The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-09
THE VICTORY OF FAITH
REV. L. A. GOODWIN breaches AT
THE FIRST u. p. CHURCH.
Pledges Made to Raise the Meridian
street Debt-TaIk on Wis
dom and weapons.


terday at the First United Presbyterian
Church. His theme was the victory of
faith; his text. John Y, 4. which. accord
Ing TO his rendering, reads: Our trust is
the assurance of victory which subjugates
the world He said Scarcely anything
can be in cur minds this lovely May morn
ing but the signal triumph of our navy in
1.-THE far-off Manila waters We are in the
midst of a war for humanity. Our objective
point is the' relief and uplifting of an OPP
pressed and cruelty treated people. What
ever else may come out of il, if anything,
will be purely incidental. and yet the incl
dental may be hardly second in Importance
to the original purpose. third of a CEN
tury ago we were carrying on a war whose
only original objective point was the preser-
walton of the integrity of our Nation Incl
dentally slavery was abolished and a con-
struction of our Constitution was secured
that must abide forever. No rehearing will
even be asked, much less granted. Home
demagogues and malcontents and all the
world now know that we are Nation one
and inseparable forever. Not even the
ghost of states, rights will ever again dis
turb us.
10 properly wrestle with the experiences
or lie one must have a clear and abiding
conception of life's objective point. Every
preeept of our holy religion has its tap
root in the doctrine of human Immortality.
everywhere there is a distinction main
tanned between the life that now is and
that which is to come. and hand in hand
with this is the doctrine of one Supreme
Power we call God, whom we adore as a
sovereign. yet love tenderly as a father,
because He first loved us. Our faith rec
ognlzeS In Him watchful and tender
guardian, who SO minutely cares for us that
even the hairs of our head are numbered
ana one VINO mas In view our greatest uiti-
mate good. The objective point of the life
that now Is is the life beyonc and an the
aesailnss OF this kind Father toward US have
reference to this objective point. What of
JOY or sorrow, pain or pleasure we may
nave experienced is intended to be promo
i've OF this end; they are the accidents of
Ire, not left to blind chance, but wisely d.
rrected by. a living hand. AS childhood is
tne PERIOD OF preparation for manhood, so
Inc lie that now is is the school period of
our, CONTINUOUS life, and the discipline
or the schoolroom and its problems together
WITH the management of home, all relate to
me manhood period, so the experiences of
TINS life are for the development of charac-
ter Tor the beyond. With this thought as
~. me basis we nave faith in the All Father
mat whatever He requires of us or does to
or for us is for our good we
may not understand why. but our
Ham, and this. trust is the assur-
ance of final victory which subjugates
what would otherwise be a foe and makes
IL 10 contribute to the richness of our pres
ent iite ana to the abundance of the life
TO come. Children play truant because they
nave no proper conception of the Importance
10 them OF school discipline and training
through improper home training truants
come to regard the restraints and exercises
OF the school trespass upon their rights,
ana not as means of development for the
duties of life. For the same reason men
commit suicide. to escape what they con-
slider unbearable discipline Truancy and
their in he
thing false conception of the purposes
OF the experiences of their respective
children who attend school under compui-
sion; many wel-dressed children from
MONIES or luxury, have no thought beyond
complying with the arbitrary requirements
of parents. They have no purpose in life
beyond the mere animal pleasures it affords
They may. acquire some knowledge through
the machinery of. the school system, but
they. learn nothing by study and thus enter
manhood without preparation. Too many
III the same way drift through life. They
may not commit suicide to avoid lifes re,
sponsibilities but they bear it's losses and
perform Its labors ungraciously.
net SO With the man who trusts God, hay-
ing faith in His love and wisdom. How
sublime was the trust of loyal Americans
those long weeks General Sherman was lost
IN Georgia. Impatient they were yet conf
dent. How sublime has been the faith of
the same people in. our navy these ten days
y, LIZ FL, Su.. OF from communlcauon and
tuIlhIofmed as to plans and details, there
has been and is that trust which would
convert a repulse into an assurance of vic
tory Such is the, confidence we are to have
In the All Father, who assures us He loves
us, so that all things work together for
good under His direction. We may not I'M
derstand why this or that has befalen us
YET we can trust Him. because He leads
and we know whom we have beIieved-not
IN whom, as some nave. it. There is a
great difference between knowing the bank
IN which your savings are left and in know
ing In what bank If we had known the
1t failed, but we know Him and are per-
suaded He will keep what we have depos-
tied until we need it. Our trust in God is
such an assurance of final victory that the
varied experiences of life, its joys and sor-
rows, are not merely disarmed as foes but
subJugated and made to serve us. When
the Christ prayed for Peter it was not that
he might not be sifted, but that his faith
fail not.