The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-30

we cannot rub out the record OF the
past; when we see these things in the
light of Gods law, we become prepared
to trust Him.
'.Another antecedent TO faith is knowl-
edge. This man had something TO 20
on. He had seen Jesus perform his
miracles right there in Capernaum.
There was the wonderful catch of fish.
There was the healing Of the lepcr, the
curing of Peters wife, the lame man
that took up his bed and walked. SO
when the centurion exercised faith III
Christ he was not doing an unreasonable
thing Others have been healed. he rea~
soned. why may not my servant
and So too, today God has not called
on us to do an unreasonable thing. The
evidence is all about us--ten thousand
times more than this centurion had.
The most superficial glance shows the
civilizng influence of Christianity-'how
it sweetens life. how il ennobles char
acter. how it lifts UP the fallen. how
ii establishes the brotherhood of man
and in a thousand ways makes the
world better.
Then there was repentance in the
mans heart. Notice that Luke tells
us the Jews of Capernaum hesought
Jesus to comply with the centurion's re-
quest saying, For he loyeth our ma
ton, and he hath built us a synagogue
He believed. therefore, is the good ef-
feets Of religious teaching. He had been
sent here by the Roman government
With Il garrison of soldiers to hold these
people in subsection and olsa of his
FIST acts is to build Them church. SO
| say there was IN his soul a spirit of
repentance.
II have often heard it discussed. which
is born first in the heart-faith or re-
pentance. | don't know. They are twin
sisters and one cannot live in the heart
without the other. And so far as this
text is concerned it doesn't matter. We
find both present.
az SsJesuS told the centurion he'd come
and heal the servant. But the man
replied that this wasn't necessary. AN
you need do is speak and hes healed
Don't You know that Christ liked
that? / think it was the highest COM
phment IF / may use the word i'll that
connecticut that was ever paid Him. 1t
was this that caused Him to say He had
not found such faith in all Israel.
faith. This man had one promise. We
have many. l think God just wants
us to trust Him all the time. Some
times the east wind blows and we have
rheumatic twinges, sometimes friends
seem false, sometimes we meet with
reverses and everything appears to go
wrong, but just hold on to Gods prom
Uses and all will come out right in the
end.
II cannot help admiring the humility
with which this man came to Christ,
When Jesus wanted to go to see the
servant he said. No, the house in which
live is not big enough and the bar
racks where the servant hes is no fit
place for You. You Just stay here and
speak the word and he'll he healed
I've sometimes wondered how that
man must have felt on the way home
| can't help but thinking that his faith
must have faltered by the way Seems
to me he must now and then have
wished he'd let Christ come. He'd have
felt SO much more confident if he could
but have touched His elbow. But how
ever that was, he found his servant
well when he got back.
"And so, my Christian friend. we've
had our interview with Christ. We are
now on our way home. Sometimes our
faith grows weak and we wish fresh
glimpses of the Son of Man. Some
times its so dark and hopeless, we wish
we had Him by our side to speak word
of comfort and encoura cement But as
the centurion trusted Him, so must We
In. the end it viii all be well. In my
Fathers house are many mansions; Were
it not so 4 would have told YOU | go 10
prepare a place for you that where /
am We may be also. After little while
the promise will be fulfilled
3QON,E PILLS cure 4 Iunr He OH.