Orange County observer., 1898-03-17
OUR WEEKLY SERMONS.
PREPARED ESPECIALLY FOR
THE FAMILY FIREsIDEs

Sew. George II. Hepworth breaches in the
New York Herald'e Columns on "An
Ennoblins Faitk"Attes. DR.. Talmage
Tells About "The Care Arm OF God"
With the return Of Rev. George H. Hep
worth TO New York from his Armenian mis-"
sion the Herald closed its series cs competi-
tive sermons, fifteen altcS&ther having ap-
peared In ita e"iLmns on consecutive Sun
davs, ne. Hepworth resumes his regular
sunday sermon as the leading editorial in
the Herad's columns. The first one is en-
titled IAN Euno5ling Faith and appears
below in full.
TEXT: Now faith is the substance Of
things hoped for. the'evideEee Of things not
seen" Hebrews, III. /.
On bitterly cold day was recently rid
! iDg With 4 comrade through one OF the
most exquisite bits Of scenery on the face
of the earth We were toiling up the last
spur Of a mountain SO high that the clouds
would have rested on It's summit had there
been any in tce sky But the heavens were
cicndle-a. the sun snone in dazzling splen-
dor on the snow covered ridges which sur
rounded rs on all sides, and We seemed TO
have left our little globe behind us and to
5 be on our way to another world.
Naturally we talked Of that Great Be-
yond which waa apparently not far distant.
Conversation under such circumstances
vial when he is looking on the grandest Of
Gods great works. It was n time when
souls were in close relations to each other:
when inmost thoughts came to the lips and
uttered themselves almost unconsciously,
as in snlilOquy.
Ny comrade spoke freely Of a loss he had
suffered. A little child had been called
from the family circle, had sped away in
the night and gone where no human eyes
could follow her. With a broken heart, but
still IN somewhat et0ical language, he re-
ferred to that vacant chair. Gone! gomez
was his despairing exclamation. I listened
to the story. and at its ciose quietly re-
marked: Yes gone, but not gone far, In
the brighter land you will see her again"
Then we Iapsed into silence, silence only
broken by the sound Of the horses iron
shoes on the crisp and frozen snow
IF could believe that, > he said after a
little, mine tenths Of the burden would be
removed. But to feel that such. farewells
are forever that is very hard" and the
strong man tremble1 with suppressed emo
ton, while tears made it impossible to con-
tinue the compensation.
! thought to myself that after all this
world is Of very little Importance unless we
have another world to look forward to.
What makes the present life endurable is a
firm and unshaken belief in another life.
If love can die, then love Is only prolonged
agony: but the conviction that love can
|,
mobiles the soul.
Itwould be an act Of unspeakable cruelty
on the part of God to teach us how to love
to place us amid circumstances in which
love develops all that is chivarous and
grand, and then tell Us in the supreme mo-
ment Of parting to say gOodby for time and
eternity. The Lords Prayer would become
an impossibilty, nay, more than that, a
grim sort Of farce, and in his innermOst
depths man would not only rebel, but
lose his self respect and his respect for the
laws Of the universe. 1t is clear that it
would have been so much better to make
him incapable Of affection than to annihi-
late the object of his affection, and bid him
90 home from the churchyard despairing
hopeless creature
Faith can do so much for man, is SO
necessary to his spiritual and even to his
physical well being, that if you take it away
he lS IN worse plight than the animals OF
the fields and forests, for he appreciates his
loss and they do not To be born a dog anC
to die Il dog is one thing. but to be. born
man and then die like dog is something
which just and Omnipotent Creator will
, not ask Of US. 1t is so unlike what we
have learned Of His methods that we are
quite right in pronouncing such a state
Ment libel0uS.
Your faith in Providence is the best of al
your possessions. 1t IS worth more to yor
than your fame, your social position o.
4 combined. Give me in my relations will
God that mysterious something which tn,
child has for it's mother-a feeling that H
knows who and what [ am that at my cal
y He will come to me-that every day H
leads me and every night protects mean,
o there is very little more than [ can ask o
/. desire. l have the one best thing in th'
world, and therefore am content.
= The plant that has sunshine and dey
will blossom before the frost comes, am
, with God, the sun of my soul. to shine Of
me, | shall not only blossom into nObl
thoughts. but bear the fruit of good deeds
= man becomes a miracle worker from tn
moment when he is conscious of God
. presence and love. Life may be hard bu
at the same time it is glorious. Even sick
ness and death are the only miry spot
which lead to the eternal upland. Their
Is repOse in the soul, a yigOr. an enthu
: siasm and power Of endurance whic
nothing else in this wide world can give.
Tell me how to doubt-that is, how t
d tl0ose from my trust in Providcnce-an
), you tell me- how to be miserable. On tn
other hand, confirm my belief in God i
IS the ministraton of His angels in the pos
6 slbiltv OF % continuous, and unbrOke
r. communication with heaven, and YOU N /,
my life more beautiful than words can eA
u press. AS long as / dread the future, III
z present is leaden; If am sure of the fl
d ture. and know that nv dear ones wi
SiVtN iiIC eiltlt Win uIlululiulSHcu lONt, III
tears are like the rain cloud on which tn
70 sun shines and makes q rainbow
2. lake from me what YOU will, but leay
n me my faith, for il is ny only real posse:
y. sion. All else will! pass like a dream -
u pleasant dream, but still a dream To-da
IL am rich, tomorrow | may be poor. al
{ we'll to-day to- morrow | may be ILL., Br
faith remains with me- is closer to IN
heart than the closest friendship, and Civ.
me good cheer when l walk in darknes
A 1t is all have, all I can keep througho,
eternity, the one thing of which death ca.
- not rob me, the prophecy OF u better hon
on high when this earthly home is broke
- mp. 1t is God who has given that gift. ar
20 it must be jealously guarded In their la
' analysis faith is heaven and doubt is he
GEORGE H. HEPwoRTH
70
~ THE BARE ARM OF GOD"