Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1888-07-08

Faith Is the Hinge ON Which Eternity
Turns-Tho Grace That Can Forgive
Small Sins Can Forgive Large Ones.
Outbreaks of Giadness I'm Heaven.
CRETE, Neb., July To-day there is
great outdoor meeting at this place-a
Chautauqua meeting-and people from
all parts are present. a sermon by the
Rev. T. De Witt Talmage, DID, is the
principal feature Of the occasion. The
reverend gentleman's subject was:
None Like Jesus" He took for his
text: "Unto you therefore which be-
lieve he is precious" | Peter ii, z. Fol-
lowing is the sermon:
We had for many years in this coun-
try commercial depression. What was
the matter with the stores? With the
harvests? With the peoplel Lack Of
faith. Money enough, goods enough,
skillful brains enough, industrious hands
enough, but no faith. Now what dam
ages the commercial world. damages the
spiritual. Our great lack is faith. That
is the hinge on which eteriity turns.
The Bible SAYS we are saved by faith.
"Oh, says some one in the audience, II
have faith. believe that Christ came
down to save the world" reply that
in worldly matters when you have faith
you always act upon it. For instance, if
| could show you business operation by
which you could make $1,000, you would
Immediately 60 into it. You would
prove your faith in what | tell you by
your prompt and immediate action.
Now. if what you call faith in Christ has
led you to surrender your entire nature
TO Jesus and 10 corresponding action in
your life, il is genuine faith, and If it
has not, il is not faith at all.
There are some things which believe
with the head. Then there are other
things which | believe with the heart.
And then there are other things which
believe both with the head and heart.
believe, for instance, that Cromwell
lived. That is matter Of the head.
Then there are other things which be.
lieve with the heart and not with the
head. That is, have no especial reason
for believing them, and vet want to be-
lieve them. and the wish is the father TO
the expectation. But there is a very
great difference between that which we
believe about ourselves and that which
we believe about others. For instance,
you remember not q great while ago
there was q disaster in Pennsylvania,
amid the mines: there was an explosion
amid the damps. and many lives
were lost. In the morning you picked
up your newspaper, and saw that there
had been great disaster in Penn
sylvauia. You said: "Ah, what SAT
thing this is; how many lives lost! o
what sorrow" Then you read a littlt
further on. There had been an almost
miraculous effort to get those men out,
and few had been saved. 90" you
said. "what brave thing. what grand
thing that was! How well it was doneV
Then you folded the paper up, and sal
down to your morning repast. Your ap
petite had not leen interfered with. ant
during that day, perhaps, you thought
/ OillN ANo VI lllltN lllllNn Va All' tletAoANl
But suppose you and | had been in tht
mine, and the dying had been all arounC
us, and we had heard the pickaXes jus
above US as they were trying TO worl
their way down. and after while W,
saw the light, and then the life bucket le
down through the shaft, and suifocate,
and half dead, we had just strength
enough to throw ourselves over into it
and had been hauled out into the light
Then what an appreciation we woul,
have had of the agony and the darknes
beneath, and the JOY OF deliverance. Tha
is the difference between believing
thiT- about others and believing it abou
ourselves.
We take up the Rible and read tha
Christ came to save the world. "Tha
was beautiful, you say, IN fine specimel
Of self denial. That was very grand in
deed But suppose il is found that w
ourselves were down in the mine Of sil
and in the darkness, and Christ stretches
down his arm of mercy through tn
gloom and lifted rs out Of the pit ant
set our feet on the Rock Of Age, and pu
a new song INTO our mouth. oh, then
is matter of hand clnpping; it is mat
ter of congratulation; it is a matter o
deep emotions. What kind of faith hav
you, my brotherl
It Is faith that makes n Christian. an,
il Is the proportion Of faith that make
the difference between Christians, Wha
was it that lifted Paul and Luther, an
Payson and Dodlridge above the ordir
airy level Of Christian character? 1t wa
the simplicity, the brilliancy, the powe
and the splendor of their faith. Oh
that we had more Of IL! God give I
more faith to preach and more faith I
hear. "Lordl we believe. help thou OF
unbclief!" "To you which believe hc
precious
First; | remark Christ is precious I
the believer, as a saviour from sin.
man SAYS: ITO whom are you talking
am one Of the most respectable men
this mel, lborhoOd: do you call me n sil
nCr" les! THE heart is deceitful aboN
all things and desperately wicked 10
say: "llow do You know anything abol
my heart3" know that about it. fc
God announces il in LIS Word: and wha
God says is always right. When ma
beCsmos a Christian people say: INA
man sets himself above u.s. Oh no' ~
stead Of setting himself up, he throw
himself down. He cries out: IL wa
, lost once. but now am found. ! wa
blind once. but now see, ! prostrat
myFclf at tho foot Of the cross OF tn
Cn,l.,,,.'. ,,grgy