Connecticut western news., 1879-05-28
IN THE PULPIT.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH AND ITS MEANING-FROM A SERMON BY THE REV. DIR. JOHN HALL.

MEANING-FRoM A SERMON BY THE REV.
 DIR. JOHN HALL.
 The Rev. Dr. John Hall preached from the text contained in the Epistle to the Hebrews, xii, l." Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evi- dence of things not seen."
 The apostle, Dr. Hall said, was trying to inculcate in the minds of the Hebrews the supreme necessity of faith, and to show them that this faith was not new belief, but the basis of all godliness in their past religion. For that purpose he cited to them the long line of eminent saints of the past who had upheld the same theory that the just lived by faith only. He gave definition of faith itself, and commendation of that faith, and then he followed all this up by illustrations of what faith was. First was the definition, "Faith is the sub- stance of things hoped for" This definition would be plainer one if the word ''confdencs" were used in the place of ''substance," and the word s'conviction" in the place of ssevidence," so that the line would read as follows "Now faith is the confidence of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen."
 Among these things Dr. Hall men, tioned the faith in Gods promises, in heaven, in the immortality of the soul, in the reality of the unseen godhead, etc. It was easy to see that tLe word ''faith' here was not used in the place of that absolute confidence demonstrated, for instance, by rule of arithmetic. It was not the same confidence which people had in mathematical proposition. It was the confidence in things not seen except through faith. If God spoke of us in the way of command, and if He gave us an assurance, even if it were in a supernatural way, we still believed and obeyed Him. Receiving Christ, we at the same time received all that He said to us.
 "Faith cometh by hearing" the apos- tie said to the Romans. Faith was the very opposite of sight, and inc old prov erb ran that we walked by faith and not by sight. It was easy to demonstrate this faith to the very youngest. Suppose New York merchant received cable telegram that his correspondent had des- patched a sum of gold to his address. The New York merchant on the faith of this telegram regards the sum of money as already his, although he has not seen the money. Dr. Hall illustrated the maxim by similar homely comparisons. "For by it the elders obtained good report" the second verse ran. Who gave them the good report? God did in the first place by designating them for His good work, and men did by yielding to them admiration and respect, and looking up to them as spiritual leaders. And if we desire to have good report, 7" Dr. Hall said, we also must try to attain it by faith in Gods words and works and to be worthy of His confidence.
 In the third place, the apostle pro- ceeded to illustrate the workings of these maxims in the remainder of the chapter. The first illustration of this faith was our belief in Gods work as a creator. "Through faith we under stand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" This verse, which came next, illustrated this first and primary confidence in the word of God. .Dr. Hall showed that the original of this ) verse in Greek was much more explicit j and sharply expressed than in the Eng fish translation. We were not there to see the creation; we have nothing for il , except the word of the Lord, which we believe through faith. Why was it i'm portant that this should be believed? l eft is very important that I should understand who made me. If think } made myself, I will only worship myself } if I believe something called nature made me, will only reverse and wor r ship this nature; but if 1 am frml. ? pursuaded that God has made me, ther' is at once foundation in my conscience ] for love, humility, reverence, kindness
 submission, and all the ennobling quail @ ties of human nature. If only believ
 that I am my own creator, I will onl. @ worship and bow down before my ow1
 selfish and vain nature."
 The second illustration was that Go
 was 8 just, righteous being, ,aagains D whom ws had sinned. "By faith Abe d offered unto God more excellent sacri
 fee thar Gain, by which he obtaine
 witness that he was righteous, God tes is tify1ng of his gifts; and by it he bein |, dead yet speaketh." Both these me 1t brought gifts, but the one was saerifc o and the other was not. Abel condemne
 himself and threw himself upon God
 mercy. God therefore accepted him g
 He accepted every repentant and COT
 trite believer. "Have you this belle !: that you have no rights in the presene l. of Christ, and that only by sacrifice doe = He give you salvation? There must t y elementary convictions in your faith, { l, there were in that of Abel"
 re The reverend preacher thus continue 'r to expound, verse by verse, the remain or der of the various illustrations of tn n faith contained in the chapter.
 ln LIBERAL GIFTs.-Among the Iars y number of bequests by the late Gardn SC Colby are the following public bequest ne To the Newton Theological Institutio