Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-08-20

to dispense. "A greater d%er to the
flag than all the sins til assail tt
is the Weak-heartedness the peo-
pie Of God. A bad thin is Of no
effect for long against thefforts OF
the organized militant arms OF Cod
Almighty, If they will takaeart and
keep it, and keep the hgheyerlast-
ingly UP. What of Valley prge and
the first Bull Run? bmember
Yorktown and Appomattoxn md keep
on! Such spirit and suclhope are
invincible as they are u~nQ1nchable.
Without them the very fabc OF our
national civilization is ~endasered az
no other foe can harm.
No sin has a longer morhge up
on the future than we car under
the grace and improvement Of the
living God, to allow. We ay not
see the breath leave sin as q have
planned, but il we will strugle sin
will die. 1t is for us to LAIR. It
is for God to direct. 1t is Il us to
follow. He shall lead. HMever
insurmountable the obstae or
time-honored the grievous ST. God
will enable us to overcome rough
the might of His power If y will
but serve with steadfastnesl and
fidelity. But God Himself annot
bring the victory to an arm that
will not follow, or uccess to pious
host that is afraid of a longight
and a hard one. No, my fhnds,
weakened and weak-heartedpiety
is a more subtle and dangerol foe
to the nation than all the for(s OF,
WickedneSs combined. Z
Another danger is the danH of
indifference. Men do not care bout
the public good, they are too busy
or too lazy or too self-consume(and
conferred to think about the Iblic
veal. When sin stalks the rect
they stay at home with an easy hair
and a cosy nook for comfort. sling
to tn smsalves, II have enough. That
can I do? Let others battle; am
content" It is as though the and
said to the foot. Is Paul decFed,
Il have no need Of thee" uch
men are enemies. twofold enc lies,
to the republic.
A still more subtle danger isthat
of loose, careless. slovenly, diaon-
est thinking. The glory of our
schools is that they fit men to tlnk.
But how few of our citizenship AXE
the time or the trouble to tink
deeply. thoroughly. conclusiely.
with a real and painstaking &ort
not to justify a theory or a preon-
ception, but to ascertain the acts
and to comprehend the truth. In
the press and in the pulpit, a tthe
bar and in the business world, dis
honest and lazy intellectual effot is
as rife as 1t is appalling. Jesus aid
I'VE shall know the truth and the
truth shall make you free" ] sus
never dignifed thought as "a m ans
to force facts, to Justify precon rep
tons or as a means to stultify the
truth. Jesus was a clear thinke. a
close thinker. an honest thinker. He
wanted the truth. He was not In
terested in supporting theories. IHe
gave His life to the revelation Ind
the comprehension of the etetnal
truth of God. But to-day how otter.
wise it is, even after centuries ofex-
ample Of the unwisdom of dishoies1
thought. among even the very FOL.
lowers of the Christ who was the I'm.
bodiment of the truth The ness
twists fact and truth to Justify tbe
lie, too often, for the public gpd
The pulpit descants with scant Wis
dom, too often, upon the errors inc
inconsistencies of movements INC
principles that bid fair to challehgs
or to overthrow, not religion, bur
the ecclesiastical status quo. Fir
lawyer defeats justice by the hz,
of unhealthy and obnoxious teclni
calities and Derversions of the sHrl
of the law. The business man CLOSES
sin for a consideration. And 81
It goes. Close thinking is too htrd
clear thinking is uncomfortable, Hon
est thinking is improbable. Thfre
fore, let us think loosely; retl u
think good is bad-for profit; lie
us clothe the ancient lie and can |
truth, that the status quo may b
preserved. The danger is evident
May the God of truth protect u
from it.
Another danger IS the prevden
| inclination to forget and to dishis
religion. No theory of government
no system of economies, no diicir
line Of philosophy, method of life
can endure w~holesomely and vgol
ously except there be foundatl lon
laid in the religious CONSCIOUSNESS
of man. Without the saving, cor
serving, Transforming and inspirin
presence and power of the spirit {
the living God as a resident fact an
force in the individual and natipn;
life we cannot maintain the i1tes
rity of our flag or the health OF tt
people. No nation can realize i
greatness, as can M individual, Will
out God. In Him we live and no'
and have our being. He is tt
source Of all light and progress. e
clesiasticism may misrepresent Hi,
as it has aforetime done. But |
us never forget Him. For He
unacceptable. He is greater ar
grander and more beautiful ths
all our theories about Him. He
our shield, u defense, our guild
our love and our friend. We cs
do nothing without Him. With Hi
we may do anything. This Is ell
mental, it is simple. It is mini
and everlasting truth. Let US hev
confuse distractions with church
and ministers and creeds wi
atheism. However unsatisfactory
and fa1teringly Gods children m
reveal Him to their fellows, let
; never forget Him, let us never cea
to serve Him. The danger is tn
I drifting from the church men m
! drift from religion. The dang