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LEKHi, N. C.V WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12. 1903. JOSIAH WILLIAM BAILEY, Editoi BACK TO EDEN. . Every - man is seeking to regain a Paradise Lost. Looking backward the heart yearns for a time when the cup of joy ran full. Looking for ward, the heart hopes f or a ' happier day. The' quest of Paradise is not a quest primarily for hap piness after death, but for happiness on this side the valley of the shadow. v At the last many a weary soul, finding the quest here only trouble and sorrow, bids'the vain world good-bye and seeks home in a heaven peaceful and jfull of light. But more and more men arc claiming the right to regain at least a portion of Paradise here on earth. And "what is more significant, notwith standing the struggle for money and for fame and for position, many of them are on the loftier way. They are going back by way of Eden. They have found the way by the physician's method in diagnosis, that is, by proving first what is not the way. Perhaps there never was so much of strife in the world, never such struggle in tho market place and the civic arena. Very readily will it be agreed that there has been no such restlessness, no such nerve-ruining struggle, either in degree or extent, as there is today. And one would say that the human race was never so far from the way to that rest, peace and serenity whicli was lost when Adam was driven forth from Eden. But mark you, this is only one side of the shield. The very extent and degree of modern restless ness is making for the quieter way. Men arc proving that riches and fame are false, proving to themselves .and their fellows. And there ia now trend everywhere toward a quieter way. Take the Arcady literature, for example, by Howells and Mabie, or the Nature Life as described in the literature of Van Dyke, the Spiritual Life asset forth in the works of Black, Abbott and that new master in the realm of the soul, Charles Wagner, or tho movement toward the country, so beautifully led by the new magazine, "Country Life in America." If there is a propaganda of the Strenuous Life, bearing the imprimatur of our President, there is also a sweeping evangel ism of the serene life in book and address and story and essay, and even that strenuous Presi dent has recently made a plea for it. And, since the object, of the Strenuous Life is happiness, and strenuousness and happiness are mutually inimical; while the Serene Life is happiness it self, there is no question of the final choice and triumph. To be serene amid all the modern din, to be silent in the face of all the strident clamor, to live loftily amid the grovelling mob, to move with stately but-humble tread amongst the rushing slaves of delusion, to depend only on one's heart and look well to that, to rid one's self of the hope in other things than, one's own self, one's own goodness, one's own faith, and to fear no man nor any earthly circumstance, this is far bet ter; than the Strenuous Life, this is the way to Eden;" vy;' It is very well to work and to work, as Carlyle says, at what thou canst like a Hercules. Well for him who works and works grandly. But in the work let there be serenity that, peace which comes of the knowledge that the soul came from God and has a destiny in God's keeping, that esteem of the, unseen . things, which are eternal that becomes 'one whose very life is hidden from him, that faith in the Eternal that abides in the blessing of compensations yet to be, in the sure ness that one's own will come to him if he be but true. ...':.. , ; . ; VOLUME 69, NUMBER '7 ; ; " , LIFE. - J v'i-i...n If I can live ' ' J ' To make some pale face brighter, and to give r ; A second lustre to tear-dimmed eye Y'Y Or e'en impart k . ,. One throb of comfort toan aching heart, v'-" ' - Or cheer some way-worn soul in passing byj THE CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS. (Editorial la Watchman, Boston.) ''' There is nothing surprising in the attractive-' ness of a cult which teaches that there is neither sickness nor sin. This is just what every decent minded person would be glad to believe if he could. The trouble with most people is that they ' are not able to disabuse their minds of the im pression made by the stern facts of real life, of the ills of grinding poverty, torturing pain,' and the horrid and loathsome wrong which everywhere prevails in the world. This is what the Chris tion Scientists have done. They have ' become happy in the belief that all that appears to the rest of the world as evil and hurtful is illusion.' They escape from sin and sickness simply by denying the facts. It is a very pleasant belief for 1 those who can hold it, so far as the present life is concerned. It is far better than the belief that all is matter, and that there is no possible change in the laws of nature and no escape from the grim certainty of their operation.' It is bet ter than the belief that all is wrong and every body is going to the bad. A little study of the crowd of Christian Scientists which visited Bos ton last week shows that they are a happy, con tented people. The society is evidently composed chiefly of those in moderately good circumstances, whose ills were largely imaginary, and as soon as they became convinced that they were imaginary their fancied ills vanished. No doubt a great many people who cannot accept the doctrines of Christian Science would be far happier if they could get rid of their imaginary troubles. Chris tian Science, however, is' evidently something which has to do only with the present. It pur chases ease, and comfort by ignoring realities. It shuts its eyes to everything it does not wish to see. The pilgrimage to Concord is a striking illustration of this. It is entirely clear to the general public that Mrs. Eddy is in a very feeble condition which she guards by a rigid seclusion, but her single appearance on a balcony, with