The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-08-16
THY WILL BE DONE.
THE POWER OF CHRISTIAN
FAITH.
Human Friendship NotSufhcient
in the Hour of Supreme Trial.
The Humble Believer and Ag-
nostic Compared---Hope Makes
Sorrow Easier to Bear.


nostic Compared---Hope Makes
Sorrow Easier to Bear.
New York Herald.l
Oh my Father, Thy will be done Mat
thew XVI, IL.
The man of faith lives with more
satisfaction to himself and with greater
benefit to his kind than the man of
doubt.
We do not refer to the man whose
brain contains a mere nuddle of be-
liefs, who has prejudices and supersti-
tions instead of convictions, but to him
who feels sure that there is an eternal
right and an eternal wrong, that the
right is worthy of his support at all
hazards, and the wrong will bring
him to physical and spiritual bank
ruptcy in the long run.
We do not need long creed, but
we do need few varieties as a basis
for action. The Thirty-nine Articles
may seem very prolix, and Institutes
of Calvin may not commend them
selves to our best judgment, but our
rejection Of them does not constitute
us heretcs in the sight of God, al
though God may ex-communicate us.
If we believe that the universe is
ruled by love as we'll as by power,
that the outcome of virtue is happiness
and the result of evil is misery; if we
see Providence in the events of life
and feel that we can communicate
with that Providence by means of
what is called prayer, if we have faith
in another life where the freed soul
will have larger opportunities than its
environment has permitted here if we
absorb the spirit of brotherly love and
helpfulness which was incarnated in
the Christ, we need have no fears as
to our fate in the future.
Mans creed is apt to be a long
one Gods creed is very short. Short
as it is, however, you will have no time
to spare if you shape your years ac-
cording to its requirements.
Your life, everybody's life, has its
pathetic side, and you must have the
sympathy OF God if you are to do
good work.
There are times when you are ap-
palled by the situation in which you
find yourself. There is no light any
where, but darkness everywhere. A
score Of friends stand by you and give
you what comfort, can be contained
in the words, but they have lives of
their own to live, they can not help
you as you must be helped if you are
to recover from the disaster.
Human friendship is precious, but
much more is wanted. Human love
mingles its sighs and tears with yours,
but still there is an empty place in
your heart which neither friendship nor
love can fill.
We have all had that experience, a
heaviness which no arm can Tighten,
a dread which no words can dissipate,
a weariness which no one within reach
can brighten with hope.
Is there no comfort anywhere, no
consolation, no unseen influence that
will steal into the soul with transtigur-
ing power 2
The agnostic shakes head in an
emergency like that, and does not
speak, because he has nothing to say.
He can furnish you with additional
despair, but with no thought which
will afford you resignation.
What kind Of world is this"
you ask yourself, "in which what one
Graves most that is beyond ones
lengtha'' Is there no remedy any
where for your disease of mind? Are
you left alone to struggle as you can
to find your way out of the grief by
the slow process of forgetfulness?
We think not. Else it was mis-
fortune to be born, and the chief bless
ing is to get rid of it all in childhood,
before you can learn that life is moth
lug better than tragedy.
Your father has fallen asleep, per-
chance, and when you call him he
will not answer. The eyes will never
open again, the lips are like lips of
marble. There is frightful stiffness
in the house broken only by the mui
fled beating of your own heart and
your unrepressed means. Is that the
end? Has the story been all told ?
Is the volume Of filial affection closed
and clasped with an iron clasp? Have
you said farewell forever, and has the
dear one taken a sudden departure
into the region of black nothingness'
Then what is Lille worth? What is
the use of loving if the most sacred
ties are snapped when Death taps at
the door? He is better off than you
who never loved at all, for he will
suffer less, and the less love we bestow
on any one the larger are our chances
of happiness. Let US henceforth care
for self alone and pay no heed to
others.
Or, it may be that child, the ligh,
of your home, your joy and pride, lies
in your arms with raging, consuming,
resentless fever. Its little eyes look
into yours imploringly; its little arms
are tightly clasped about your neck.
Hope dies out of your heart, and the
inevitable, like the shadow of a setting
sun, throws its gloom over the scene.
The babe is slipping away from you,
and carrying with it the best part Of
your life, tor in all the earth there is
nothing so beautiful, SO sublime or SO
impressive as mothers love.
What say you? What has any one
to say? The man of doubt is at your
side, a tender hearted man, full Of
human sympathy, and willing to do