Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-10-15
FAITH.
The Key of the Christian Life-The Al
phabet and tho Literature.


phabet and tho Literature.
The Gospel is summed up in the Apos-
tolic words: Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved"
1t is extremely simple. 1t is some
thing which everybody can understand,
and it is something which everybody
can do. Believe and be saved. Just be-
lieve. 1t is so simple and easy that it
is not above the budding intelligence
to the limited powers of the most de-
graded savage. This is one of the rea-
sons why Christianity is a truly uni
versal religion. 1t addresses itself to
all men, it is accessible to all men. it
is perfectly suited to human needs.
But to believe is not single, separate
act once exercised and never renewed.
AS an initial act it procures admission
to the Kingdom of Christ; but the ne
cessity of believing is not less after
such admission than before. Those who
begin to believe must continue to be-
lieve. True belief Is necessary to that
vital union with Christ which begins
only to grow stronger and more perfect.
Belief is not only continuous, but it
should be progressive. I believe that
there is q great realm of literature,
rich in all that can inform the mind,
charm the imagination and enrich the
whole being. In this belief begin to
study the alphabet of the language in
which this body of literature exists.
1t is easy to learn to distinguish the
characters, but hard to ascertain their
value in words, and harder still to grasp
quickly the meaning of sentences. But
persevere, and every stage of &C.
QUESTION confirms my belief, steadies
my purpose, and adds force to my de-
termination to go on until know fully
what thirst to know. Every succeed
ing chapter brings new beauties in Ian
guage and thought to my enraptured
attention, and things are revealed to
me of which I had no conception when
began to learn the alphabet. -a.
Faith is the key not only to the Chris
tan life but Of the Christian life. You
cannot use it to enter and then throw it
away. Ifyou do you will remain always
in the vestibule, and never see the beau
ties of the temple. There is little profit
in learning the alphabet if the beginner
does not mean to go further and learn to
read. The belief which is sufficient to
admit to the kingdom of God may not
be very large; it cannot be in many
cases. In the child it is not of the intel
lect so much as of the heart. A distinc-
ton is to be made between what may be
~ y 4 sn% ;~f
belief of the heart. The child's belief in
Christ is the sweet and simple trust of
the childish heart. It is not full and
rich and strong, as the faith which
comes of culture in life's schoo! Of disci-
pline, and which with clearer and ever
broadening vision sees God and the
things of God.
A child may not know that she is an
heiress, and that 100000 is on deposit
in bank subject to her order. She be-
lieves it; but she knows little about the
value and uses of the money, or about
the bank where it is deposited. or about
the rules of banks, the process of draw
ing checks, and other facts which all
trained financiers have at their fingers
ends. Her faith in the fortune in her
name is real, but it is limited. Later on,
it will lead to full knowledge Of all that
the possession of a large sum of money
involves
There is before every sincere believer
great realm TO be explored and enjoyed.
"Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbe-
lief" This is a prayer we need to offer
not only at the beginning OF our Chris