The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-09-28

declared, Il have been crucifaa
Christ; and it is no longer I ina TTIa
but Christ liveth in me-" Ave.
I once heard Joseph Cook ;.+
ducing General Booth to a Fana nor
Hall audience, pa~raDhrase the f2r,ll"'
saying Of Daniel Webster, inscribed oa US
the huge painting in Fanuel Eau ~
hat it was rendered-"Union ~
Christ, Liberty from sin-one ami -
separable, now and forever
Some mysticism scars so tb.+
loses touch with earth altogether No
so with Paul. His spirituality, US
indissolubly Joined in the most 0rart,.
cal sense. The mysticism which h..
taught was a mysticism which coma
stand the test of the every dav of VIA
Thus in the same soaring letter va
find those practical admonitions +,
children. to parents, to servants ana
to masters.
Genuine spirituality is the deadIiest
foe to all forms of immortality. On
cannot be spiritual and selfish; or
spiritual and ill-tempered: or spiritual
and censorious; Or spiritual and sor-
did. 1t was in this spiritual epistIa
that Paul warned Christians agains-
greed, which he linked with unchastity
and boldly characterized as idolatrv.
Spirituality eve lifts a person above
the ordinary human obligations. but
it infuses into these a new dignity
and sacrednaR.
Any teaching concerning the higher
life that makes a person neglectful Of
the common courtesies, obligations
and relationships Of ordinary life. is
a pernicious heresy.
Spirituality" is no substitute for
duty.
A. Christian business man tells the
story Of having once employed as -
secretary a young woman from an
interior town who was active and
prominent in religious work. Her
spirituality was Of the most ~ecStatic
and sublimated order. 1t took prece-
dence over all such trifles as correct
typewriting. carefulness in CORES
p%ondence and faithfulness in Office
work. When he was absent from the
office she would sit by the hour at his
desk reading his Bible-heedless OF
the fact that the desk was very dusty
and there were many duties upper
formed. When at length her employer
odd her that she and the position were
evidently not suited for each other, she
flew into a passion such as the world
Hest Of WOmen would never have dis
played under the circumstances. That
young woman was a type of the not
very common person whose "spiritua1-
ity' is largely a lack OF common
sense: and whose higher life is
largely laZiness and morbid egOtisn.
The first laws of literary study re
Quire a knowledge Of the conditions
in which a piece Of work is produced.
When it is recalled that this exalted
letter was written to a company OF
people freshly out Of gross heather
dom, and furthermore that it was
written in prison, by one who happily
described himself as IAN ambassador
in chain" on behalf Of the Good News.
the extraordinary nature Of the docu-
ment is more clearly perceived.
If an average person had been writ
ing this letter from within prison
walls, he would have made much of
his hardships. But Paul, instead Of
seeking sympathy, urged his friends
not to be discouraged about his suf-
ferings. Always, like his Master. his
thought was for others, and not for
himself.
A new walk is expected of all VIII"
are in the new Way.
A prison cell might hold Pauls
body, but his spirit maintained its
cosmopohtanism. His world vision
never failed. So he taught the Ephes-
ian Christians that they were heirs Of
the whole household of faith. and
members Of the universal family OF
Christ. in which there is neither Jew
nor Gentle, but Christ is all and in
all.
Seven SpntRnan Spr1nnsS