THE SACRED AND THE PROFANE.
By S.
Two PLANS are now being pushed forward by the Christian Endeavor Society. One of these is for the encouragement of family worship, than which, perhaps, nothing is more necessary for the maintenance of spirituality in the individual Christian. The heart that is often melted in sincere prayer will not inspire a chilling rebuke for real or fancied wrongs. The tongue that is often occupied in petitioning the throne of grace will seldom be heard voicing spite, or malice, or unjust accusations, or framing words of falsehood. There is no danger of too much indulgence in prayer. It is the natural attitude of the heart that is truly consecrated to the will of God. It is not necessary that we be always upon our knees. The praying heart will indite its supplications without regard to the attitude of the person. Let there be more true prayer; the world will be the better, and so will the one who prays. But along with this plan of the Endeavor Society goes another, for which the same indorsement can not be given. It is for the formation of Christian Civic Clubs. Going, as it does, with the first-named plan, it is in much better company than it deserves. It will receive, no doubt, added impetus from the very fact that it is carried on in connection with a movement which is good in itself. It is the duty of the Christian everywhere to encourage obedience to good laws; and he will do that without belonging to any civic club or political organization of any kind; will do it by his own personal example. He will be a better example of law-keeping without membership in political organizations than the worldling could possibly be if he belonged to them all; for he goes to the root of the matter, and honors and magnifies the law of all laws. The attempt to unite religion and political societies has never benefited either, and never can. It is responsible for the terrible drift away from true spirituality, and toward cold formalism and unbelief. The Christian can not afford to put his feet into the snare of such a fowler. The Christian needs prayer; the world needs prayer; the “prince of this world” may need civic clubs, but the followers of Jesus Christ have not been commissioned to form the clubs. They have a work which is greater than that,—a great work from which they should not “come down.”