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Scientific and Religious Journal.

VOL. I. AUGUST, 1880. NO. 8.




THE IMPORTANCE AND NATURE OF REFORMATION FROM SIN.


This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come; for men
shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection,
truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those
who are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than
lovers of God; having a form of godliness but denying the power
thereof.--2 Tim. 3: 1-5.

The Savior once began his instructions with these words, "This day is
this Scripture fulfilled." They seem to be an appropriate introduction
to our lesson upon this occasion. What is the religion of thousands?
They were made the special objects of God's favor in their infancy (?),
were christened in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit (?), were dedicated to God and his service by their parents
(?), who, for them, took a solemn vow to forsake the devil and all his
works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires,
to forsake, also, all the carnal desires of the flesh, and not to follow
or be led by them. It is said that the christened took this vow when
they were children, and understood it not; when they became men they
understood it about as well as when they were children. But in all
candor, I confess that I never could believe they took this vow; their
sponsors took it upon themselves to make it for them, and usually
pledged themselves to see it fulfilled. What fearful responsibilities
are assumed just here. It is too frequently the case that those very
sponsors serve more devoutly, love more affectionately, and confide more
heartily in the profits, honors and pleasures of the world than in the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Survey the lives of many of these men, of all conditions, and then deny,
if you can, that the profits, honors and pleasures of the world are the
gods they worship. Their daily and constant employment is either a
violent pursuit of the vain pomp and glory of the world, or of its
power, riches and profits; or it may be that they are led on by pride,
malice or revenge. Such persons live, not knowing or regarding the fact
that the baptism which now saves us is "not the putting away of the
filth of the flesh, _but the answer of a good conscience_ toward God."
There are many such who live but little in advance of pagans in a
commonwealth of Christians, and know but little more of God or of Christ
than if they had been brought up in India. A great many are taught to
act over this play in the name of religion, and learned to say, "Our
Father who art in heaven," and "I believe in God the Father Almighty;"
but do they live as though they did believe in earnest that God is their
Almighty Father? Do they fear him and trust in him? Do they love and
obey him? Mere pretense, or, as Paul termed it, a _guise_ of godliness,
for such is the meaning of the original term, is so common that we meet
with it almost daily. Men have learned to tamper with the word of God
until the world is full of theorists. How many talk about religion who
set aside a great portion of the word of God as worse than useless? And
that which they profess to believe they do not believe with half the
simplicity which they manifest in believing the words of their earthly
parents. It has been said, "He who is not industrious to obtain what he
professes to desire does not desire it, and he who is not industrious to
bring about that for which he prays, prays with his tongue _only_, and
not with his heart." All such have simply a "guise" of godliness, while
they deny its power.

A great many people profess to believe the Scriptures are true, and that
they present the plain and only way to infinite and eternal blessedness,
and yet they neglect the study of the Scriptures. How is this? If there
was a book revealing a plain and easy way for all men to become rich and
enjoy health and pleasure and this world's happiness, would it not be
studied by all men? And why is it that the Bible is not studied by the
masses and regarded more? Why are so many professors of religion
negligent in this matter? May it not be because they prefer all other
business and pleasures before this? If professors of religion throughout
christendom heartily believed the Scriptures even as they profess, they
would be more diligently studied, and in many instances treated with
greater respect. The faith of many is undoubtedly very weak. If the laws
of our country provided a plain way of escape from temporal death for
the benefit of the condemned criminal, as plain and pointed as the great
commission given to the apostles of Christ, would any condemned criminal
hesitate to obey or treat the stipulations of law as men are constantly
treating the precepts of the gospel of Christ? When a man believes the
Bible contains _the facts and truths_ which concern us infinitely more
than all earthly matters, his care and diligence should be, _to some
extent_, in harmony with his persuasion. At this point men _seem to be_
most