The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-27

grateful when have H. unss conf;1lenre
in him- Is stfi<ex man dOwn with xirk-
ness in the midst of his plans for maki,-
Hsonry. IL skaters his 3ortHsses. rufus his
health. hreak> up his family. slsrkens his
s3nl, alIares him into unhesirf. ard drives
hira into the t,otsomles> pit OF despair
specfer-like. il hasfnts him till he dies
broken-hearted or takes his oxn life re-
peat then II we have 10 higher than earth
~ relations, the world Is out OF joint /
can understand now why the unheliever
finds no comfort in sorrow. why the world
ling has no consolation in affection, They
live for the weird. serve themselves, and
trust TO fate.
The next stage in this refining process
has already bern intimased. namely the
begetting OF desire for relief. In the dark
est hours of trial look not about yon, bat
loos Up. God alone can I'll the emptiness
CT your heart He can supply your wants
Establish relation with him and they shall
not be broken. He is light" In Him is
no darkness at ALL" you see adversely
Ereak the rude props Of cur construction
anss give the souls wings 10 mount mp 10
God. who alone possesses the balm TO he'll
sill wounds. How precious the passage.
Come unto me al ye that labor and are
heavy laden and will giye you rest" Al
though he exciaim IN Inournfug tones. Man
Is born unto trouble as tie sparks iiy mp
ward," be rejoices in. the words. II will
seek unto Gcd. ana unto God would COM
NIT ny cause
With trust in Col comes delivcranee.
Our Heavenly Father delivers US in adyer-
sisy By coming near US. Nebnchadnexzar
saw four men in the IRE. For sore trial
Col granted a special presence. These
Hebrews found the Lord nearest. not in
the kings palace. nor in the temples of the
Chaldeans. nor in the stars which they
studied. nor yet in the privacy of their
chambers. bu: il the fiery trial OF the
furnace.
Moreover. We are told the fire did not
devour the men. Thus God takes away
the destructive power OF adversely. Laban
may sharpen his arrows. but will blunt
them. Cares may grow heavy, but the
Lord win tighten them. Men may ridicule
you, but angels will nod approval The
world may iorsake you. but God draws
nearer.
Tho last fame of the retiner's fire is that
which produces endurance. This, as we
have already seen, is not q native quality
with US. but Is endowed from above. 1t
shows the fincness of the gold. The more
endurance under trial the believer displays,
the greater is his intrinsic worth. Ad-
versity, then, SHOULD make us feel our
weakness. give US faith in Christ. on whose
merits we will be judged. and thus turn us
to God. You have often read beautiful
sentiments written by poets; trite sayings
pregnant with thought. Every breath of
the Christian is a sentiment His whole
life is one grand sentiment. inscribed in all
the albums of heaven. Rejoice in tribula-
ton, for great is your reward in heaven.
CATHOLIC CHURCH.
Rev Father Prefontaine, at the Catholic
church of Our Lady of Good Help, yester-
day morning discoursed to a full congre-
CATION. His text was from:
Matt viii:ls.-"As thou has believed so be it
done 20 thee
in his public life" he said, eour Lord
wrought great many wonders, and as st.
Luke expresses it, He was mighty in word
and work; but before He would operate
His prodigies He would require from those
who were to be benefited . condition,
namely, faith, and the measure of His gifts
had for its basis the greatness OF their
faith. As thou has believed so be it done
to thee
The speaker took advantage of his text
to speak of the necessity Of faith and of its
quality. With regard TO the necessity he
said: MAN gifted with reason must es-
sentially be taught: having an immortal
soul, he II Ut his birth member Of two So
cieties, the one earthly and the other heav-
enly. In order to live in the two societies,
he is bound to believe others and receive
from others the first notions that will open
his intellect. To be able to speak, read or
write, the child must have some one to
speak to him. TO read and TO write before
him. All men, no matter how learned they
may become, must receive this first educa-
ton. Furthermore, all sciences rest upon
the principle or oral and traditional teach
ing. Thus natural faith is our first teacher
here below; it is the generating power OF
all our knowledge. and the lamp burning
before our reason to enlighten and to
guide her. But by the side of this
natural faith. there is the supernatural
faith, the Christian faith or the adhesion
of our intelligence and of our hearts to the
word of God revealed TO His church.
Faith, is not only an act but a vir-
tue, which inclines us to believe everything
that is revealed. be it above our reason or
within our reason. This faith rests not
only upon the word and the experience OF
man, but on the word aud teaching of God
himself. 1t is easy to understand how
much higher and how safer is the super
natural faith over the natural faith. The
supernatural faith is of necessity to saliva
ton. With the natural faith one can be-
come learned; even an honest man. &C
cordng To the world. but without the SUI
pernatural faith can never become vir-
tuous in the eyes of tod nor become citi-
zen OF Heaven. without faith it is i'm
possible to please God"
Father Prefontaine explained the quality
that faith must have. Ii must be one
supernatural. firm, lively or practical. He
Then entreated his congregation to live ac-
cording 10 their faith ii they wished to
overcome all the difficulties met with in
this world and he crowned with victory.
the victory which oyercometh the world
our faith"
CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
Mr.. McCalium preached from:
Luke :6-Aud they were both righteous be-
fore God walking IN al the commandments
and ordinances Of the Lord blsmeiess
We are pleased 10 be commended BY our
friends. especially by the good, ana those
who are our saperiors. Zacharias and
Elizabeth were approved by God himself
because they kept the commandments and
ordinances faithfully. They were right
eoas IN that they submitted to and obeyed