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Libing Like Christ.
There is at present a widespread movement to
induce young Christians, especially, to give some at
tention to living like Christ would have them live.
A good deal has been written about this movement.
Some speak of it favorably, some doubtfully, some
in open disapproval. In some places the leaders of
the effort are censured and in some laughed at. But
why? Is it not the ever-recurring command of the
Lord: “Follow me?” Is it not Paul’s constantly
recurring admonition to “walk in His footsteps?”
Does not everybody know that to walk in His foot
steps means that we should make Him our example?
Certainly. There can be no two ways about that.
Then why should there be anybody to find fault with
the movement?
Well, it is said that it is “a fad.”
It is said again that it is dependent upon a sort
of fanatical high pressure which will be followed
by a certain reaction that will leave the misguided
youths in a worse state of hardened indifference and
in a worse condition that that in which this special
movement found them.
Again, there comes the criticism that the propo
sition to limit the pledges to two weeks is all
wrong, or words to that effect. Take notice —we
are not quoting the words and charges of any one.
or a dozen people, but we have given a. sort of
order to the great many things that have been said
and they may be viewed all at once.
Those good men who have this work on hand are
fully able to take care of themselves, but The
Golden Age has something to say about this move
ment on its own account.
Christ is a perfect example of righteousness. An
example that every one who wishes to live uprightly
should delight to imitate. If one could behave all
the time, and everywhere, just as Christ would, un
der the same circumstances, he would be saved. But
when we consider the difficulties of a perfect life,
that way of salvation is very unpromising. The
Scriptures, our own observation and experience, as
sure us that “there is none that doeth good, no not
one.” We have all some short of the glory of God,
because we have sinned. That means that men are
all lost and condenmend before the gospel comes to
them. It must then be distinctly remembered, that
this invitation to young people to try to imitate
Christ is limited to those who know the Lord. The
gospel call to repentance still stands and rings out to
the lost souls with the promise of peace with God
and salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is
useless to try to imitate Christ when one does not
love Christ, does not believe in Christ, does not know
Christ. When one has not repented and been for
given the sins that have been already entered up
against him. no amount of imitation of Christ, how
ever perfect, can make one’s life clean.
But every consideration of love, fidelity, and grat
itude ought to impel the Christian to do as nearly
as he can what he knows the Lord, who bought him
with his blood, wants him to do. The desire to do
thus, is present in every regenerate soul. But it is
precisely at this point, that the Devil is making bis
constant attacks. Paul says, “When I would do
good evil is present with me.” The aim of the Devil
is to make men who have broken from his bands
still serve him. He may know that he cannot pluck
them out of the Lord’s hands, but it pleases the old
adversary to torment the servants of the Lord, as
long as they will let him. It is just here that we
reach the core of this question. If. we resist the
Devil, he will flee from us; if we try to kalk as He
walked, we will be resisting the Devil. If the Devil
flees from us, it will leave us to enjoy the unspeak
able blessings of reflecting as from a mirror the
glory of the Lord, and being thereby changed into
the same image from glory to glory as by the Lord,
the Spirit. Shall we not try to imitate Him? Will
it not be a good investment of time and spiritual
strength? If it be an effort that lasts only for a
few days, or weeks, it lasts that long, and to that
extent, at least it resists the Devil and with what
ever success, there is that much gain, there is that
rpuch of encouragement, both to himself and to oth-
THINGS THAT SIPCL HAPPENING
The Golden Age for February 25, 1909.
Nelvs Gleanings and Thoughts They firing
ers, to put forth other and greater efforts “to walk
in His steps.” J. L. D, H.
* H
Needed Legislation.
In Mississippi the other day, in the town of Union,
the officers of the law found some liquor in the
depot that had been shipped to that town in viola
tion of law and for unlawful purposes. They took
it and publicly destroyed it, against the protest of
the depot and the express agents. It is understood
that the law of that state gives that power to the
constabulary in some cases. It is a wise provision
of the law. Our Georgia law should recognize the
same principle. In fact, if a good case were made
out, at common law, in Georgia even now, I believe
that the courts would hold that the ground upon
which prohibition rests is that alcoholic liquors are
poisonous and dangerous and hurtful to the best
interests of the state, morally, politically, socially
and financially. That for these reasons they have
no common law rights but are wholly dependent on
a government license for all their privileges and
since those that were procured by the license have
been withdraw, the intoxicating liquors have no
standing before the courts. Gambling goods, in
fected clothing and furniture, vicious or rabid ani
mals, and even in some cases, human life has no value
in the law, for the very reasons that have been
enumerated against liquor. Why should intoxicating
liquors be kept out of the limbo they deserve? But
if our courts do not find that the common law status
of intoxicants is what I have pointed out, then let
the legislature make them so. It will simplify the
administration of prohibition in a hundred ways.
J. L. D. H.
Health and Happiness.
By Dr. Robert Maxwell Harbin.
