The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-10-13

| dreamed OF and would have pronounced
| impOssible; and yet. with all the adj
yances, what does man know OF his true
nature and capacities, orthe possibilities
Of his eXistenc- ms an intelligent. moral
being. framed after the image Of his
| CREATOR or Of what use, what perma-
nent value all these branches, discover
| les and inventions to him or the posses
sor Of an undying, immortal soulf En-
| anime the result Of these researches;
| take even the best Of the facts and
/ truths that he seeks to establish and lay
| down final. and worthy as they may
seem of aCceptation, permanent rs they
| may appear to be, how often does he
miss Of his calculations and find that
which he supposed to be- truth. not to
be truth but an error' How often
forced 10 modify aud change, substitute
| and rcsubstitute; now giving one theory
the prominence, and now another. until
he thinks the fact he seeks has been
reached The world Is full Of such eN-
| perimeuts: the ink of the printed page
| advocating d seeming fact or "A supposed
truth being scarcely dry before that fact
or truth is pronounced ont Of date, to be
uppluutcd bv some other that appears
nearer the reality. II was ages before
| the Ptolemaic system which declared
the earth to be- fixed I'm the cenler of the
universe, with the sun ana stars feVOlv-
ing around twas rejected for the
Copcrnicun. which rcvCrsrs this order
mud makes the sun the center of our
system. The advocacy of the latter,
even after it was first proved correct,
was pronounced not only uuscicutiiic,
but hprptical. Man, it Is true, lived as
long under the one theory as under the
other. Z hey were Just ~ safe, comfort
able and happy: made and lost money
with the same facility when persuaded
that the earth was Hat. or that II rested
upon the shoulders ufan elephant stand
ing ON the back Of n tortoise that stood.
mo- one knows where or when persuad-
cd that the world Is round and makes n
diurnul revolution on It's axis. So
uug a. the first belief prevailed IL
answered every purpose IL WAS thought
worthy Of nCCepiHtiun, and vet II WIS
untrue. And so it IL with n
nrgc share Of man : researches, spccu-
uiiun-, experiments. 80 dependent are
hey uuun circumstance. beyond con
rt. So associated with uncertainty.
.huuge. modification that we ARE forced
10 receive them. II not with suspicion
NJ least with great caution. Man feels
iis way along In the dark, to end often
mes only In the dark. and II this be-
rue I'm regard iu those things which he
mn see touch. aud handle, To which he
un auulV the test Of his senses: with
he proofs hanging, suspended rs II
ere ON every side Of him: what can We
Npect where he has Ia deal with thirgs
hat urp intangible: with future into
hiCh he cuun,t pruieCt himself. and In.
10 which he enters when compelled t.
Win such supreme reluctance; with
acts and truths that lie beyond the
iuitc. aud can only be communicated to
us by the infinite, by u uirrct revelation
Hum heaven. Let man attempt any
hing In this DIRECTION, and not Onll
would he be- forced to change his base
wan each new effort; but his every pro-
lusition would be 80 ineXircably con
,td and uncertain a. To forbid our fol-
uW INK him, Prudence and safety would
dixie protest agaiustit. Not so, however
Win the truth or say ing thar Is present.
ru to Us 10y The Apostle, and that 1t IL
inserted here like AN apple Ui gold In u
picture or figured work Of silver. This
10 II faithful say ing (wUrthy of credlI)
and worthy OF all (all possible, /. e. uni
,crsal), HCceptatiun that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners
Notice the two points: faithful, worthy
OF ucoeptatiOn; IN other words ii is first
q say ing from which every doubt lie eN-
eluded; incapable OF change; ana second
% pleasing, precious, acceptable saying,
one possessing features or elements In
itself that should lead men to receive il
with the llyeiiest joy and eXullatiOn.
We are not told TO receive 1t ON mere
heursay; not SIMPLY on the testimony OF
others; not even again because the Bible
says sO-a blind and unreasOnng Gre
nullty is moi characteristic of our Teli-
giOn. Christianity rests on Indubitable
iHUts; FACTS that are as solid ana immOy-
able as the Almighty Himself; facts Tor
which God gruciOusly gives man the
proof ana The same principle that rules
100 regard to the reception OF any other
truth, and teachings rules here-lt Is not
therefore that We are to take the saving
that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners, ON heursay, or the testi-
muuy Of others, or the assertion OF the
Bible, but ON the ground that ID il an es-
Ublisned, proven TACT; and where In the
universe is there one that Is more
strongly uttested to, or surrounded by
more conclusive evidence II stands en-
lrcucheo In series of prophetic fulfill
mcnts that come down to Us from the
very creation. Prophecies that no
human mind could have framed. and no
human power ever accomplished. 1t
hu- been received and tested by thous-
unuh ui thousands in every age of the
world, Who at lire. like Paul OpposCd
uud rtyilod IL. Men have gone 10 the
very ends OF the earth, making 1t known
40 the peril OF life. Multiludes have
poured cut their hearts blood In testi-
mony OF It's truth. The more candidly
and carefully 1t is sCruuniZed and exam
med, the more thorough the conviction
that IL j, trustworthy and reliable. 10
~ In. H.. D. H..
Reject IL and We must reject the testi-
muny OF our own SENSES. And not only
50, but where again Is there truth so
tu.l OF all that is interesting and attruo.
ave; 50 dlgmlAIng TO man; 50 precious
ln lie communications and results: 80
lnll oil encouragement and uuspeukabp
comfort 10 tue soul ~ every condition
ana circumstance UI life: truth TINT
t,ls US We are slLners and need "A
saviour; u truth that tells us that Christ
Jesus dieu, not iUr select class, but for
tnt entire human race; Il truth THAI pro-
Niues Tor me complete removal OF sin.
ana uuhts the sUul up 10 The favor and
friendship OF lis COD; Il truth thai OPENS
up 10 "a Inc everlasting glories and
'pleudurs OF heaven, ana tells us all
these are yours. II you viii only believe;
ewtd even from au.eHrthly standpoint.
from The satisfaction and comfort II
nrlibs 10 man 90 the present, and IL Is
muumparaDle; but extend That view IN
10 Tue iutuIe, carry II iniu the heavenly
World; look 1t the myriads Of SaIits that
are already about The throne Of Cod: Wit
IL IS the ualll IN, reast OF their humber
nom lhe company of believers ON earth
mink Ol the innumerable host, the
thousands upon thousands and tens of
thousands that Win there stand NJ the
asst day 10 Oller their praises and
.hAnksglVlngs 10 God for lheir rrsrne