The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1919-12-24

of God and this flllal desire to be like
Him is the only true worship, whether
it be offered in a Jewish Synagogue, a
Protestant church, or in Roman Cath
olic cathedral, or out under the arched
dome of heaven.
How did such frenzy and misconcep
ton ever get possession of the minds
of men as to cause them to think that
God would be pleased to have them
burn their own helplses babes in the
metal arms of Molech heated to red
ness, or to have them drown them or
throw them to the crocodiles in the
Ganges? Think of the aborigional As
tees of Mexico or of Peru imagining
their God to be pleased to have the
priest select the finest specimens of
youths, and tear open their bosoms
and hasten with the warm heart TO Of
fer it upon the altar! What insane
~ cruel inventions and what vain
performances men have used to please
their imaginary Gods and thus to save
themselves or gain benefits!
Surely the world by its wisdom knew
not God, but it was Gods good plea
sure to save and to elevate mankind
by the Gospel of His Son who gave
to man the true knowledge of God as
our heavenly Father, true exhibit of
His character in the life which He liy-
ed on earth, and all necessary redenp-
ton through His sacrifice of Himself
for US sinners, that He might bring
Us back to Gods ways. How simple
and how reasonable are the directions
in the Holy Scriptures, what doth
Jehovah require of thee but to Do
Justly, and to Love Kindness, and to
Walk Humbly with Thy God?
/. Do Justice. What does God or
man care for our religion if it does
not lead us to practice justice; for
who does not know that unless we
give to every man his rights, our
religion is wrong, no matter with
what ceremonies we display it? Do
justly toward your fellow men in
your thoughts of them, not
harboring envy, suspicion and
malice; In your speech about them,
not letting your tongue slay reputa
tions on the right hand and on tho
left hand stealing that which naught
enriches you, but makes them poor
indeed, and in your conduct toward
them in all the complex relations of
life. No other thing so proclaims the
boor or the gentleman as does the
habitual outflow of speech; and who
cares aught for our prayers upon our
knees, if we rise to prey upon the good
name of our fellows?
To do justice was the first i'm
pulse of Zacheus when he stood il
the purifying presence of the sinless
Son of God near Jerich, and he step
ped forth and said, Behold Lord,
the half of my good | give to the
poor, and if / have exacted of any
man more than was right, restore
him fourfold;" and restoration of thu
wrongs we have done is an indispens-
able part of true repentance unto
life. Do justly toward your employ
er and toward your employee, when
you buy and when you sell, toward |
the stranger and toward your familiar
friend. When man knows that he |
is about to die and leave wife with
some dependent children with only
a small estate, he thinks more about
whether his family are ready to
meet the cold realities of the world
than he does about whether he isl
ready to meet the sturn realities of
the unseen eternity. And one of the
things which puzzles him is to choose
an executor of his estate and guar
dian of his children; and he does not
care shucks about any mans prayers
at church or elsewhere if he suspects
that he will prey upon the helpless
ones he is about to leave behind. He
wants man who really does walk
with God in an humble and sincere
truthfulness and appreciative regard
for the rights of all. The world is
crying out for men and women who
are not simply baptized pagans witt
unregenerate hearts of hate, and
greed, and ambition; but for the real
christian who stands four square to
every wind that blows, and through
whose breastplate of righteousness no
malicious darts of enemy tongues C
pierce. At the worst, "Not a single
dart can hit, ''Till the God of love
sees fit"
Everybody respects the religion of
the banker when they all call for
their deposits and get them cheer
fully and promptly, as they do in all
our city banks; but who enjoys the
religion Of the banker who does net
hand the deposits, no matter how
he says he enjoys his religion; for it
is not so much matter whether you
enjoy your religion as it is whether
your neighbor enjoys your religion
In all the relations of life the rea.
christian feels his responsibility to
God, and he does his work well, and
he does not need to be watched; for
as Longfellow wrote, I'm the elder
days of art
Builders wrought with greatest care
Each minute and unseen part;
For the Gods see everywhere 2
Not profession, but pratice; not
reciting creeds, but conduct and char
acter; not a ceremony, but transpar-
ent truthfulness and integrity i
what gladdens the world and glorifies
God. The christian walks about in
communion with the God of love and
kindness, but masquerading counter
fits 90 about glum and unfriendly