a' glimpse of her person "asT5heJfe'ebiyii,entered her carriage, was enough for the thousands of her followers, some of whom had travelled hundreds of miles to visit her home. Her few words were utterly commonplace, but were hailed by her ecstatic followers as something wonderful and almost heavenly. To the general reader her book is mere drivel, but her followers find wonderful depths in it, of which the words she uses give not the slightest hint. There has been a lot of abuse of the Christian Scientists as a people which is undeserved. After a sincere attempt to under stand their belief from their own point of view, we are obliged to recognize that they are living in a happy illusion, and that most of them are living lives which are inconsistent with the doc trines of Christian Science. They are idealistic in theory but materialistic in practice. WORLDLINESS AND OTHER-WORLDLINESS. Nocturne asks, "Can you give me some idea of what is meant by Christ when He speaks of 'the world'?" The word (and the same Greek word too) is used in the New Testament in two senses. Its first meaning is, the whole ordered creation, including humanity; in the second place it means the sum total of the tendencies which seek their gratification in this life without reference to any other. A worldly person is one whose ideas and aspirations -are limited to the world of time and sense. The truest this-worldlmess is other-world- liness. The man who regards himself as a citizen of the world to come is the more likely to take a ; large view of his responsibilities and opportuni-; ties in this one. On the other hand, , there is a mistaken asceticism which would condemn every innocent pleasure as being "of the world." It is a mistake to treat thus the joys which God has given. Two men may use the same pleasure dif ferently, one in a worldly way, the other in full accord with the spirit of other-worldliness. 1 1 Answer by R, J. Campbell in British Weekly. Faith wins I It always wins I Though days be ' slow, 1 L' " And nights be dark twixt days that come and days that go, - , 'V 'j1 ' ! Still faith will win. Its average is sure.J ' : - , ; 1 He gains the prize who can the most endure. ; . Who faces issues, who never 'shirks, V-M; ,v' '::- Who waits, and watches, and who always works. Selected. ' , ; . If I can lend - ' -' A strong hand to the fallen, or defend iub ngui Hguiimi, u single envious Biraiii, JVTy life, though bare ; . ' ' . ' l Perhaps of much that seemeth dear and fair vf . ' To us on earth, will not have been in vain. The purest joy, ' ' ' - . ' -Most near to heaven, far from earth's alloy'' Is bidding clouds give way to sun and shine, And 'twill be well " fc. " . If on that day of days the angels tell : y'y1?. Of me: "She did her best for one of Thine." THE LESSONS FOR EACH RACE. ' ' Lynching begins to be , recognized as , charac-. teristic of the North, and West as of the South, although tho number of lynchings in the South far exceeds the number in the rest of the qountry. In a speech recently Booker , Washington . drew these valuable lessons, for the races ; from recent events: , . ' , V , r "The outbreak of tho mob emphasizes two les sons, one for our race and one for the white cit izens of our country, South and North; for it Is to be noted that the work of the lyncher is not ' confined to one section of the country. ,The les son for us is that we should see to it that so far as the influence of , parent, school or pulpit is concerned, no effort be spared, to impress on our own people that idleness and crime should cease. We should let the world know on all proper oc casions that we consider no legal punishment too severe for the wretch of any race who attempts to outrage a woman. ;Y$, . ,.,-r," "The lesson for the other portion of the Nation to learn is that both in the making and in tho execution the same laws should ; be made to; apply to the negro as the white man..-. v "There should be meted put equal justice to the black man and the white man. Wenever the Na tion forgets, or is tempted to forget, its basic principle, the whole fabric of government. for both the white man and the black man, is .threat ened with destruction. This is true whether it relates to conditions in Texas, Indiana or Dela ware. It is with a nation as with an individual: whatever we sow, that shall we also reap. ., If we sow crime we shall reap lawlessness", f v r . KRUQER'5 ANSWER. Poultney Bigelow attempted on one occasion to interview "Oom Paul" Kruger and met with about the same fate that many interviewers have had with the former President of the Boers.' ; ; , ! ' : He found the old man in a very bad humor and could get only monosyllables in reply to his ques tions. He employed every art of the interviewer, but to no avail. Finally, despairing of getting any information of use to him by straight ques tioning, he determined to be diplomatic and ap proach Mr. Kruger from his family side. , So he asked, very nonchalantly : "Is your wife entertaining this season IV '. -"Not very 1" f j.'u '' And the interview closed there. -New York Times. 'Y ; 'v!YV;:i?iV- THE MODERN CHURCH. ; There is too much ritualism' in the Presbyte rian church fodayj The minister1 at one end and the, choir at the other do the whole thing. Thero is also too much variety in the service.05 It has beceme so that; it is a sort of Dolly Varden per formance. You 1 don't know what will happen 3 next-whether to stand 11 j or jsit , down. I ; have ' seen you put your hand in your pocket when tho ! doxblogy .was "started, i your nervous system so shattered you didn't know 'when the collection was made. We need a revival of the evangelistic spirit more than anything elsel ' There is no use 'in. having the right doctrine if you haven't the spirit that will carry It;' abroadVHenry ' Van
The Biblical Recorder (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Aug. 12, 1903, edition 1
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