The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1910-08-11

turned into decay when 1t flows into
dead organic matter on the ground.
The Bible. especially the Ofd Testa-
ment. is regnant with the presence OF
the God of wrath. His lishtnings full
inmate at frequent intervals. And
the passages arc there for perma-
ncntfy beautiful purpose. They are
especially useful in the teaching OF
the young. The heart OF the boy is
full of the tendencies to sin. in which
are the seeds Of his possible destruc-
tion, and he cannot begin his career
with too many and too great deterrent
fears. And SO it Is written, The
fear OF the Lord Is the Jeginning Of
wisdom"
There is. or was, in the city OF
Denver. Judge who attained to ma
tional celebrity by reason Of his Won
derful success in dealing with youth
full criminals. And that success was
due, to an unusual degree, OF the
quality we call love in his heart. Boys
Of various ages, caught in all kinds
OF lawbreaking, were brought before
him, and instead Of laundering sem
tences at them from the bench and
sending them to jail, he got down ON
the seat beside them and talked to
them like father in earnest appeals
10 their better natures. The method
was successful In redeeming n largo
number OF youthful malefactors from
their evil ways, who, had they been
sent to jail, would probably have
been confirmed in life OF crime.
But what was the explanation OF
this extraordinary influence? You
and I could not have affected 1t. Tho
judge could not, in an official capac-
ity. His benevolent control over
hoy n III.
OF his philanthropy and his judge
ship. They knew that back of the
love and pardon there loomed the
power and the will, II they were I'm
penitent. to punish. They responded
to the human friendship and sympa-
thy OF the man. because back OF him
there stood forth in their imagina-
tion the awful majesty and the
threatening arm Of the Law.
We should not. therefore, attempt
to dissipate the element OF fear in
religion on the ground that II implies
derogatory estimate Of God. It
does not do that. and the fear Is need
ed as the background of the deepest
religious experience. We cannot
rightly estimate the brightness and
glory Of the Mount of Transfigura-
ton except as 1t stands out against
the dark background OF the thunder
clap Of Sinai. The gentleness, the
sympathy and love of Jesus can be
rightly measured only as We know
that behind that lowly demeanor
there towers the overwhelming might
and majesty Of the Godhead. Think
| est thou not that l cannot now pray
to my Father. and He shall presently
give me more than twelve legions of
angels?"
Thus in the combination of. the two
ideas, and not in either by itself, we
have the complete and highest con-
| ception of the Deity. The noblest dfg-
! nifty OF the soul Is In its reverence.
The tempest's blast. the destroying
and river by the lightning, were in
tended to inspire that sense of the
awful power of the Creator before
which the soul crlnges. And no one
| who has none OF this holy fear In
him can truly appreciate the majesty
OF these things. A soul without fear
Is soul without subiimity. To rob
| religion of it's fear is to emasculate,
to enfeeble, to degrade It.
Yet we will close with our backs
| turned upon Sinai. and our faces set
| toward the Mount OF TRANSPORTATION.
| Though wisdom begins in fear, It
snoulQ emu In love. we need not hest-
| tate to start our children on the Jour-
ney deeply impressed with the fear
of God. The fear will duly ripen into
love, and the love will be all the
truer because it began In fea-. They
Will come to understand that God Is
| indeed being OF undiluted love who
| Furnishes no one, the only punishment
for sin being the injury wrought
upon our own characters. And that,
| though that punishment Is terrible,
yet the wrath and the fury of the Di-
vine Being are but an appearance,
existing for us only in the realms OF
| violated law, ana that. as step by
| step we desist from the evil, we come
into the region Of the eternaliy real,
coming to know God as lie Is In His
inmost essence. God o. the most
chanSeless pity. cTer seeking the re-
| demption OF the most fallen of His
children, always hungering to fold
them forever to His breast OF Love.
To that end may we come to know
the majesty OF the law, the penalties
attaching to its violation, and to have
the faith and the strength to walk
patiently in the way of its obedience.