Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-06-14
Faith Life.

Common life need not describe. Every
one comprehends it. 1t is living as others
do, with no very particular attention. 1t
may seek pleasure, or wealth, or reputa-
ton, office, honor, or what not; nothing,
at all events, unusual nothing which is
likely to attract condemnation or comment.
But there is another life, faith life. This
is unusual. The profession of it is not I'M
common; the thing itself is rare. This
life means something definite, particular,
earnest it means to please Jesus aye,
''to talk worthy of the Lord unto all pleas
ing" to please him in everything. 1t is
filled with memorable determination to be
fruitful in every good work, and to increase
in the knowledge of God; and it rises alb
owe all hindrances.
This life, my dear friend, is noble life;
it is sublime life; but like the great
mountain, to appreciate it one must at
least begin to climb it. One of the great
est hindrances to faith-life, is the notion
that the adoption of an abstract ideal of
faith is faith. As we believe that pen
and ink sketch, or painters picture of
the locomotive, is the power to draw a
thousand tons over the road.
Faith, real faith, small as it seems in its
beginning, is power; it starts the train
Give it Gods opportunity and it will do
the work; carry yeu up any grade, over
every impeachment, and quite to the gates
of the Celestial city. TO win this you
must lay hold on the unseen Jesus. You
must find him real. He is real. 1t is your,
to find him so to treat him 80. You may
do it if you will. But it must be no unsta
BILE will no transient wish, prompted BY
momentary glimpse of the worthiness o
your Master. You must assure yoursel
that he is the one pearl of great price; 70
whom it is not too much to sell all tina
you have. Here is the greatest of all &C
QUESTIONS. Will you have it? Will yor
count all things but loss that you may vii
It? You say, aye, but on the testimony O
the wisest and the best, the power to d
this is the gift of God one cannot origin
ale it himself
True "every good gift is from above !;
but 'the Father of lights, with whom is n
variableness, neither shadow of turning,
is unchangeably set on bestowing this gil
on those who earnestly covet it. The sc
rious hindrance-perhaps / should be jus
titled in affirming the only serious hin
drance-to the attainment, is the indiffe1
ence of those to whom it is rendered. d
you remember the question with whic
Jesus concluded his parable of the unju
Judge, and his assurance of his Father
willingness and purpose to hear and answ'
his people, though he permit them long
supplicate? Nevertheless, when the So
of man cometh, shall he find faith on Il
earth % The Son of man, the great hu
bandman, comes every day into his spiri
ual garden, on which he is bestowing III
ceasing pains, looking for the souls wi
should have faith in him; who hunger ar
thirst for il. On them he will probab
bestow it. The very hunger and thirst
his gift; and an earnest of his intention
give the faith, which it foreshadOws b
we are to remember that in all this he DO
not forget that man is free to choose a.
he will not invade that freedom. He ofie
us every inducement to covet earnest
this most precious gift, but he will n
force it on those who lightly esteem IT.
Congregationalist.