The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-06-04

Il was Raaph Waldo GAa1 o<son who
said: 7 look nron she siraple and
esty as the root OF all that Is sublime
3n character" And this view Is e
correct one. Characte- is buin on
fundamental and easily disceTned prin-
Shan the principles upon which it rests.
Frckleness OF character arises from q
mans lacking fixedness Of principle.
A. 4 1t should ba borne IL MIND that
j ethical principles root themselves in
religious truths, or else they Wither
away because they have no roots at
all. Outside the nature OF God there
is no basis for ethical right.
These things being true, 1t must
follow that the fundamentals OF reiis-
ION are Of supreme importance. By
them men live morally II they live at
3al They are commonplace, OF
course. Just as all the necessaTies or
life are commonplace. 1t is mercy
that tney are commonplace, for other-
wise they could be co7nprehended anu
lan1braced only by tho few intellectual
linen and women Of the community
land they would be wholly out of reach
| the great mass OF humanity They
.re commonplace like the common
(which bends above our commonplace
trace. and like the commonplace air
without which we conarn onDlace men
would die.
The great preachers Of every age.
who have helped men to better lives.
from the days OF the prophess OF
Israel to the present hour, nave Dech
men who made these great funnamea-
tai truths the staple elements OF tnsf
ministry. The Master himself was
no exception. He declared with great
emphasis Think not that l am come
10 destroy the law and the prophets,
am not come to destroy, but TO rxinl,
Roth He and his apostles were the
f1rthest removed from noFeity-ss1oh-
gering. they were elninently conseINa-
!. lives Yet the people were astoH1sh-
ed at his doctrine because he tauSnt
them as one having authority, ana nor
as the scribes." He had the power
Of speaking old truths with force and
fire.
, Indeed it is not possible TO
!asd acknowledged truth Thare
=. no authority in a nove1ty, or e
:syo.t,lstire opinion; it may exotic Gu
.rlos5ts and entertain the mind eEa I
tha3 no authority over the coIsca e1cS-
All the apostles. whose words have
come down to u.s. appeal for their au-
stho~ity to ancient truth and utterly
sGisc!ai!n being innovators- The Worus
q st Paul before Agrtppa express
,Iae position Of all Of the4Ta- Having
.-ae-nfcrc obtained help OF God, cDn-
.rinuo unto this day. witness. ooth
TO srnal; and great, saving noIle otIT.r
things than those which tGe pr0ldfeSS
and Noses did say should eon,s
From the days of the apostles until
Tow all the greatest praschers mako
So Spoken
Among the Baptists there has no-
arisen = greater preacher than Charles
4. Spurseon, and one looks IN VAIN
( rough the sermons and other ps,o-
'ta-tiens Of Mr. Spurgeon to find what
IN
Ell the most commonplace truths
ft}. from his lips upon the nSman
h41 It, If ne spoke upon one OF the
IT, 1pmInan dnerfs the voice of Sinai
Uss .eard again Ii he SPOKE on an
3rtN f:.ion Of the gospel, calling sinners
TO .E,entance, the persuasive pathos
OF C.e Chief Shepherds tones were
hea in the words of the under shep-
here
AZ: ,rg the people called Methodists,
John Wesley their founder. stands YET
the j. eatest evangelist Of modern
times He testines in one place as to
his te,.t ings- My doctrines are sim
ply tee common fundamental prlnci-
plas {. Christianity" And again ne
saws ley are the plain old religion OF
the C7,p--h Of England His view OF
the Bists In expressed in these words.
II am 4 creature OF q day. passing
throug,- life as an arrow through the
air I I'm a spirit come from Gou-
over the great gulf TILL few nome ent5
hence. I an no more seen: drop into
an uncha cgeabIe eternity! l want ID
know one tl7ing-the way to Heaven
how to lalad safe on that happy shore,
God himself has condescended to teach
the wav, for this very end He came
from Heaven. He hath written IL
down in Book Oh give me that
Book. At any price give me the BOOK
of God, I have it. Here is knowledge
enough for me- Let me be nomo
unius librt ca man OF ono bool). Here
then. I am far from the busy ways
Of men I sit down alone. Only God
is here In His presence I open,
read this Book, for this end, to find
the way to Heaven Is there doubt
concerning the meaning of what
read2 Does anything appear dark and
intricate7 I lift up my heart to the
Father Of Lights: Lord. is 1t not tiny
word?" IL any man lack wisdom let
him ask OF God" Thou givest liberally
and upbradest not. Thou hast said
IF any man be willing to do thy will.
he shall know I am willing to do.
let me know thy will |, then, search
after and consider parallel PASSAGES OF
Scripture, comparing spiritual things
with spiritual mediate thereon with
alI the attention and earnestness OF
which my mind is capable If any
doubt still remains, I consult those
who are experienced in the things Of
God; then the writings whereby, be-
ing dead. they yet speak. And what
thus learn that / teach
Yet this man, with what some would
cali the p1autudes of religion 50
nightly affected the EngHsh-speak1ng
world that the skeptical Acky hes felt
constrained to affirm. "It is no eSaS-
geration tn say that Wesley had a
wider constructive influence ina the
sphere Of practical religion than any
man who has appeared since the six
tefnth century"
He found in the commonplace truths
Of religion an instrument for saving a
nation by the help Of God In fact,
The Almighty seems partly to preach
cre who know how to believe with
Feshness and preach with power His
comm or-place truth.
When Mr.. Moody was preaching in
New York Dr. J. G.. Holland. who was
removed from him theologically by
|hole horizons, said of him In Scrib-
reF honthly: I'VE ouppose there is
no question that Mr.. Moody has done
p" Harvelous work both in Great Brit