Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-09-30
TIE MYSTICISM OF CERTAINTY
Terse Comments upon the Christian
Endeavor Topic for October 3.
"Lfe Lessons for Me from the Book
of EPhesians." Eph. 4:1-6, 1882.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

rules Tor conduct. Hard ana undt-
tractiye would it be if this were not
SO. Nobody can conform to minute
regulations, embracing all behavior.
Christianity, instead of this. offers an
animating life-principle. 1t deals with
the very springs of being and offers
to men new nature. New perform
ance is made possible by new power
This is "the mystery of grace The
impaired life of Jesus Christ, dwell
ing in the heart of the believer, en-
ables him to live as a new creature.
Unconsciously and spontaneously he
conforms to the higher law which.
is not written in codes and regula-
tions, but in the nature of the new
life which is in Jesus Christ.
Religion must first be an inner eX-
perience before it can be an outward
manifestation.
The seed of the Christian life is out
of sight, but its fruits are for the
whole worlds beholding and use.
y II
This high and difficult letter to the
Ephesians- (Which was meant by the
he had established churches) one
recurring theme-the mystical union
of the Christian believer with Christ.
That is a further reach of mysticism
than ever Buddhism dares. 1t writes
down Chrintianity as essentially spirit
ual before it is, practical. Disciples of
/ this new Way are expected to do more
than Join church or accept a creed
Or follow certain practices; they are
| to partake of the very life of their
Master. being united to him in bonds
| closer and more real than those of
/ wedlcck. No longer does the Christian
live his own life there is myster-
| ious and inexplicable interflow of the
/ very life OF the Redeemer through
the whole nature of the disciple. Thus
! Paul cried. For to me to live is
I Christ" Again he declared, Il have
been crucihed with Christ: and it IS
no longer ] that live, but Christ
liveth in me-"
/, I once heard Joseph Cook. introdua
! inc General Booth TO Faneuil Hall
audience. parapbrase the famous say
ing of Daniel Webster, inscribed on
the huge painting in Faneuil Hall, SC
that it was rendered-"Union with
Christ Liberty from sin-one and in
separable, now and forever
4 Some mysticism scars so that il
loses touch with earth altogether. No
so with Paul His spirituality was III
dissolublv Joined in the most practi
cal sense. The mysticism which he
| 10, iric whit I,
stand the test of the everyday life
Thus in the same soaring letter We
find those practical admonitions tt
to masters.
Genuine spirituality is the deadles
foe to all forms of immortality. On'
cannot be spiritual and selfish: o
spiritual and ill-tempered; or spiritua
and censorous; or spiritual and sol
did. It was in this spiritual epistl
that Paul warned Christians agains
greed. which he linked with unchas
tity and boldly characterized as lido,
. airy. Spirituality never lifts persol
{ above the ordinary human obligation
!. but it infuses into these new dig
/ nifty and sacredness.
ANY teaching concerning 'the higl
/ Ell life" makes person neglectful q
the common courtesies. obligation
, and relationships of ordinary life, i
], a pernicious heresy.
I Spirituality" is, no substitute TO
: duty.
e A Christian business man tells th
! story of having once employed as
e secretary a young woman from an il
D terror town who was active and prom
S inent in religious work. Her spiritua
j, ity was of the most ecstatic and sui
: limated order. 1t took precedence owe
D all such tribes as correct typewritin,
: carefu)ness in correspondence an
| faithfulness in Office work When
: was absent from the Office she woui
e sit by the hour at~his desk reading hi
/ Bible--heedless of the fact that til
! desk was very dusty and there wer
many. duties unperformed When {
5 length her employer told her that sh
: and her position We're evidently ne
/, suited for each other. she flew into
I / -,,.b u-or11Iiocf r