The Penn's Grove record., 1908-05-01
PENIS GROVE, N. j., FRIDAY, MAY /, 1903,

DRY; if we could only put en- eternal
blank in some places OF our lives!
OH If we could only whisper in some
ear; conf1de in some heart, have some-
one help and not betray us; then
would u burden be lighter and our
spirit and nature transformed!
In 1857. Lady Georgiana Fullerton;
Of England; published her book called
"Elleh Middleton" At the time Of
writing she was a member of, the
Tractarian party of the Anglican
Church; led by Newman, Manning
and Pussy. In her story she en-
deavors to show the absolute necesi
sity of the establishment of the con-
fessional, for the ~unburdening OF the
soul. Ellen Middleton believed she
was partly the cause of the death of
her cousin Julia. In endeayoring I'd
restrain the foolish child Julia from
climbing an old m~oss-covered, Slip
perry staircase of Elmsley Priory, she
became angry and struck her cousin
a blow which caused the loss of her
%foothold; and falling down the STAIR
case, she rolled into the river and was
drowned. Ellen Middleton; believing
there was no eye witness to the tragic
ending Of the life of her cousin Julia,
and knowing in her heart there was
was never the slightest intent to de.
stroy life, took up the duties of life,
but was never free from the crushing
burden Of that awful nour. After
some years Ellen Middleton was
wooed and Won in marriage, and ap-
parently lived in peace and happiness,
but never the natural woman she
should have been, owing to the carrys
ing of her secret alone. A few more
years pass by, and al old acquaintance
returns, demands her desertion of her
husband; if not, he would disclose
the secret of her life, for he was an
eye witness to the tragedy. Her hus-
band discovers her on her knees
pleading for mercy and to be let
alone. This act is misinterpreted,
in ignorance of the facts, and separa-
ton follows, her life destroyed by
the carrying of her secret alone.
Shortly after publication Glad
stone" reviewed the book, and, while
not indorsing the claim for a confess
sional, he advocated the need of an
establishment of confidence between
spiritual leaders and advisers for mu-
tual burden bearing. Are we not
safe in declaring the very root of
much physical and mental trouble
and sorrow lies in the fact of a secret.
which our pride or shame will not
disclose? We are willing to make
our confession to Almighty God, for
we know of His eternal silence; but
we fear men lest there be a disclosure
and W come into living disgrace.
Human hearts are ready to leave
their sin with God and forget its past
and press toward the mark of its high
calling. But are human hearts ready
to forget the past of Others? Are we
eager to stand at the Jail door and
put u arms about the jail bird, not
necessarily a prison with iron bars,
but to deliver them out of an eternal
dungeon and help them in a fresh
start of life and keep eternal silencef
How shall we relieve the conscience
in its troubles with some weighty
matter? The h%eaviness of guilt and
deep anguish is on it's soul. Perhaps
that soul has been more sinned
against than SHINING. 1t suffers alone,
fear is in it's eye, dread of man in it's
c~ountenance. It's step is slow and it
moves with bowed head.
Our text is more than a counsel to
support the weak" "to be patient
toward all men," Our personal graft.
fication is not to be the rule for the
exercise of our Christian liberty. We
must thoroughly fulfill the law of
Christ, THAT We love one another"
There could be no burden-bearing
except from a principle of love, and
the fulfllment of duty implies a full
fillment of Christ's law. We must re-
move our hard and unsympathetic
sense that we may know the need of
others, for who can tell the hour
when we may be overtaken in a fault
and shall need all a brothers sym.
pathy?
But the apostle tells us every mar
shall bear his own burden and the
teaching Of Jesus tells us we may lift
this, too. Every man must have a
personal initiative; his own will must
be first aid to relief. Hundreds of
cases Of melancholia, nervous break
down, self-reproach, ETC., have bafled
every sane remedy suggested by COM
petent counsel. They are chronic, for
they will not be cured. And as long
as we remain free will agents we
must not only consent, but aid will
ingly and open freely every channel
which will bring us relief. However,
many are ready to follow this line
of treatment providing it costs moth
ing, that it will not demand some
surrender OF pride; that it will not
any humiliation, that it will
not compel me to sacrifice social po-
sition or iil-gotten gain, that it will
not cause me to drive the skeleton
out of the closet of my life. And we
must be understood in the question
of restitution or making good, not in
a financial sense only, but to make
good in everything we have made
wrong. You say, this is too revolu-
tionary. This may be to some, but
a sharp knife is necessary to dig deep
for the cutting of the roots of cancer.
How in Gods name can new thought,
or substituted thought, or faith cure,
or knowledge of any law, or sugges-
ton of any principle bring desired
relief, when we will not pay the
price? It's not always unbelief or
lack of faith that is the ~hindering
rock; it's because it's going to cost
something. You say it's too radical,
it's against common sense, it will up
set society. Why, men will be re-
vealed in their true character; some
will be found to be thieves who al
ways posed as honest; some will be
revealed as hypocrites who wore
halos; some will be discovered to
have used any a for the end, so
the end was all right. The price of
virtue, of honor, of blood has been
paid for my ends. What! Shall I
make it known, to have hearts ease
and a new health? We admit some
physical conditions are caused by
mental o,I r,ora1 dicnocnc W. "a
nit some physical conditions are not
caused by mental or moral diseases,
and are willing to submit in the most
heroic way to any measure of suffer-
ing if we can only be saved to this
life. What is the reason of our posi-
tive refusal to submit to the Same
principle as applied to mental and
moral diseases?
1t is at this point the question of
confession comes in. We feel we are
safe with God. His eternal ouiet