Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-07-12
NEEDS IN RELIGION.
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BY Rev. Junius Remensnyder.
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Knowing that patience worketh ex-
perence.-R V. 4.
Ours is an age that almost unduly
| eXalts experience. Experiment is the
method employed in the physical sci
ences. The student of chemistry and
biology must work in the laboratory
and the student of medicine in the hos
! pital. to acquire knowledge at once
practical and useful
Without such experience one may
have knowledge. but he cannot have
wisdom. His head may be full of
learning, but he will only remain an
empty visionary, mere idealist, help
full neither to himself nor to his fellow
men.
This is the great defect of youth
that it discounts the patient schooling
and preparation of discipline, and
would rush unguardedly upon the stage
and into the battle of life.
Matthew Arnold comments upon this
rashness of youthful ineXperience thus:
"Only when one is young and head
strong can one thus prefer bravado to
experience, can one stand by the sea Of
time, and, instead of listening to the
solemn and rhythmical beat of its
waves, choose to fill the air with ones
own whoopings to start the echo.'
But there is danger of placing ex
! IRENE emphasis on experience. we
must have theoretical knowledge; the
Ind b1> f,1,.y, ichn hxyr ao6inp and
the understanding strengthened by re-
Election Our strongest and noblest in
! spirations come from within. 1t is In
our still inner life that are nourished
| those visions of sentiment and poetry
that make life noble and beautiful.
| The mere eXperimentaliSt is dry, hard,
mechanical and dead to that larger,
higher sphere, which makes man akin
to the angels
This is the mistake we often hear
| III regard to religion. 1t is said that
religion is wholly matter of expert
ence. We can experience God in the
soul. We do not need to go to the
Bible for the knowledge of Him. But
experience cannot give us facts. 1t is
not a creative, but testing faculty.
Experience can give new reading to
the truths of Scripture and throw
| white light upon the teachings of reve-
lation, but it cannot invent them. He
who takes the conclusion of his expert
ence for the word of God will remain
in as deep darkness and hopelessness
with respect to the blessed truths and
| hopes of religion as were the great
pagan thinkers.
On the other hand, however, the apos-
tie is altogether justified in insisting
in the text upon the necessity of expe
| rience to religion. One may be the
most orthodox of believers, the pro-
foundest of theologians and the most
regular of church members, but if he
does not know religion by experience
he denies the power thereof, and his
profession is but sounding brass and
a tinkling cymbal."
Religion first must be experienced in
| the heart Our piety must be sincere
! 1t must breathe within us the spirit of
| brotherly love. 1t must make us fear
| God: it must incite us to hate wrong
| and meanness. 1t must make us broad
minded and charitable 1t must stir us
with high aims and noble ideals In
| Bible language, it must make us new
creatures, created after God in true
righteousness and holiness
But the supreme test of religion is
hot ho ~,
man may have deep religious feeling,
but if it does not prove itself in action
it is but vapid emotionaIism. Senti-
ment and prayers do but make a mock
cry Of God and the church. If they do
not issue in right life. 1t is only when
our religion masters our temptations,
, sweetens our ugly tempers, overcomes
our bad habits, casts out our selfish
ness moves us to do good to our neigh
bors, gives us courage in danger and
faith and calm under the fire of attic
ton that it is real. Then it has set
it to the seed of experience, and then
will it bring the favor Of God and
crown with an immortal hope.
The defect of too many professors is
the lack of this vital religious expert
ence. Those who know them best
doubt them most. Those to whom close
contact shows just what they really
are have hard work to believe their
piety genuine.
If believers would only be more cor
sistent in their lives and illustrate
their faith in their ideals, no argument
would be needed to win the worldly to
follow so gracious a guide as religion.
Gibbons in that famous chapter of his
history where he seeks to account for
the progress of the early church, states
that 1.-The primitive Christian demon
strated his faith by his virtues and
Exercised himself in the habits of hui
mility, meekness and patience" The
same Christian qualities will give more
power to the gospel to-day than all the
learned arguments of theologians