Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 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. It
ia for God to direct. It 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 WI,
but serve with steadfastness ana
fidelity. But God Himself cannot
bring the victory to an army tnat
will not follow, or success to a pious
host that is afraid OF long hight
and a hard one. No, my friends,
weakened and weak-hearted piety
Is a more subtle and dangerous zoe
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, II have enough. What
can I do? Let others battle; ! am
content" It is as though the hand
said to the foot, as Paul declared,
II 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 fit 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 enort
not to justify theory or precon'
ception, but to ascertain the racts
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 it is appalling. Jesus said
"Ye shall know the truth and the
truth shall make you free" Jesus
never dignified thought as means
to force facts, to justify preconcep'
lions or as q means to stultify tue
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 God. But to-day how other.
wise 1t is, even after centuries of ex.
ample OF the unwisdom OF dishonest
thought, among even the very fol.
lowers of the Christ who was the EN-
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, bu'
the ecclesiastical status quo. Inc
lawyer defeats justice by the maze
Of unhealthy and obnoxious technl.
calitics and perversions Of the spirit
of the law. The business man CLOSES
sin for a consideration. And sc
1t goes. Close thinking ia too hard,
clear thinking is uncomfortable. hon
rst thinking is Improbable. There
fore. let us think loosely; let us
think good is bad-for profit: lie,
us 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 1t.
Another danger is the prevalent
inclination to forget and to dismiss
religion. No theory Of government
no system of economies, no disclp
line of philosophy, method OF lie.
| can endure whOlesomely and vigor'
ously except there be foundations
laid in the religious consciousness
of nan. Without the saving, con
serving. transforming and inspiring
presence and power of the spirit OF
tho living God as a 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 ltf
greatness, as 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. &c
clesiasticism may misrepresent HIN
az It has aforetime done. But lei
us never forget Him. For lie II!
inescapable. He Is greater ano
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 Hiir
we may do anything. This Is ele
mental, it is simple. 1t 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 Ut
never forget Him. let us never cease
to serve Him. The danger Is thai
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