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Show ADDRESS GIYEI . -BY J. MUtttSBTOK "The Essential Truth of Religion" is the subject of an able address given by John W. Rushton, Wednesday eve-nine eve-nine at the Fifth Ward hall. In part. Mr Rushton said: Lesson .Tno. xw, text. Psalms, 143:Sj After explaining that by "essential truth,'' he meant "vital principle," the speaker proceeded to discriminate between be-tween "theology" and "religion." "Religion Is the aotual experience of a man with God; tneology Is tho attempt' to explain and account for that experience "It therefore occurs sorno have a very elaborate theology, but an attenuated at-tenuated religion; whllo others have a prolific religion, but a poor, faltering falter-ing theology." "Using quotations from tho late Professor Pro-fessor James' work, 'VarleUes of Religious Re-ligious Experience,' and 'Max Mueller' to Illustrate tho scientific and experimental experi-mental conclusion, that underlying all expressions of the religious Instinct the vital principal, tho essential truth, was one, from the lowest species of human beings to the highest and noblest no-blest specimen of human development; from the Papuan to tho Christian religion re-ligion that 'principal' was and Is today the consciousness that 'something Is wrong,' generating a 'sense of uneasiness uneasi-ness and urging to the 'making of proper connection between the Individual Indi-vidual and the higher power.' Tho forceful injunction of tho Old Testament, Testa-ment, so often the leading thought In modem revivals enshines the same thought, 'Get right with God. " Followlug this line tho speaker applied ap-plied the messnge of the lesson and showed that the definition of Christ's touching religion was: friendship, fellowship, fel-lowship, comradeship. "Friendship between God and man. In analyzing friendship, three elements were always found, viz; Sympathy, Love and Identity "These were necessary as the basis of human friendship and consequently essential in the friendship between God and man. "Sympathy to suffer with, friendship always discovered and revealed in sorrow, sor-row, strengthened and sanctified In the water of affliction. "Love, the powerful 'mother-love for others,' which issued In sacrifllclal services even to sacrificing of life for the saving of others. "Identity, which resulted in the absorbing ab-sorbing of one personality with the other and the gradual assimilation of the cardinal characteristics of the ono in tho other. "These were demonstrated by the life and teachings of the Mastor-Chrls-tlan Jesus Christ, and tho prayer of Him who, as the Lord Priest and Sacrifice Sac-rifice for humanity prayed that we 'all may be one,' as Thou Father art In me ,so may they be one In us. The Identification of God with man, generated the prayer of the text: "Cause me to hear Thy loving kindness kind-ness in the morning, for in Thee do I trusL Show mo the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my soul to Thoe." Practically, tho identification of humanity hu-manity with tho divine. Hence the old Testament history of "Enoch walked with God and was not, for God took him," Illustrates the spiritual principle of Paul's exultant testimony, "I live, yet not I, but Christ which liveth In me" Is translated in practical experience expe-rience as the absorbing of man In God, so that humanity's activities are wrought in God, and ho that sees such a man has a revelation of God "he who hath seen mo hath seen tho Father." |
