Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-10-15
REVEALS.


Rev, Danford's report of the pro-
gress of his work in the district OF
the Methodist church that includes
Bismarck and the western part OF
the state, discloses plenty of opti-
mism, enthusiasm and hopefulness.
The Methodist church is full Of this
spirit. 1t is a militant organization,
not waiting for sinners to come into
the fold, but believing that it is the
duty of the church organizations to
go out and bring them in. And it is
very true that good many persons
may be reached by personal exhorta-
ton who might never voluntarily af-
tiliate with the church or seek to live
according to the faith.
We have sometimes thought that
too many of the churches were more
interested in preparing people for dy-
ing than in preparing them for living.
Persons who live rightly will die
rightly, and a week of right living is
better than a Sunday of preparation
for eternity trough empty forms and
ceremonies. No single day of right
eousness can atone for week of sin
fulness. Long, useful and full lives
should be the aim of the church.
Persons are not put upon this earth
to die willingly before their times,
through religious enthusiasm or lack
of fear of death. Life has a. purpose,
and was given for purpose. 1t was
intended that man should live long,
and his usefulness should increase
with his years. The preparation for
human life alone occupies more years
than the life of the average animal
of the lower species. The average
man becomes useful, sound and a val
liable member of society when his ed
acation has been completed, ripened
by experience and his moods and pas.
sions tempered with philosophy. The
youth is the sapling, fit neither for
wood nor shade. The ripened indi-
vidual is the oak, from whose well
seasoned trunk timber is obtained for
useful purposes, and whose comfort
ing shade is blessing and a bene-
diction.
So we like Mr.. Danford's militant
spirit, in that it teaches people how
to live temporarily, wisely and we'll
We like the spirit that goes out and
brings in the youth who is wasting
his energies and substance. We like
the spirit that corrects avarice, envy
jealousy, intemperance and wasteful'
ness of life and health, and seeks tC
bring the sinner from these causes
to better way of living, not alone
for the reason that such way of liv'
ing is offensive to the Creator, but
because it is offensive to humanity
because it sets a bad example tC
other men, because man is thereby
made less serviceable to his fellow
man. he reaction that arises some
times from revivalism, we think
comes from laying too much stress
upon the religious and spiritual part
In appealing too much to sentiment
and too little to sound, hard, sense
There is no man but needs revivine
occasionally. He needs bracing up
and toning up and encouragement
but the appeal should be made to his
sense Of right and wisdom, and not
too much to his love of Heaven o,
Fear of He'll. Nature has SO ordered
life that the abuse Of her laws brings
with it about all the He'll the average
person needs. Revivals of strength
courage, hopefulness, desire, cheer
fulness, benevolence, charity-these
are wise and ought to be encouraged
But the revival that appeals only tt
the sentiments and the superstitions
viii last frequently only as long al
the excess of mental fervor that slim.
u1ates so called conversions.
. We need good, every day revivals
Of brotherhood, charity and faith in
life and each other. Let us have them
and more Of them. Let us pay less
attention to forms and ceremonies
and more to the chief end to BIZ
sought, which Is to encourage people