St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-06-01

portant part OF the evidence OF spiritual
truth is derived from experience, from
the practice of the truth. Unbelief must
remain in ignorance of this, because it
will not trust enough to practice. Thus,
in one way and another, it stands in the
way of the souls increase in knowledge. |
2. So too is it bindrance to the ex-
ercise and growth of the mind. "In-
tellectually and morally" as another
has said, 'the enlargement and strength
of mind gained by the exercise of faith,
constitute some of the most interesting
and important phenomena of our being.
The unity of that being is found only
in faith, by which alone the mind and
the heart grow Oh and are expanded to-
gether. Unbelief proceeds from the
heart against the reason. Faith pro-
ceeds from the heart with the reason.
The one sets the being at war in itself,
the other at harmony. The one weak
ems the intellect, the other combines all
its powers, and increases its energy.
hO vi Oott HI tuC SOul vi uIiu lS
the most fervid and sustaining disci-
pline that can be brought to bear upon
it.
The grand object of all education is
perfect intellectual discipline, and it is
a question oftener asked than definitely
answered, How shall one best discipline
/,
feet minister of usefulness and enjoy
ment? While the design of all mental
discipline is to enrich the mind, to bring
its forces under control, and to make it
capable of original, energetic, patient
thought, religious mental discipline
aims at something more. Aud in IA
comprehensive sense, he only can be
said to possess IA well disciplined mind
who, in addition to the attainment of
useful knowledge, the habit of close
attention and the power of profound
thought, has subjected his body to the
dominion of reason and conscience, and
has cultivated his moral being as SOD
| vi Oou. He lllc vi Uou Ill Uue soul Ol
man, directly quickens, expands, and
spiritualiZes the mind, and indirectly
disciplines it in other ways, by atfording
Il healthy stimulus to effort and to the
forming of all good habits, and Ivy inn
parting to the character that moral
strength and energy of will, by force OF
.,I h.. 4,
the mandates of reason, and the law oi
conscience, becomes the law of man
Be assured (says a great philosopher,
never vet, did there exist full faith il
Christ, the Divine Word, which did not
expand the intellect, while it purified
the heart"
This discipline, without knowing it.
: misfortune, unbelief loses, and the minC
is crippled thereby. 1t starts man il
the intellectual race SO much behinI
his competitors. For his want of Chris
tian faith no great man is so great us if
| in addition to his talent, he were
! Christian believer. And the weak min,
is yet further weakened by this radica
deficiency.
2 3. Unbelief stands i'll the way of re
? ligious blessings. And this it doe
necessarily-bya law-and not arbitra
D rily, as too many suppose. 1t is relate'
r of Christ in the region of Nazareth tina
''He could there do no mighty work .
9 because of their unbelief." Faith Wa
+ essential to their receiving the good h
t would do them, but they would not eX
= tend that hand to take his gifts an
e upon such he was powerless to besto,
e them. OF the blind Men crying, 80
o of David have mercy on us" he askeo
d "Believe We that am able to do this
: And not till they assented without qua
: ification did he add, According to you
e faith be it unto you" His injunctio
e to Jairus before he healed his daughte
e was smilar-'Be not afraid-only bt
If lieve." And to another applicant b
d answered, "If thou canst belieye-a
t. things are possible to him that belieN
y ure of his disciples to cast out dev
II to their unbeliet. Faith is thus seen
If he condition of the mind, an attitud
e on the part of him who would receive
j. blessing, without which that blessin
If cannot be received, and therefore wi
e not be bestowed. The needy and di
- ,roSSa6 NozaranaS cnuld nnt ha hoo.
of because of theiI unbelief. Not even ii
if omnipotent Savior could heal them.
Al was morally impossible that he shou
r do it. 1t would have been contrary
)t law of Gods government, whose su
l. pension would have been a miracle, bl
% yet for him an impossible miracle, sin'
Of a miracle is for high, spiritual ObjeC
ID an aid to the Divine government, i'll
l. this would have been for some unwOrtl
lie object, tending to confirm unbelief, al
I'd to the weakening of the Divine autho
is ity. This LAW is still in force. Goo
IN best gifts wait for the request of fait
Not only because without faith it is il
ct possible to please God-in which ca
IL it is useless to ask tavors of him-b
also because the best gifts are in the
e. very nature adapted only to state
I'd faith in the soul. Without that tn
OF were as inappropriate and useless
tie furs in tropical midsummer.
Ii A. Once more. Unbelief necessari
| Il, h. Il ,f