The Helena independent., 1894-10-01
FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE,
Theme Of an Interesting Discourse
at the Benton Avenue Christ
ian Church.
Delivered by Row, j. M. stroator
the Newly Chosen Pastor
OF tho Church.
Large Audiences Greeted tho Oontlemau
Morning ana Evening, and We're
Pleased and Proflted.

Rev. J. NJ. B.reAtor. the new pastor Of
tho Benton avenue Christian church, ooou-
pied the pulpit OF his charge yesterday for
the frat time. IIIs soTmOna. both morn.
ing and evening were imp e6alys aud in
tereating. Tho subject for tho morning
sermon was Faith, Hope and Love" and
tho teIt whs Cor. l2;27-l3l3. His TO
marks may be epitomizsd NJ followd'
Before the Franco PrnsGihn WSr. In tho
city OF Paris on tho banks OF tho river
Seine, was au at gallery In which vsro
placed tho pictures OF living artists. /,
was the privilege OF any artist who had at.
tHinsd a certain degree OF celebrity TO place
his pictures on exhibition there. Tto
artists work was then open 10 criticism,
II be heard what he considered TO
bo just criticism. hs could re-
move tho picture TO bis studio and
make tho suggested alterations. Bot when
the nrtiat died his picture was taken down,
carried over tho river and placed in an
other gallery. There IL remained just as
ho had left II. Other minds might rer-
ceive bow ths deslen OF the artist could bo
more clearly dtvslo. cd by few strokes Of
the b uah, but the time for making changes
had passed and the ictnrs remained q mon.
umont OF the artisps best endeayor.
When ] rend this incident was forciby
reminded OF the similarity of our work and
! that OF tho Phriainn n'tist. We are Ull
rGinting pioturea 90 be exhibited in the
goat gallery Of Time. This picture we nre
painting 10 the life We a's living; IL is ths
deeds vo do, the things VIC say; IL is tho
| duty that we know aud Co mott the Ely
spoken word We leave unsaid.
| Ono reason why We meet with so maDy
failures 10 the thou9ht that the tiuly great
is beyond our possibility, and the little Ia
not worth attempting This was what
trcLled the church ia Cofinth. The more
humble, and the ma iority OF the members,
could NOT do the works OF Paul, nor speak
with the tongue OF Apollos, Because they
we're denied the gifts allotted by the Spirit
to those illustrious men, thoy would not
and should not be expected 10 be eoiivo
wofkers in the great conflict between good
and evil, timo ard eternity. life and
death. Tho apostle told them they
could not all be apostles. nor prophets, nor
teachers, nos wo kors OF mi acles. nor pos
soAs tho gift Of healing. nor speak with
tongues. nor interpret But they should
not be discouraged on account OF this. IL
was lawful to earnestly desire tho tost Rifts
| OF the spirit, but theie wns Bnmsthing
better than thsse; something, tho attain-
ment OF which the apostle calls "the more
excellent way" In the thirteenth chapter
this 10 described na tho more excellent way
of faith and tose and lovs. In our LIES
work God would have Us paint picture OF
man or woman full OF faith in God end
in humanity. Faith Isl simple word, and
on ignorant persou can understand what 10
siRnthed by II.
One OF ,hs beat definitions over heard
OF faith was that given by little girl In
Suajay school. Ii was TO take God at His
word sud ask no questions about H. Mo
odemus did not possess this faith. Hs h1d
faith that oaused him 10 say We kno thou
art tencher sent ON Col. Bnt as soon
az this teacher gnve uttorhneo TO truth
that the ruler in Israel did not readily
comprehend, ho doublsl aud said: "How
can theB9 tGingA bcf" Tho child's faith
would have Rccer tel the doctrine Mt once
because of its unfaltering tIGst In God and
and In His Christ. Tho besettinR sin OF
Chfis,iHus Is tho lack Of faith that trusts
Implicitly. Caelar snld IL 10 easy 20 be-
lievc what We want 10 b,liovr. and so with
the Christian. He believes in the divinity
OF Christ, the fatherhood OF God
the divine nature Of the holy Spirit;
he believes NIL that Is said about tutnnR
sinners from the error OF their wayH, but
when tho knme heavenly messenger shys,
"Fo sake not the assembling OF yourselves
together 70 the mHnDe' OF aomo is." OF
gives othOf directions Nc 10 how the spirit.
usl life may lie kept nlivo amid the cArnsl,
he Ia too apt to think that this tofera 10
come other man,
Trusting faith believes thnt God will
n vOr leave as nor foreako US. NJ.
Streator aaid this was 10 ciblY imr r"saed
upon his mind by n romhfk once mAds by
HIS daughter. who was thSn child three o.
four years old. During friRhtful sto m
at night che wrs awakened, Tie loud
thundois, the ronring OF the wind, the
shaking OF tho houae, for few minutoE,
terrified bor. Then she asked he mann.
Can God take Gaze OF US in the night rs
we'll "a in tho dsyY Her mother an
awered: 'Ycs, my child. just aa
| we'll at night as in tbs day"
With thin Rnswer NIL feRs departed,
and the little child went calmly aud psace
ably to sloep. because Col could take ca
OF her in the night aud in the storm 80
we'll 10 in the brightness OF the daytime.
80 IL should be With ChristiRng. Mr
st trhtor sniI be did not understand how
"Ell things worked together for good TO
those who Low, Co.." and he dil not think
any man could present nj n Rument that
would convince him Of the iruthfulue8s Of
| this declaration, but IL wGs nevertheless
true, and its .Tuthfulnsss was not matter
| OF argument but simply OF trust in GOda
u omis, that no would no exercise his
power that hll things IN his universe must
work together Tor good TO those who love
him. M Streator spoke OF the rooeBsitV
OF moro trust In humAnity-and
the imuo tano, ut living SO that men must
believe N US. Tho possibility Of 30 living
WAS made plain hy several illustrations.
This kind Of liyiuG" said be. will mako
you friends. IL man dops not havo
friends IL Is hia own fault II hO is
| friendly hc will hbys friends; II be oarss
~ nobodJ nobody will ca-o for HIM.
/ Hope ond love wore b ielly but forcibly re-
aentod mud painly illustrated.
! Mt. Slr,atOt anil that ,hu man OF the
woman who put forth his o. no. beat ef-
foits In painting u mnr or woman FREQ Of
fgith; fefycnt "a lupa md overlooking with
loye wuulJ ilnl hearty wllcoms when tho
picture wAs iiu!shed aud car led over tho
riv 1 into the gallery where that part of
GJ3's family which hha gone before us
dwell. lhOto will be tmperfeotions in what
We do but Josus the Rlotihsd Savior will
wipe them hll AWAY and recciyo tho usting
servant who Lad tried 10 do his Lo;d's will
into hia Tost forever.