Religious Thought — Gems Gathered From Denominations

1909

Conscience
A guilty conscience makes cowards of us all, but a clean conscience makes heroes of men. — W. P. Hines, Baptist, Lexington, Ky.

Woman's Purity
Like a calla lily so is the purity radiating from the character and life of a good woman, changing the atmosphere about her and making the world better for her having lived in it — Rev. W. M. Vines, Baptist, Brooklyn.

Revealer of Man.
The house is the revealer and developer of man. Beasts have dens, birds have nests, and men have homes. A man shows what he is by the kind of house he builds around himself. — Rev. Dr. Radcliffe, Presbyterian, Washington.

Fault Mending Time
Now is the time to fill up the valleys of carelessness by mending numerous little faults; also it is the fitting time to level the mountains of pride and practice the virtue of humility at all times. — Archbishop Keane, Roman Catholic, Dubuque, Ia.

Spirit of Wisdom
By the term "spirit of wisdom" is meant not merely a wise-spirit, though so much is, of course, implied, but a spirit which is essentially wise even in its temper and action. — Rev. C. W. McCormick, Methodist Episcopal, Brooklyn.

Soul Perfection
Virtue can never be accumulated by self seeking. No soul can come far on its way toward perfection until it shall devote its enthusiasm to the unselfish service of humanity, until it shall learn that its task is to reach every man. — Rev. Ira J. Houston, Congregationalist, Cleveland, O.

Church Valor Theories
We all need to be told now and then to get the cobwebs out of our brains. There are cobweb theories of life, false and foolish philosophies of life, possible only to those who have prostrated themselves before an idol of the theater. There is nothing virtuous in suffering for its own sake. God does not envy you your happiness. Pains which must be borne should be borne heroically. Don't be afraid to be happy. — Rev. Charles F. Aked, Baptist, New York.