The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-01-22
r. Mqody's Sermon Of
Friday, Jan. 10.
"FAITHv WAS TEXT FOR THE DAY,
The Continuation OF the Records Of
the Evangelist's Work In This City.
Tomorrow the Sermons Of Sunday
Will BE Given.


remember that was talking about diso-
bedience, and the disobedient people
don't like to hear about obedience. To-
day / want to talk about faith, and the
unfaithful ones don't like to hear much
about faith. 1t is pretty dry subject.
Some people say a will Is q pretty dry
thing. People don't like to read legal doc
uments: but if you are mentioned in the
will it becomes instantly very interesting
reading. And when You come TO remem-
ber that all the promises that have been
made by God are linked to Us by faith,
faith ought 10 become one OF the most
interesting subjects in the whole Bible.
Some one gave me this. Iput it in my
Bible, and think II will do you good to
put it into yours; eFaith gets the most;
humility keeps the most; love works the
most" ''Faith gets the most!"
Next Sunday afternoon will talk
to you about love, but now we
will talk about faith. In the 11th chapter
OF Hebrews and the first verse, we read,
"Now faith is the substance OF things
hoped for, the evidence OF things not
seem" Faith is the dependence
upon the verncity of another.
Someone has said there are three
things to saving faith--knowledge as
sent and consent or the laying hold. i
may know a thing, but II don't act upon
my knowledge, it doesn't help me. A
man may tell me that 10000
have been deposited in the bank
in my name and all / need to
do is to draw upon the bank for the
money; but IL don't act, don't draw
upon the bank for it, 1t doesn't help me
bit. don't get any benefit from the
fact that the money is there unless I act
A good many people have
a sort OF dead faith; they believe intellect
uaiy that Jesus Christ can save them, that
He is able, that He is willing to save
them, but yet they are not saved. Why?
Because they don't act upon what they
believe. Now the promises don't
do us any good unless we lay hold
of them. In the sixth verse of
that same chapter we read, "But without
faith it is impossible to please Him; for
he that cometh to God must believe that
He is, and that He is rewarder of them
that diligently seek Him." Now what
the foundation is to house, faith is to a
true believer. You might say it is the
foundation of society and everything.
II you haven't any faith in q doctor, you
don't want him in the house, you wouldn't
commit the life OF your child into his
hands. II you lost confidence in neigh
Dor, you wouldn't want to associate
with him. Faith Is the founda-
tion of all social intercourse, it
is the foundation of all commercial inter-
course. What has brought on this pre-
sent wretched state OF things9 Want of
faith. Men have lost faith in some por-
finnQ nf fha d
want of confidence. Money Is locked up,
some of you have old stockings tied up,
and the money is not In circulation. You
see there is terrible lack OF faith, and ii
is very important that we have faith. 1t
is the foundation Of everything.
Now want to say very emphatically that
God doesn't ask man or womanto believe
without giving them evidence or some-
thing to believe. 1t isn't what some peo-
pie say it is, "a leap into the dark, )" not by
good deal. You might as well ask man to
hear without ears, see without eyes, walk
without feet, as to ask a man to believe
without giving him something to believe.
Now in the 1st Epistle OF John, 5th
chapter, 9Th verse, we read "lf we
receive the witness OF men, the
witness of God Is greater; for this
10 thC WithtoS Va oo0 NhSCn IlC has ttoll-
fled Of His Son. lie that believeth on the
Son of God bath the witness in Himself;
he that believeth not God hath made Him
record that God gave of His Son.
And this Is the record, that
God hath given to us eternal life, and
Son hath life; and he that hath not the
-, ~ Id 10
isn't q mere creed or doctrine.
Doctrines are all right in their
places, but when you put them In
the place of faith or salvation they be-
come a sin. II DIR. Horton should ask
me up to his house to dinner tomor-
row, the street would be a very good
thing to take me to his house, but IL
didn't go into the house, Wouldn't get
any dinner. Now creed is the road
or street. 1t is very good as far as 1t goes,
but IL 1t doesn't take US to Christ 1t is
worthless. "He that hath the Son hath
life." Faith in person, and that person
is Jesus Christ. 1t isn't creed about Him,
but it is Himself. When people say
they cannot believe, always like to press
them on that one point, TO know why.
Some men say they cannot become Christ
lans DcCHuse tney arc 30 Coustltuteu. Il
don't believe one solitary word of
it. don't believe any man is so
that he cannot believe
God IL he wants to. Whyf Because for
these 5000 years He has never broken His
promises to man, and until they can
break the word of God man hasn't got an
inch of ground to stand on. ! met one OF
these men q good many years ago in
ono OF our after meetings. He
said he couldn't believe. said, "who9"
"well,p he said, 81 can not believe "Well"
I said, "Who?" He said, 81 cannot be-
lieve." You don't understand me.
have intellectual difficulties, and cannot
believe" 1 said, "whos" He began to
color up and he said, "You evidently
don't understand my difficulties, sir
tell you cannot belicve.' And ] said.
''Who?' Finally he stsmmcrcd out, 81
cannot believe myself" 1 said, Thank
God, / am glad you have got that far
along" Thought he was going 20 say
he couldn't believe God, and 4
was going to pin him down and
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