In a neatly printed volume of 184 pages, from
the press of Griffith & Rowland, Philadelphia, bear
ing the alternate title: “An Analogical Study of
the Diseases of Sin,” Dr. Harbin has given us a
very interesting glimpse “of that region of sur
passing interest that lies between the body and the
soul. There are five chapters: 1. Argumentum,
which is very properly devoted to a general survey
of the region in question. 2. The Influence of
Nature in Disease as Revealed by Recent Investiga
tions. 3. Philosophy of the Soul. 4. The Analogy
of Disease and Sin. 5. Philosophy of Death. The
book is very tenderly dedicated to his mother. This
book treats of one of the strictest scientific themes,
but the wise author has very 'thoughtfully trans
lated the language of the subject into the vernacular
of the people. In doing this he has brought this
very difficult subject within reach of the unscien
tific reader. The field is too vast for anything more
than the presentation of examples picked up here
an dthere, but these examples show something of
the wonderful way in which God has wrought.
The only flaw that I have discovered in the book
in its physical, intellectual or spiritual side, is the
notion that man has a section of the divine in his
nature. There is no divinity in man. When God
made him, He did not make another god, nor a
piece of a god; he made man. The notion that
man has some of God in him is one of the recent
resuscitations of an old idea of paganism. That
particular notion is a slightly disguished pintheism.
It is true however, that the other good points of
the book are not affected by this bad one.
On page 30 is found this sentence: “A mur
derer is more blamable, primarily, for not controll
ing his anger which leads to a ‘brain-storm’ than
he is for taking the life of a fellow-man.” When
the Thaw trial was in progress this reviewer said
in an article in the papers that Mr. Delmar had
given us a striking expression but that in Georgia
law it would be recognized that every intentional
homicide was the result of a brain-storm, and that
the question before the jury would be “Was the
brain-storm justifiable?” Dr. Harbin has the same
idea.
An old English philosopher wrote a very instruc
tive book on the “Anatomy of Melancholy.” When
I first began to study such things I found frequent
references to Burton’s Anatomy scattered through
the books. Now our author has given us a very in
teresting and valuable book on the Anatomy of
Happiness. Happiness does not depend on bodily
health nor mental soundness. All of these may exist
without happiness. This condition belongs to the
soul. Independent of the education of the mind
and unaffected by the condition of the body, the
soul enjoys happiness because of its own healthful
condition and its pleasing environment. This is
good doctrine. It has the promise of the life that
now is, and of that which is to come.
J. L. D. H.
Lo Hold Success.
Thirty years ago in a poor schoolhouse in a back
district a boy at the foot of his class unexpectedly
spelled a word that had passed down the entire
class.
“Go up head,” said the master, “and see that
you stay there. You can if you work hard.”
The boy hung his head. But the next day he did
not miss a word in spelling. The brighter scholars
knew every word in the lesson, hoping there might
be a chance to get ahead. But there was not a single
one. Dave stayed at the head. He had been an in
different speller before, but now he knew every
word.
“Dave, how do you get your lesson so well now?”
said the master.
“I learn every word in the lesson, and get my
mother to hear me at night, then I go over them in ■
the morning before I come to school. And I go
over them at my seat before the class is called
up.
“Good boy, Dave!” said the master. “That’s the
way to have success; always work that way, and
you’ll do well.”
Dave is today the manager of a big lumber com
pany, and he attributes his start to the words: “Go
up ahead, and see that you stay there. You can if
you work hard.” —Genesee Courier.
* «
Editorial 'Ramblings.
to —and that I would come back and deliver “John
and His Hat” next year. And so I am “engaged”
to Blue Mountain —and the “time set” one long
year from now!
Sunday at Blue Mountain.
But the Saturday night lecture was not all. Sun
day was the day for the beginning of a revival
meeting. Brother Borum of Oxford, the noble man
of God who was coming to lead the services, could
not reach there until the next day. Pastor Kim
brough, the beloved leader of the church at Blue
Mountain, generously urged me to take charge of
the Sunday services. Three times did the Lord meet
us in gracious power, eight or ten happy souls re
joicing in newness of life on the first day of the
meeting.
A day away down at New Albany with the royal
E. L. Wesson, a preacher who stands mighty high
(about six and a half feet) and the genial Prof.
Schumpert and his bright boys and girls—and then
back to Blue Mountain for another day and night.
How beautifully did they treat me—what practical
friendship did they show! Through the helpful ex
amples and leadership of President B. G. Lowery,
his quiet but solid, royal brother, T. C. Lowrey, their
’brother-in-law, Prof. Berry, all of Blue Mountain
College, and Prof. J. E. Brown, quaint and heroic
headmaster of Mississippi Heights Academy, a
superb fitting school for boys, I left Blue Mountain
with nearly one hundred and fifty subscribers to
The Golden Age.
Oh radiant, royal Blue Mountain—but I must
hurry this letter to the train, and tell you next time
of my other Mississippi rambles, beginning with the
U. D. C’s. at the historic town of Pontotoc.
W. D. U.
