The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-01-19
Faith.

To West Presbyterian Church con-
gregation Rev. Albert N. Keigwin,
pastor, preached yesterday a. nj. on
Eph. lis: For by grace are ye saved
through faith"
Faith is the one element which dis
tinguishes the Christian. religion from
all others. While it differs from them
in other things. and in practice, faith
is its distinguishing feature.
There are different sects in Pagan
ism. There is no absolute standard
of Theology In any religion on earth.
There never was. Theology Is n
science and a system of facts. No
system has ever yet accumulated all
It's facts. As more facts are discov-
cred change occurs. Sometimes the
change is fundamental and sweeping.
Men cannot make an absolute the
ology.
Paul said to Timothy: Follow
faith" He many times mentioned
faith so emphaticaliy as TO make it
seem the synonym OF the Christian re-
ligion.
While love is the inward life and
soul, faith is the outward mark, garb,
or structure OF Christianity.
This leads us TO consider, i. Faith is
human while grace is divine. We are
SslNtu lHIOuBll lut tAGItlSt Vi lttlll.
Notwithstanding the bewildering
abundance of theological philosophy
there is only one kind of faith. " .
Faith is the channel OF Divine Grace.
Like the mighty Mississippi 1t flows
through this great valley OF Faith God
has in His infinite Providence hol-
lowed out for 1t. 1t does not spread
itself all over creation in "a persons
experience but flows in defined chan
mel.
In the multifarious affairs OF maklnd
men do not act without faith. 1t isall
of one and the same kind. 1t Is conf
dcnee. The child has IL in its parent.
The human element of faith, as exer-
clsed religiously, is the same as in
worldly matters. 1t differs only in its
object
IL. Saving faith can have but one
object OH which to rest, and that is
Christ. To be saving it must be cen
tired in Christ. As the poet has said:
at is n subtle chain that binds us to
the Infinite
The largest page in human history
is that which reeonnts the work OF
Jesus. 10 give the full record OF his
work the Evangelist said the world
could not contain enough books.
Eternity would not furnish time
enough to read them. Therefore we
cannot be saved by knowledge. Faith
is such confidence in Jesus as leads
us to believe and do what lie says.
III. This faith is an ethical power.
The text shows the folly of the teach
ers of an "ethical Gospel" OF that n
man is saved by being good, For by
grace are ye sa7ed through faith"
But this is n faith that makes moral
ity. Who is it that 'overcomethY' He
that "believeth that Jesus is the
Christi
There is one criterion of Judgment
for this faith. Does 1t make you more
upright? II not, have none of It.. The
preacher thought it would be braver
to go to hell in sin and folly than by
the religious delusion of an 'ethlcal
Gospel"
Should God kill the devil and blot out
hell there would still he u devil and
hell in the unsaved sinner. Could he
enter heaven thus IL would be all the
worse for him.
Religion has but one devil to kin
and that is the devil of negation and
doubt. The only power that can de-
stroy this devil is the power Of God,
who through faith in Christ changes
the unbeliever into the believer and
produces pure and holy life. a
What wise and merciful God and a
reasonable Gospel. The one object
above all others worthy of our faith is
Jesus.
The speaker concluded with vision
of the final Judgment with scriptural
quotations summarizing his sermon
ana showing the pleading of mere
gom works would not satisfy the
Judge OF all the earth, but the Chris
tan faith thnt was a living power
fruitful of good works. .--JoHN c. HARE-
NESS, Reporter.