The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-03

Like Paul. what We Believe We Must
Proclaim Though We Die for II.

Like Paul. what We Believe We Must
Proclaim Though We Die for 1t.
At night Dr. Starr preached to q large
cOngreg cation, taking his text from il.
Corinthians. fourth chapter and thr-
tcenth verse. 81 believe and, therefore
have / spoken"
Dr. STAIRS sermon was one OF won
oerful power, beauty, and depth OF
thought. lie showed a great knowledge
of the Bible. his delivery was superb,
and elocutOn beautiful Al times he
reached The depths of pathos, ana again
INDUCED in touches of humor which
caused "a subdued ripple of laughter TO
run through the crowded house. AT one
point in his discourse he was speaking
OF gold. In heaven" hc said, gold rs
transparent you can see through II, but
here you can't look through gold, not
even through a gOld-brick'
And again. many of the congregation
being affected with troublesome coughs,
ia endeavoring 10 pat those 20 troubled
at their ease, he infused into mis- remarks
delightful dash of humor.
DR.. STAIRS discourse commanded the
closest attention. I'm part, Doe spoke as
follows:
We live I'm day when every man
IS expected 10 know something. and what
he believes is a matter of small moment.
IL requires little effort TO discover that
IL is the desire of readers OF this day
TO take the truth and oVershadow II;
TO make strenuous efforts 10 know more.
Is A. not necessary that We should know
the minute particulars of natural phe-
nOmena in order that We should believe
that they occur
Scientists tell us that there is a differ
ence in the size of rain drops, but IL
is not necessary that ] should believe
this in order to enjoy a summer days
shower or day OF rain after drought.
But there are things which, II / know
and believe. / must proclaim.
PROCLAIM THE TRUTH.
To be a man YOU must proclaim what
you know Proclaim aloud, ~ know that
my Redeemer livcth.' II was the men
who believed something that shook this
globe eighteen hundred years ago.
No one can reasonably Doe expected TO
believe what he does not know TO be
true. or what IS unsupported 10y salts
factory evidence. We generally form
our beliefs upon the evidence OF our
scneos-sense hearing. and touch. We
also rely upon the testimony of reliable
Witnesses for what We believe, but the
chain of truth must be UNIV ken A pro-
cess of reasoning a. also often neces-
sary 10 assist the mind i'm accepting GER
tain beliefs. Satisfactory evidence is de-
manded both in the Ola Testament and
the New M / am TO believe anything l
want 60 believe the truth. and il am
10 believe the truth 1 must have salts
factory evidence.
THINGS MIssTATED.
While no man is expected 20 believe
without satisfactory evidence. yet the
possession Of personal knowledge does
not always result I'm belief Sometimes
the knowledge acquired is the result of
misstatement of things. How many
things have all of us read and believed.
and how much time have we thereby
wasted. How wonderfully have astron-
omors differed. How many widely di-
vefcing statements have they made.
Which testimony shall we receive? II
such unsatisfactory evidence should tend
20 make us reject these statements. why
should 1t not 20 further. and lead US 10
doubt Scriptural testimony?
Just AZ this point the religion Of Jesus
brings TO us a class OF facts which can
not be doubted. BY these the saved man
IS placed beyond the range Of doubts.
After YOU have felt the effects Of this
transition out of darkness into life you
would rather die the death of a martyr
than TO doubt again. The change which
brings a soul into this new life is work
OF Cod. You or I can string bones to-
gether and form a skeleton, but neither
YOU nor I can change heart-this Is a
work Of the Holy Spirit.
All the adverse criticisms which have
been lovelled against the Word of God In
the past have rebounded as the sea waves
that Tcunvson tells us Of from the cold
rocks and Gags
"Except a man be born again he can
not see the kingdom of Cod" IL is said
Dat only half the Christians contend
that the change Of heart Is the work OF
God That only proves that half the
no
tetherings. and gone against the third
chapter Of John which contains the
abovo-quoted words
OMNISClENCE NEEDED.
Dr. Starr then went on TO talk OF the
dif7culty experienced with the unbe-
lief of the people Give 20 the churches
paid Dr. starr. 1.-THE omnscience OF Cod
and this world would be converted In
less than ten years. An centres in Jesus.
who said; i am the Resurrection ana the
LIFE"
While a man cannot see his Saviour ny
means OF any OF his FIVE earthly senses,
yet there Is sixth sense-a spiritual
sonse-by means OF which he can see into
Heaven. All depends upon intensity OF
belief.
You will never pass this way again
after death. No plumbers are corrected
IN the coffin. You had better do Gods
work while ia is possible. The highest
test OF manhood Is when you believe. 10
apcak. though YOU die for IL. The gray
head Of John The Baptist received from
God the highest diadem I'm the Heavenly
Kingdom. The child Of God should be-
lev, Intensely. No man I'm the ministry
bae n right 20 be specialist. he must
declare the whole counsel Of God-such a
man was John Wesley
THE cHRIsTIAN'S REWARD.
BE always ready 10 give in your per-
sonai experience OF saving grace-the
world may not always understand it-so
much the worse for the world. pray
you remember, my brethren. that for
s,os. u,bo stood the tast Of manhood and