The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-02-02
AUSTIN PULPITS.
WHAT THEIR OCCUPANTS DIS.
COURsED ABOUT SUNDAY.
AIIhe Methodist.

WHAT THEIR OCCUPANTS DIS
COURSED ABOUT SUNDAY.
Al the Methodist.
Despite the ram aud cold, fair con-
gresatton assembled at the Methodist
house of worship. TO listen 10 tho very
Goodwin. His text was First Corin-
thians, 18th chapter, 18th verse: NOW
abideth Faith, Hope, Charity, these three:
but the greatest Of thcse,is Charity"
a great obstacle TO personal piety and
10 the general progress of religion is the
disposition to substitute the form for the
"pOwer of godliness." This Journalism
eften steals over hearts once warm with
the life of God, till nothing remains but
the cold corpse Of a religious profession.
Here the Spirit of God reveals "more
excellent way''-the way of love; then
gathering TO IL the sister graces OF faith
and hope, lays upon our hearts the grand
declaration, ''now abideth." etc. Here Is
the Christians creed in three words--iaith,
hope, love. Brief rs it is, how few grasp
il beautiful as it Is, how few embrace IL.
We talk of faith as the ''key of heaven"
but TO now few is heaven open. All
hope, yet many know as little of heaven
ly hope as the blind do of the splendOrs
Of the sun. And love, all use the word
and know something of IL as an earthly
affection but as 4 divine flame, kindling
into spiritual life the soul OF man, do we
know what 1t Is? Yet this is religion
faith in God, hope in immortality, and
love divine burning IN the heart, per-
petual flame of devotion 10 God and the
good of man.
!. Think of these graces of religion--faith
in God. What is faith! Ask yourself.
1t enters into all your life Faith IN men
iS fho hagis of husInngS rniafi0nG Faith
in an enterprise embarks us in it. Faith
determines every mans center. Faith in
self makes a man his own center.
His life revOlves around this little circle,
the measure of his resources, what he can
do. The faith of the Christian
makes God his center and the uni
verse the measure OF his resources. God
says to him, "All things are yours"
Faith connects the soul with God, and
its resources are infinite. This is what
the world wants-faith in God no treas
ures OF earth can compare with its re-
sources.
Hope!' what magic IN the word. How
dark would earth be without its light.
We live not so much In the forgotten
past as in the coming future. We live
by hope. 1t renews the energy OF man
sustains the tOIling and supports the suf-
fering, who often have not tie 10 life
or motive to live but the hope of better
days. But ''all is not gold that
characterization hope is q fat
tering light, discounted, in every
eXperieaced heart by a thousand broken
promises. Yet the flattering promise
only half kept once in Il thousand times,
is u pleasure, sweet delusiOn, aud
enrth's Borrowing millions WOO this
sweet enchantress, to guild with her fat
teTing light their clouded aching hearts.
o, II these but knew the light and cheer
OF religious hope, then, In every fortune
their hearts would echo the sentiment of
Campbell's beautiful words:
Cease every joy to gImmer on my mind,
But leave OH, leave the light OF hope behind;
What though my winged hours OF hope have
been
Like Angels visits, few and fur between.
Her muslng mood shall every pang appease
And charm. when pleasures lose the power 10
plcnse.'
This religious hope Is the true sOace OF
mortal life-the only light and cheer of
the soul when dissolying nature sinks in
Heath. How sweetly, then, 1t whispers
to the dying of home in heaven, and
hangs itslamps along the gloomy vale of
death 10 light to that eternal home. This
hope is the heritage of all who seek it,
IL will not deceive you iR'llfe nor desert
you in death, but light your steps until
its beams are lost in the radiance of
heaven, rs the morning star fades in the
light or the opening dry.
Charity, love, what. words can unfold
its glory. "GOd Is love, religion Is love,
a divine inspiration shed abroad in our
hearts, by the Holy Ghost given us, till
we love God and all that God loves
=. The transcendant excellence of love.
''The greatest of these Is love" greater
than faith and hope in its nature. These
are instrumcntaliiies love is the end. II
embraces these, does the work of both,
aIl
hopeth all things, endureth all things !"
Not by faith or hope do We resemble
God, but by love; God is love-"
In its effects. Faith aud hope are
selfish graces. My faith binds my heart
to good, my hope lights my soul; but love
gives me away To others as 1t gave God
TO US. 1t flows out blessing to all like
the gushing spring.
Then tits greater then faith and hope
in its duration. "Charity never iaileth.n
Faith shall be lost In sight, and hope in
full fruitiOn die; but love, in its natural
home shalt live on forever.
3. Practice reflect
What rich herita - expressed in
the words ''now abb e" Earth IL not
These abide---faith, T. ie, love. What
elsel Fortune, FAM. fiends---nOne Of
these abide. The Y" fashion of this
world changetb. IN rdeth" is written
alone on the heavenly graces. These no
storms of earth or power of men can de-
strOy or hurt.
Then what is reiigionf Certainly not
forms nor creeds nor names, but love.
We may have anything, everything else,
but If we have not this, we have not re-
ligiOn.
Then, have you this religion9 If not,
you have nothing that will abide; nothing
that will bear you company through the
valley Of death, through which all must
pass. Can you, dare you venture this
journey alOneY Think of this, and pray
age and with his likeness; that you may
live n life OF love and have Gods ever
lasting arms of love to enfold you when
you die.