Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-12-07
nlisfrllancous.
From the Model American Courier.
FAITH AND FIRMNESS.
A TALE OF TRUTH.
BY ANDREW DUNCAN.

you may be any thing or do any thing,
that you please said the doctor, - any
thing that does not imply physical or NOR
al impossbility. All that you need is faith
and frmness of purpose What, think you
did the Man of Nazareth mean when he
said to his disciples, If We have faith like
grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto
this mountain, Remove hence to yonder
place, and it shall remove: and nothing
shall be impossible unto you 2
Il don't know said Robert Hudson. Il
am not much Of a theologian, and there APP
pears to be something dark about that say
ing
Not at ALL said the DOCTOR it is as
plain as any passage in the book it is
first-rate common-sense text, true to the We
ny letter.
Do you then suppose that men can re.
move mountains?
No doubt of it, fguratively speaking
for it is figurative language
How do you know that!'
Because Christ never spoke of doing a.
nything literally that could answer no good
end-never performed a miracle, but for
some wise and merciful purpose. Literal
ly the text cannot be understood but fig
urativey, it conveys sublime lesson-a
lesson every day acted upon, and whether
perceived or not, it has been the means of
making many great man, aud Of doing
many wonderful things. In short, the les
son taught in that one text, has been the
great lever by which the world has advan-
ced from age to age. Faith in a true prin-
clple, with manly perseverance, overcoming
every obstacle; whether that principle be
of physical or moral character, scientific
or religious. Had Fulton possessed no
more faith in the power of steam than did
the world around him, how long before riv-
ers, lakes and oceans wave would have been
trayersed,
Without sail oar, sainst wind and tide'
That which would have been absolutely i'm
possible without faith, by faith, resting on
truth, has been trlumphantly successful
When the railroad was first projected, the
faithess were ready with their favorlte, I'm
possiblen Jeep ravine and the noun
tain barrier must be broken through-the
valley must be exalted, the rough place:
made smooth, and the crooked places
straight, and it was done. Next came the
man MORSE, saying that he could send
u
answer in five minutes He was consider
ed mO0n-mad,' but the man had discovered
a scientific truth, and the ridicule of tn,
inhdel could not shake his faith. Difficult
ties were in his way, but, sustained by
sublime confidence, he met and conquere,
all. Not only have mountains been remov
ed, and valleys exalted, but time and spac
are all but annihilated Such have bee
the triumphs of faith resting upoE true prin
ciples, that the man is both bold and igno
rant, who now talks about impossibiHtie.
Those gigantic proofs of the power and e.
fcacy of faith, are not solitary-they onl
appear more striking on account of thei
magnitude, and the mighty results that hav
followed every inch of progress made
the most obscure individual, is in cons'
quence of the same principle. l am az
quainted with many men, who ten years
go could not command the second dolla
now living in ophence, and some who hare
ly knew the first letter in the book, no
holding high places in the literary world