The daily gazette., 1879-10-20
FIRST EDITION.
Making VisibEe the HiUisiJie.

DIR. NIXON ON FAITH AND ITS FRUITs.
"The whole chapter is an illustration
of Faith, the grand sustaining power of
religious life and the foundation on
which all religion is built" said DR..
Nixon at the Central Presbyterian
church last evening, in commencing his
sermon, which was upon faith and its re-
suits, the text being the XI chapter of
Hebrews, taken collectively.
The preacher dwelt much on the first
verse of the chapter, '.now faith is the
substance of things hoped for; the evil
dence of things not SEEN" In life three
things aided belief; personal observa-
ton; intelligent reasoning; informa-
tion impslted by others. Belief in a
thing always follows, as result of one
of these aids to belief, and when per-
son has arrived at all opinion through
them lie is firm in 1t. Before belief in
any thing can be reached, it Is necessary
for certain facts to be made plain. All
belief in religion is founded on Two facts.
The first is that there is a God. In re-
alizing that God exists tie same difficult
ty may be met as in arriving at any other
conviction aud it cannot be believed until
faith lays hold and makes it reality.
BY the teaching of God we are led to be-
lieve that lie is in existence. The other
fact is that God is rewarder of those who
dill gently seek him and also pumsher
OF those who refuse to own Him and
who, after having full evidence of His
existence, openly dsobey his commands.
Faith III ,kes this PLAN to all men. By
the revelation Of these two facts we cali
not fail seeing God and trusti, him, al
though he is invisible. Moses saw the
invisible God when he was told to lead
the Hebrew children out of bondage, and
his example affords a good illustration of
the workings of faith.
| IL Is, therefore e, necessary that, to know
God aud TO see him spiritually, we must
have faith. Many do not know how to
obtain vision of God !; do not know the
way to him. In order to see the jn.isi
BILE, it !, necessary to know that God
exists, that there is way to him, and
that he is easy of access knowing these
things 1t is also essential to find out the
way through which access is to be gained
and to realize that it is a possibility to
hold communion with him. To follow
up the path is easy with Gods help, but
| w OC ihNCb III AAio BiNoNhtS w ihtoe a.
dure much pain. In order to triumph
things not seen," we must pass through
much and must 90 into it expecting To
have trials and a reward in the end.
IL follows that earnest belief in the
poss bility of beholding the invisible God
is the first step of faith toward becoming
one OF His children. If we do not be.
lieve the pos ession of thing possible
we will have no heart at all 20 ende eavoI
to secure it. The Lext step is TO work in
our own behalf and seek the experience
God always helps one who works fol
ones self, and if we SEEK Him in ou
own behalf we are sure to receive ait
from on high. Then we must think o
Go all the time, and ponder upon The
greatness and power with which he il
is clothed, and on Il c goodne. sand Iner
cy He shows to all men. After doing all
these things, there comes the most i'm
portant move of alive must put G"t
10 the test. He has never been Il unt
wanting, and has never been known tt
fail when trust has been put in Him. L
a person, having believed it possible t.
become child of God, hav ng worked
and sought for divine recognition, al {
having pondered upon his all suflicienc,
puts lis trust in God and takes HIM a
His word, he cannot fail but secure TIN
prize and behold God as He Is, through
the eyes of faith.
Men have every evidence that lie i
near and can be seen in simple faith, AM
the gre atest evidence OF all is that He /
the same God, who in the form of mai
and under the name of Jesus Christ min
istered to men in the Holy Laud. IL
was was materially visible then, and nov
lie is invisible only tothose who will nc
look in faith believing.