Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-06-30

then abjured name OF "enthusiasm" all
religious emotion was condemned and
outlawed. an attitude of mind we can
not say OF soul, for soul was in abey-
ancc which was shamed into silence and
then won to repentance by the splendid
outhurst of Methodsm. But It is not
necessary TO believe that the present
state of things is so serious as was that
ir the earlier century. We are not Obliged
to believe mat the men of culture and
philosophy are as unsympathetic and in
different as their rcticence would seem to
in.ply, because II would seem to lie an
affront, which they would rightfully re-
sent, IL We were to conceive of them
az being led I'm one OF the capital con-
Germs OF life by mere antlpathies-
they arc iupeled to extremes in ono
direction merely because some other men
are going to extremes in another direc-
ton. The poorest possible reason for
leaving ont OF ones plan OF life true
riety would we the false piety Of others
If hypocritcs love to pray IN the market
places and IN the corners of the streets
that they may be seen of men, that fur
fishes good reason for entering into ones
closet and praying in secret. but GER
from prayer any where and every where
Who would admit that his religion or his
liz elk of religion was forced upon him by
the pharisces. by the Tartufres and the
Iecksnifres OF human comedy mingled
of realism and calumny. No doubt It
takes courage in certain quarters to pro-
fess the same beliefs and rccito the Same
cd familiar words which ara dear to
simple unilumlnated !ntellec:s and to
humble and contrite hearts, but let us
thank God that there are many who do
this with unconscious bravery and gem
uine simplicity.
Bu. on another side IT IL said that
what is needed today IL not more re-
ligion. certainly not more righteousness.
but more righteousness Yes, we need
more Righteousness, and in order that we
r1ay have IL, we need more religion, yes
more piety. What our fathers meant by
the fear Of God, which is not very differ
cnt from what we mean by the love of
God for love cast out fear In the hearts
Of men before 1t cast 1t ont Of their
phrase-the practice Of the presence OF
God. is the highest possible incentive to
right living. II fraud and cruelty and
wrong still exist in communities where
church spires abound. what would those
communities be IL the churches were
abolished7 What are the communities
on the frontier where no churches yet
exist? Why do men who do not caro- for
piety. but who DO want law and right,
and peace, help to build churches and to
establish not sacred concerts or moral
lectureships, but divine worship?
tp ri 70
close, though | have sometimes used the
words religion and "plety' interchange
ably, have meant 20 emphasize that
kind OF religion which brings nan into
fuce to face and heart 10 heart relation
ship with a personal God. which makes
much of the paernai and tilial society
between God and us which is rot salts
fled with worshipping Him as creator and
Moral Governor. as Almighty God. as tho
Lord God of Hosts. but yearns after Him.
and Joys in Hin, as the Father of our
spirits, as the fountain of our life, as the
source from whiCh--from whonl-day by
day and hour by hour We draw our life
and all that makes life real and satisfy
Ing. Is this kind of religion on the wane
is It a thing of the past? Is the religion
of the future to be thing OF abstrac-
lions, Of metaphysics, which derives life
from no central warmth. which offers no
divine heart great enough to draw TO 1T
self all our affection. tender enough to
he aracted nv al, our roads, IN ,,ao. 80
,be l,yiru cod Whom, our ,,,hars ,or.d
a nd ssrved into u.b,s. bora va AVID our
children have been baptized, are We to be
relegated to Il stream Of tendencies, a
system OF cosmic forces. May we not
rather he,teve or n. ,ea.t bor, ,b,t oil
this larger and sourder Lrou,edca %
God which has come IN opr ago ,hrouph
the revelation Of God IN s,,,erco In mil
osophy. in history I'm ufe and tbrougb
q more thorourh st,id,, Of Code Iroiy
| Word IL NOT nuttinc God farther from, us
| hut recuv bringing I,t,, c,ose, tn Nc
making Hin, mora reol 10 no ord orr
| relation 10 Hin, moro intimate ,,nre vito,
There are signs which no,nt h,neru1ly In
this direction The bsar+ e,emer, IN -,
ligton-the greater nro,ripe,cc give, -
the features of worsh,, in nuh,ic de,o.
tions the nonuIar ,nnrovel -, s,,iri,u.l
| hynns and f.rvid nreacbir, ord o7,,..,
all the warm ,n,erest which ,ha ,,notsc,a,
the law corst,tuancv 60 ,,Liry In o,.,,
geI,cs, mora ,,ndisrroI, WI. so.,,,a ;.
| no.r tho. r.w nv, ,n ~. ,o,,o,,..-
ufa NJ Cbrs,.rdor, q. a, hard :. -,
ready here What an accasstor NJ ,o,yo.
would come ~ ,b,s ,orward roov.r,.,, :,
the universi,ies and colIesss wa,,,d Of.
tn Il tho prea, momentum, ~ ,h.I-
nrov,l and co.o,orotior- +, r.,.or ,n-
sak,ne their nroner ro,s y, ;ro,,o.,,.
tl,oryh,s,,,ros. ava s,noor,,,. =, ,,,..t,
ont Iipht rather than hsst in All reII.-i',,,