The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-01
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
A PRACTICAL FAITH. SUSTAINING Avn
TRANSFORMING IN EFFECT.
by the Rev. Thomas J.. Lacey. ID. n
PHI. d., Rector Christ Church,
Episcopalian, Alameda, Cal.
Ye shall carry up my bones from hence

career. No one who reads this 'smorning
sermon" can tell of more varied experiences
He had known adversely and PROSPER
ity. He had seen every phase of life. We
draw about his couch with expectancy TO
hear his dying u%tterance. Surely this man
VIII give us some word that we NAV treas
ure w.
Yet a shade of disappointment settles on
the countenance as We strain the ear to
catch, not some deep philosophic counsel,
but the strange. strange exclamation.
Garry up my bones" The words are
unique and significant.
Mark you, the Isrealites were contented
and happy in the land of Goshen, a rich
strip OF territory in the northeastern part
OF Egypt, between two branches of the Nile.
There was no indication of the
ces that led 20 their subsequent departure.
They looked upon Egypt as their home.
but Joseph knew that Egypt was not the
home CT Gods people. All his glamour and
prosperity held no charm for him. With
prophetic eye he saw the future as i'm a
vision. and in his dying hour he was thrilled
with the thought, and burst forth in words
full of emotion to the elders:
God will surely visit YOU, and We shall
carry up my bones from hence" Egypt is
not your abiding place. There is in store
for you a land of promise. Canaan IS your
home. because God has said so.
And this, my brethren, is faith. Faith
takes God at His word, and, while there
were as yet no indications that the prom
ise would ever be fulfilled, Joseph died in
full assurance because Jehovah had spoken.
What then. IS faith? Some will say:
Faith is subscription to a creed" or
Faith consists in holding this peculiar
view Or that . . hfrt faffh l., L -t-l -
Scripture writers was no. the cold assent
Of the intellect to a proposition. 1t is the
hearts warm trust in a promise. 1t is ex-
emplifed in Abraham. who, at the bidding
of God, rises up and leaves the associations
of a lifetime to seek the land of promise,
and, while every other man settled down
at his snug hreside and said: What a
away by a foolish vision" the patriarch,
never doubling, started forth. because he
had faith in the promises of God.
APPLYING REASON.
But VI sometimes hear men say: II cam
not understand this theory or this doctrine.
Here's a text not quite clear; 1 refuse to
believe until 1 know all and see ALL" And
yet not for a moment would we dare TO
apply the same reasoning to our every
day life.
How about that loaf of bread you had
at your breakfast? Did you understand
dlA dbOul u. GOuiu you explain the SCI
entific process by which the tiny seed cast
into the ground reduced the plant and
grain, and then the nature Of the leaven-
ing process by which the grain was con-
verted into the slice of bread you ate? An,
no. and yet no one refuses to eat the bread.
How about the electric cars that speed
along your avenues? Scientists all the
world over are disputing about the nature
OF electricity, what ii is and what are the
say that not one of you refuses to make
use or the electric cars simply because he
cannot explain their mechanism or account
Tor the ultimate nature of their motor force.
The man who refuses TO believe anything
that he cannot understand is Illogical. We
are compelled TO accept much that we can
not understand. We are compelled to be-
lieve many things of which there Is no ocu-
lar demonstration. We do not put out our
eyes because we cannot explain the nature
OF light.
The very men to-day who cannot believe
Moses, who find fault with the statements
OF the evangelists, who will not hear Christ
and His apostles preaching morality and
righteousness, will readily believe Voltaire
and Ingersoll and place implicit confidence
In the spirit-rappers or the wild guesses of
the fOrtune-teller claiming to unveil the
future for a specified fee of admission.
Faith is not sight. Faith is not knowl-
edge. Faith does not imply complete under
standing. Faith simply takes God at His
word and looks up as a trusting child. ex-
claiming: Father said so, and it must be
And this trust in God transforms all life.
Let some great trouble come upon a man
1A0 iii a C " are dlAO SOIIO" .
Perhaps, in the case of one, it is some great
financial disaster. He loses what the best
years of his life amassed. This has been a
common experience in these hard times
through which we have been passing in the
last three or four years. Many a home has
been OVershadowed by the cares and wor-
ries incident upon the failure of business
ventures Poverty has come to many a
household where once there was enough and
10 spare. But the man of faith sees how
his heavenly Father is using this very mis-
fortune TO win his heart away from earthly
things and draw il closer to Himself.
The man Of the world gives way to
despair. He will blow out his brains, and
the morning papers are filed with the rec
ord OF men who, overwhelmed by financial
disappointments, have ended their miserable
existence. But mark that Christian man.
lie has seen his al swept away The work
the hour of his distress he says with cheer
ful voice: 1t is my Fathers world. Surely
grow. He created each tiny seed and
stamped it with the law of its development.
lie clothes the lilies of the field in s%plendor
that rivals the magnifcence of Solomon's
court. His are the cattle upon a thousand
hills, and He whose dealings are so
bOunteOus in nature will never let me-, His
1T DOES NOT FAIL.
But there are harder misfortunes than
loss of property. There comes a day when
some dear one is taken and death sunders
the ties that bound us TO our loved one.
There was a time when the large family
gathered around the board in unbroken cir
Gle and the table was laden with the boun-
ties of the year. Sons and daughters as
emble from afar. Gladness OF heart within
mingles with chimes without. Outside the
moons pale beams shine down upon snow
covered hills and frozen waters. Inside
there is the roaring fire. mirth, laughter
and innocent prattle of childhood, but God
calls one of those little ones. oh, how well
You remember the day, and IL seemed as il
ali the joy of your life was gone, and yet
IN that hour OF bereavement you found con-
ISOLATION in Gcd.
/ know what some OF you are saying. oh,
yes. this does very we'll in theory. 1t sounds
very we'll in a sermon, but in actual ex-
perlence. when confronted by misfortune,
losses and b-ereavements IL falls. My breth-
Zen. the great fact of the ages Is that faith
does not fail. Christian biography is full
OF instances and thousands can testify from
their own experience that faith in the eter-
nal God is their only support.
Read the biography Of Catherine. TAFT. See
mat home in Carlisle, England. the center
OF light and happiness. See those five bright
little faces, the very joy of the household.
Twas the year 1856. The scarlet fever broke
out in the village and in less than five
weeks every one OF those five children had
deem called home to God / call you. moth
crS,. 70 witness. was not that bereavement
and yet that woman. her heart breaking.
looked up 10 heaven and said: Gods will