
then you will be able to do them, He
says, first do these things, practice my
precepts, and they will ere long become
plain to you. Men learn religion by
doing. Begin to do the right and you
will get the reason; get the rule through
the example. Deeds are the solvents
Of doctrines.
The house Of life Is built differently
from any other; we get the plans by
erecting the structure. In the realm
OF ch hiracter 1t Is houses rather than
architecture We need. Build but one
hours conduct squarely on the plain,
cogent teachings of the Man of Naza.
reth and you will serve the world bet
ter than If you gave lifetime to the
explanation Of His words.
Doctrines are but teachings intended
to be done into deeds. Doing them
you gain larger peace Of mind and
sense of stability of life than in any
other way. If you want the equilibri-
um Of faith you will find 1t by simply
laying life's daily details on the plain
foundations Of His principles. Nothing
could be palmer; there are no hair
splitting metaphysics, no subtle ques-
tions Of policy here; do these things
and the heart finds calm, the life certl-
tude, the soul satisfaction.