The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-12-12

Unless a man or woman realizes
| that individually he is responsible as
! trustee TO God for his own life. he
may fail to live and merely exist. Life
| Is not to live but to be we'll. Well in
spirit as we'll as in body, well in mind
and soul as we'll as in the physical
being Relatively there are few who
realize the reality of their trustee
, ship. in their own case and continu-
iously endeayor to live up 70 1t
throughout life. 1t is rather remark
able that observation Of the character
and nature Of the teaching and ser
mons from the pulpits Of all denom-
! nations leads 10 the conclusion that
! the clerical seldom realizes each
, mans trusteeship to Almighty God for
: his own life. Practical religion. much
less personal religion Is seldom taught
! from the pulpit, that is why the state
, Of the church, not only in Great Brit
ain but throughout the English speak
| ing world, has largely failed TO set up
and maintain a high standard OF per-
sonal religion. which al the present
! time is miserably low. Since the war
the interest of all classes has gradu-
| ally awakened TO the Importance Of
religion. but this standard of religious
attainment in individuals. low in COM
parison with what might be expected
from the motive power that the Cos
pei brings 10 bear upon the heart.
This state Of affairs is unfortunately
mot merely OF recent date. An emf
jnent divine. the late Dean Golburn Of
Norwich cathedral. about fifty years
ago, In lamenting this low standard
properly insisted that 10 many ques-
I; tions respecting mans moral condi-
ton can perhaps give satisfactory
answer. II it is asked, Where is iu-
tegrity, where Is amiability. where Is
social worth, where i attendance
upon the ordinances of religion, where
are aims, deeds and charitable insti-
! tutlons," many instances can be pro-
duced. But be it remembered that
many, II not all. Of these fruits can
be borne by unregcr rate human ma
ture. The annals Of Heathenism rec
ord numerous instances Of integrity
and even ascetic self-denial among the
i philosophers and many others of high
moral tone and brilliant disinterested-
ness among the people at large. But
life must be failure for every man
land woman where Christian saintli-
ness does not go beyond this. As being
the product of much higher agencies.
Is it not true that though the pub
lie may be religious as public. in In
dividuhis the sale has lost It's SAVIOUR?
Most people can speak volubly upon
controversial subjects, but where are
the men and women upon whose heart,
Truth, which is at stake in the contro-
versy, Is making every day by means
Of prayer aud meditation a deeper i'm
print" In the case of the laity. every
man or woman who realizes a respon-
sibflity to God as trustee for his own
life Is making daily a deeper imprint
by prayer and meditation. What have
the churches, their clergy and minis
tiers. done to awaken the majority Of
men and women who at the present
time do not live In any real meaning
Of the word to shed the isolation Of
mere existence? Such individuals have
mo sense Of their trusteeship to God
and no realization Of their spiritual
nature and its claims for continuous
development and cultivation
Some there are no doubt. ami we
hope many, in the ranks Of the clergy
! and ministers of all denominations
who realize the importance Of the spir-
itual nature OF man. and the claim It