The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-25
| H:AVEKEP7 THE FAITH.
Tho Words Of st. Paul Illustrated
In q Sermon by DR.. Alexander.
CHRISTIAN LIFE, MANLY QUALITIES
Inseparablc Ono from Anothcr...Last
Words flying Mon Always Inter-
cstlng..-Blcsscd is tho Man who can
Look Back on his Past Life and
/. Echo tho Words of tho Apostle.

esting sermon to largo and atten-
two audience, Flo will preach again
this evening, closing tho services OF tho
week. Tho text OF Yesterdays sermon
was from tho fourth chapter OF tho soc.
ond Epistlo OF st. Paul to Timothy, and
tho words selected by tho preacher
wcrc, ~ have kept tho faith"
"Tho last words and thoughts OF dying
men," said Rev. DR.. Alexander, "aro
always interesting, as they usually re.
fleet the feelings and thoughts through
life. So tho soldier, in deirium on his
death bed, imaginos that he fights his
battles over again, rs the great Napo-
leon did in his last hour. The sailor
imagincs himself in q storm at sea. Row.
John q. Thorn, when death overlook
him at St. Louis, in tho delirium OF
typhoid fever, imagined himself in tho
presence Of a largo congregation; he
rose in his bed, eXhorted his imaginary
hearers to turn to God. and to lay hold
on the eternal life, and sank back and
died. One OF the most pathetic OF these
stories is tho ono of the old schoolmas.
ter, who, when tho shades OF night were
gathering about him, said: 1T is get
ting late, md it is time for school to BIO
dismissed; let the children go home
ut is sad, when light and frivolous
words-it is saddcr still when wicked
words-fall from the lips OF dying men.
Sometimes, in reading the close OF the
lives OF public men, VIC turn away, and
say: is that all they lived for? How
different, when VIC turn to the words
written here OF the champion Of the
Christian cause. Full OF the holy ghost,
he had faithfully served God and his
generation, leaving behind him this
grand Christian testimony. When VIC
read these words, VIC feel that this man
knew what he was talking about. This
is not q Eighty state of mind; these are
the words OF truth and soberness. This
man was not afraid to look back over
his past life, nor to look ahead into his
grave, nor even to the lifo beyond.
81 have kept tho faith What does
this mean? II We would keep the faith,
VIC must hold fast to the teachings of
the Bible. God tolls us the way in the
holy book to be saved. There is no
guide outside OF it. The faith OF all
those who love Jesus Christ centres
here in this word OF God. II we keep
the faith, we are to hold fast to the
Bible, we are to believe what God has
spoken. Blessed is the man who on
his deathbed can look back on his past
life and say: Not ono year, not one
month, not one day OF my life have l
rejected the counsel OF God; never have
I cast aside this precious volume OF
Gods revelations
"To hold fast to the Bible truths,
Bible doctrine is not enough; We must
also have personal Savior. Time was
when Paul was the leader OF the oppo-
sition to Christ; time was when he was
the head and front Of all persecution
directed againstthe followers OF Christ
but after his conversion all this passed
away, and he became the most devoted
follower OF Jesus Christ. Blessed is the
man who, at the close OF his life, can
look back and say: 4 have known this
Savior, Not one year, not one month,
not ono day aftertI learned to know
Him have forgotten to BID 4 follower
? OF His To keep the faith We must
live the faith, We must live life OF
iaithfulness and devotion to God.
Blessed is the man who, when death is
encompassing him, can say that he has
tried to be true; that. he has tried to
DO faithful to the Redecmcr; that he
has tried to walk with Jesus Christ, and
has lived q faithful and blessed life to
the end.
GLOW can VIC keep the faith2 1t is
not enough to say, I believe on the BIZ
ble;' it is not enough to say, 4 receive
this book as the word Of God We
must receive the. Lord Jesus Christ with
our full hearts, as it is only in this way
that We can keep the faith. To DO
consistent Christian calls forth the
highest qualities Of manhood. Sec the
courage that is necessary; see how often
the faith may be assaulted and ir how
many ways VIC may DO tempted. II
man wants to lead a manly life, let him
try to keep the faith OF Jesus Christ.
1t requires more bravery than to lead
an assault in battle against an enemy.
There is no place where true courage is
called for so much, as in leading q pure
Christian life. Do men know what it
has cost to hand the Bible down to us
in its present form? DO they know
what blood has been shed, do they
know what suffering has been borne?
And shall we not be faithful to it?
"We can keep the faith only by the
divine help and by tho power Of God;
without that our efforts are in vain aud
there is no salvation for us. May wo
say in transporting Joy, when We como
to tho end OF our mortal life, 4 have
kept the faith, through Gods help and
through tho blood ofthc Lamb
& "There are two questions to be con-
sidored in connection with this keeping
OF the faith. One OF them is, how would
we desire at the end to reflect on our
life? Death calls upon all men, and it
is nero question OF timo when We will
be on our deatEbed. Suppose you are
rational at that moment, saved from
delirium, and with realizing conscious
ness Of the approach OF tho end. How
many arc here tonight who can say at
that time, In 1892 yielded myself to
God and since then have triod humbly
and sincerely to keep the faith Wo
arc making tho record now. What
shall our feelings and thoughts be
4 when VIC look buck on our life. Shall
they be like those OF this noble man
Il have kept tho faith Ii we would
have that DO, now is tho time to got
ready.
\ "The second question is: What in
fluenco will I cXert?' We must have
IN influence behind us, and that in
tluenco will last many years. There was
a man i'll my congregation who was a
good man, and yet he never saw his
way clear to a public profession Of faith.
That influence lives in that congrega.