The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-08-06

on the future than we care, under
the grace and improvement OF the
living God. to allow. We may not
see the breath leave sin as we have
planned. but II we will struggle sin
will die. It is for us to labor. 1t
is for God TO direct II Is for us to
follow. He shall lead. However
insurmountable the obstacle or
time-honored the grievous sin, God
will enable Us to overcome through
the might of His power II we will
but serve with steadfastness and
fidelity. But God Himself cannot
bring the victory to an army that
will not follow, or success to a pious
host that Is afraid OF a long fight
and a hard one. No, my friends,
weakened and weak-hearted piety
is a more subtle and dangerous foe
to the nation than all the forces of
wickedness combined.
Another danger is the danger of
Indifference. Men do not care about
the public good, they are too busy
or too lazy or too self-consumed and
centered to think about the public
veal. When sin stalks the street
they stay at home with an easy chair
and a cosy nook for comfort. saving
to themselves, 81 have enough. What
can / do2 Let others battle; l am
content" II is as though the hand
said to the foot, as Paul declared,
Il have no need OF thee" Such
men are enemies, twofold enemies.
to the republic
A still more subtle danger is that
Of loose, careless. slovenly, dishon-
est thinking. The glory of our
schools is that they al men to think.
But how few of our citizenship take
the time or the trouble to think
deeply, thoroughly, conclusively,
with a real and painstaking effort
not to justify a theory or a precon.
ception, but to ascertain the facts
and to comprehend the truth. In
the press and in the pulpit. at the
bar and in the business world. dis.
honest and lazy intellectual effort is
as rife as 1t is appalling. Jesus said
"Ye shall know the truth and the
truth shall make you free" jesus
never dlgnifed thought as a means
to force facts, to Justify preconcep-
tlons or as a means to stultify the
truth. Jesus was a clear thinker. a
close thinker. an honest thinker. He
wanted the truth. He was not In.
terested in supporting theories. He
gave His life to the revelation and
the comprehension of the eternal
truth of Cod But to-day how other.
wise It is, even after centuries of ex.
ample OF the unwisdom of dishonest
thought, among even the very fol-
fawsnwc ~ th0 rh~fcf y MO Nha
bodiment of the truth. The press
twists fact and truth to Justify the
lie, too often, for the public good
The pulpit descants with scant wis.
dom, too often, upon the errors and
inconsistencies of movements and
principles that bid fair to challenge
or to overthrow. not religion, but
the ecclesiastical status quo. The
lawyer defeats Justice by the maze
of unhealthy and obnoxious techni
calities and uerversions of the spirit
of the law. The business man CLOSES
sin for a consideration. And sc
II goes. Close thinking Is too hard
clear thinking is uncomfortable. hon
est thinking is improbable. There
fore. let us think loosely; let us
think good is bad--for profit: lei
MS clothe the ancient lie and call II
truth, that the status quo may be
preserved The danger is evident
May the God of truth protect us
from it,
Another danger is the prevalent
inclination to forget and to dismis'
religion. No theory of government
no system of economies, no discip-
line of philosophy, method Of life
ran endure wholesomely and vigor'
ously except there be foundations
lid in the religious consciousness
of man Without the saving, con.
serving, Transforming and inspiring
presence and power of the spirit OF
the living God as resident fact and
force in the individual and national
life we cannot maintain the integ
rity of our flag or the health of the
people. No nation can realize it!
greatness, IS can no individual. with
out God. In Him we live and move
and have our being He is the
source of all light and progress. Ec.
clesiasticism may misrepresent Hin
as II has aforetime done. But lei
rs never forget Him. For He Is
inescapable He is greater and
grander and more beautiful thar
all our theories about Him. He Is
our shield. our defense. our guide
our love and our friend. We can
do nothing without Him With Hin
we may do anything. This is ele'
mental. it Is simple II is infinite
and everlasting truth. Let us never
confuse disaffections with churches
and ministers and creeds with
atheism However unsatisfactory
and falteringly Gods children may
reveal Him TO their fellows, let uf
never forget Him, let US never cease
to serve Him. The danger is that
drifting from the church men may
drift from religion. The danger
is that leaving the Christ of the
churches. with rather much less
reason than more, they shall lose
their vision Of, and shall deny the
Christ of God Nothing could be
more dangerous to America than
that. In the day that America for,
gets Jesus let America place her
flag at half mast. For in His truth
lies her greatness and in the appro.
priation of Him by the nation lies
the hope of the ages that are yet to
come.
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