Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-15
A SERMON ON FAITH.
FINE DISCOURSE on SUNDAY by
REV. DIR. WHITsITT.
OTHER SERVICES OF TIE SABBATH.
Monthly Meetings of the Methodis'
and baptist sunday-school Assoc
cIntions-Dr. Powell mt ncFch'n
street.

him sunday morning at tne fiISl PoP''''
church. He preached on Faith" oasing
his discourse on the Epistle to the He
brews. XII. 6: without faith, 1t IS i'm
possible to please God" The sermon was
carefully prepared, and the great preach
or spoke from his manuscript. The fol-
lowing outlines his remarks:
our philosophy is beginning TO return
to idealism, giving us SOUND IDEAS
OF God, freedom, and immortality.
Let US give hospitable welcome 20
this philosophy. Heretofore phyloso-
ply has had a tendency to-
wards materialism and agnostcism; but
II is now coming back 10 the Bible CIV
ing US tho true Christian conception OF
God. wise and benehcent personality.
There can be no real conflict between re-
ligion and philosophy Christian IDEAL
ism and modern philosophy are walking
hand in hand. The world looks brighter
to him who holds this faith
/ ike to study the history Of the hui
man race and human institutions. But
what are nations and empires in the
sight Of God? They rise flourish, decay,
and disappear.
Like the snowflake IN the river,
A moment white, then gone forever"
The calendar is OF great authority; but
take up the calendar of 1893, and it reads
ike dream. We may not get our names
! in the calendar, but we can do something
greater-we can please God.
INDIVIDUAL MAN NOTHING.
Under the heather civilization the in
dividual man was nothing lie existed
merely for the State. Our Saviour changed
| that order Of things by abolishing POLITE
cal religion. Render unto Caesar the
things that are Caesars, and unto God
the things that are Gods" In utter.ng
this notable sentence Christ introduced
into the world personal religion and d.
vorced ii from politics. The ancient
Greeks had heard something about Jupl-
ter as the father of gods and men; but
Christ brought the fatherhoOd OF God 10
light when he taught us 10 pray: "Our
Father in Heaven" O, man. how insig-
nihcant art thou, and how supremacy
great art thou! Thou art worm of the
dust and yet thou canst commune with
God and call Him thy Father!
il Is well to please Cod The Germans
are beginning TO study a new science
the science Of characterology. Some time
ago ] attended a convention of college
and university professors among whom
was discussed the proposition 10 estab-
llsh a chair Of charactCroiOgy in our
higher institutions. There is no such
chair in any OF our colleges or unver-
stiles, and ! cannot bring myself to con-
sent TO the establishment OF any such
chair. More than one hundred years ago
there was In Hanover county an infant
boy in his mothers arms. the son Of
John Clay. Baptist preacher. The
mother began in time and did her work
well; the university was too late The
product was Henry Clay Here was the
best chair OF charactcroogy in the world.
Another son Of Virginia, trained in this
same school, Stonewall Jackson. ere he
was 30 years old. set the world on fire
with the splendor of his achievements.
An ideal excrts great power on the
formation of character.
u is wei 20 please Cod and be thank
ful for the merces lie bestows. our
nation is the only one that observes a
day Of general thanksgiving. 1t is a
noble and cleyating institution. At the
recent jubilee Of the Queen Of England
all nations sent their congratulations on
her reign of uneXampled length and
glorious achievements; but the most i'm
pressive feature of thai great celebra-
tion was the refrain Of the noble Recess
siOnal. Lord God of hosts be with US
yet, lest we forget lest we forget"
THE MAP OF EUROPE.
What will be the aspect Of the map Of
Europe one hundred years hence?
VIII Russia be there? or Germany? or
France? VIII the United States be on
the map of North America one hundred
years hence? No one can tell. We can
not fOrtell the destinies of nations, but
the soul OF man viii be living a million
years hence. In this respect the soul is
greater than any nation.
bqNre M eNunpaf hN. with those who
decry wealth and learning The South
needs more of both, especially does she
need more men of learning. But these
things are not comparable 10 pleasing
God. Wealth gives a man great power;
so does learning, and so does distinction;
but they alone do not enable man to
please Cod Without faith we cannot
please Him. Steam and electricity have
wrought miracles in these latter days;
yet faith remains the greatest force
known among men. Faith is the fore
most agency in the business of the world.
one merchant trusts man he does not
know in q land he has never seen. The
explorer Of unknown seas. the traveller
in strange land moves by faith. The
soldier without faith in his commander
and his felow-soldiers Is as weak as
water All men walk by faith. Count
that man your enemy who would de-
country, or in God. You cannot move
men unless you believe something.
FAITH WITH LOVE.
God is. not pleased with any kind of
faith. Faith without love degenerates.
Faith and love walk well together; so
faith with patience.
The new theology denies the essential
divinity Of Christ, but is willing 10 con-
cede his moral divinity. l do not agree !
with this theology The loss of faith is a
sad thing George Eliot lost her faith.
and with it her happiness.
Earth without works Is dead IF
faith does not lead to useful action. 1t is
not worth the name. Faith expresses it. |
self IN action. Jackson's famous mes
sage, God has blessed our arms with a
great victory at McDowelPs, showed
that Jackson and his men had faith in
their arms under the guidance OF a wise
Providence. We read OF the sword OF
the Lord and Of Gideon Gideons hosts
presented a sorry sight with their lights
and rude equipments. but their faith in
the arms Of the Lord made them strong
10 conquer.
In closing Dr. Whitsitt said: "There are
thousands OF men and women to-day In
humble homes, who have not wealth nor |
beauty. nor knowledge. and yet they
have faith in humanity and in God. They
are strong in faith, and they are training |
up their children IN that faith that Will
make them strong 10 conquer Lord, III
crease our faithI'
Our Sin of Avarice.
In a sermon Sunday night based on
the words from the prophet Micah, ''Tnc |
heads thereof judge for reward, and tho |
priests thereof teach for hire, and the |
prophets thereof divine Tor money Rev. !
Mr.. Beauchamp, Of 81. James Methodist |
church, said that al the evils against |
which Micah inveighed were common
NOM Tho rraxfqfl{ng sin of fhn doy was