The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-07-25
4 Rleseefi Faith.

spake unto me again.- Revelation, X, 8.
Before the first voyage of Colnm bus
this whole hemisphere was to the
people of Spain IL myth, n dream, Il
possible every thing, but practical
nothing 1t was ii very agreeable
subject for discussion among scho1-
ars, and they perhaps found good
reasons both for believing and for
disbelieving in its existence. AS a
theory this western land occupied II
| more or less prominent position in
all the universities of Europe, and q
good deal of serious thought was
devoted to it b. the learned But il
one Of the merchants of Madrid had
been asked to invest his money in
some commercial venture the profits
of which depended upon the discoy
cry of what is now known as the two
| Americas he would have laughed ut
the scheme as the financial operation
of a mailman.
When, however, Columbus returned
| from that voyage with the trophies
he had g lthered, and proved beyond
| the reach of n doubt that there was
a great stretch OF territory on this
side of the Atlantic to balance an
equal extent OF land on the other
side, scholarship was hushed into
admiring silence and merchants were
eager to invest whole fortunes in
speculation.
1t is impossible for a cautious man
to make practical Ii of a statement
which may or may not lie true. This
| rule, which is 80 constantly illustra-
ted in our everyday business life, IS
| equally applicable to what concerns
us spiritually. Do you have grave
misgivings as to whether there is
any heaven from which n voice can
come to your soul, or believing in
some remote region where the spirits
| of the departad dwell, DO You doubt
their ability either to communicate
with you or to influence you? Then
you are in the position OF the Madrid
merchant who could not invest
money in country whose existence
he knew nothing about. Speaking
with perfect frankness, we may de-
clare that this life is all you have,
practically, for YOU neither realize
the future lor are You in any way
affected by it.
On the other hand, suppose you
aIeconvinced-as firmly as Colu nbus
| was when he lifted his eyes from the
acres of seaweed that floate;l by and
saw the thin line of Land on the
horizon's edge-that heaven is liter
| ally within arms length; that
Jacobs ladder is not a myth, bnt Il
fact; that in every mans life there is
| Just such q ladder, and that mes
sengers are constantly ascending
and descending, what results would
naturally follow? You would be as
willing to make use of these truths
| for your spiritual comfort, susten-
ance and encoura cement us the
Madrid merchant was to invest his
| money when the Spanish caraveis
came to anchor with their treasure
| in the hold.
What you need, therefore, to make
yOn in every way larger and happier
is a strong faith in Gods actual
| nearness. SO long as lie IS an in
accessible possibility, Being who
| thunders from Sinai s hoary summit,
| u taskmaster who has given you
your days work to do and vii!
damn you at eventide unless it is
wholly done and doneas ordered, so
| long will your soul be lonely and
your love of holy things burn like Il
| Pickering taper; SO long will your
religion have in it a demoralizing
element of fear, and SO long will your
| prayers represent 81 peflunctOry
service, without heart, or peace OF
mind, or the ecstasy OF Il blessed
communion.
But when God is to yoursoui what
| the sunshine is to the wheat field, or
| The de"drops ace to tie flowers;
when you not Only know ttiat He is,
but that He is your refuge and
strength in time of trouble; that
Ills love for Won Is beyond all other
loves; that His sympathy aud pity
| are deeper than those Of your closest
friends-tiIen you know what the
peace that .,asseth uu.lers tuu,iing
means, ard whatever Ills may beIall
you, you know, hpyoid all perad-
venture, that II mighty hand is lead
ing you and an almighty arm will
defend you.
The Joy OF such d faith is simply
unspeakai,ie What wealth cnnnot
bestow it generously gives. You
may be desloutirnt, bus you are not
| without hope. You may weep, but
your tears are unmingled with de-
spair. Trials may come and your
shoulders grow weary of the heavy
burden, but yOu have something, IL
mysterious and Iyansfiguring some
thing within. which distrust and
doubt, though in the environment of
Paradise, ciiunot enjoy.
True religion, the religion which
holds this lie in oDe hand and i'm
mortality in tile other, IS the best
tOrtune that ever fell 10 the lot of
mortal man. Assent to whatever
creed you will, go to - ht,sever church
you please, worship God with pomp
and ceremony or III the utter sim
pli,.ity whit h distiaIns nil forms
these are matters of secondary con-
sequence; they are only Incidents
which depend on your temperament
or Your surroundings they are
nothing-absolut.l nothings. They
are nothing-7absolutely nothing
and in their Use you should have
entire personal freedom. But under
Meath all other things you must
have that kind of religion which
enables you to say, "And the voice
which | heard from heaven spake
pinto me again" Tor that and that
alone will satisfy the longings of the
soul, fit your frail body with divine
armor for the battle of life, and pre-
pare you for that eternity in which
worship ia neither form nor eere mo-
pi.,I l,nf nnfv r.DScifiSh