Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
THE Naturalness of Faith
Our Busiest Men Cannot Get Rid of Faith,
Saws Rev, Shaw,

Uur BUSIEST wen Cann0t Get hI0 OF rain,
Says Rev. Shaw.
The following is the first lecture in
the series being given at the First
Congregational church every other
week by Rev. B. J. III. Shaw and sup
Elementary to his recent treatiSes on
Agnosticism. We publish these
sermons in response to an urgent re-
quest for them from interested readers.
Speaking of the ''naturalness of faith, :"
Rev. Shaw said:
1t is quite common in our time to
hear good people lament the decay of
faith, there is so much less of it in the
world than in earlier days; on the
other hand we hear men speak of the
difficulties Of belief as if itwere easier
to be sceptical than truStful- as if
some unusual and mighty effort had to
he made when man believed in any,
thing right or good. Defenders of the
Faith have arisen. and written
learned and elaborate treatiSeS. as if
it were in danger of destruction.
Faith must have seemed a very weak
and helpless thing: it did not occur to
them that it was every mans concern
to see that no harm came to it: they
did not see that it was an essential
part Of lifethat the inherent, supreme
love of life would always protect what
was vital to it.
These alarms about the growth of
SccpticiSm have always been unneces-
Sary. There has been no real cause for
them. If these timid people had
known what faith was, and known
where to look for it, they would have
found plenty fit in unexpected places
that it was not rare and delicate
form OF life only to be found here and
there, but universally present, and
growing IN strengthening deeper,
firmer hold on life
When we begin to look into life-tO
study its activitieS-t see the origin
and meaning of the every day activities
of men, we shall be surprised to see
them, giving them all their life and
force. Not only does the Christian
live and walk by faith, every man does
to some extent also. He may ignore
the beliefs of others, or denounce them,
and yet the very breath he uses
depends on faith, believing is the
deepest and most ultimate act of his
being. 1t is the most natural and
constant activity of life.
Take for example the men who make
no profession OF religion. The worldly
man busy with his secular affairs and
caring only for temporal interests: he
is thinking altogether of material
success that is the one aim of all his
activities: and how does he attain it
by what faculties and powers? He
pictures to himself a bright future
when he shall have amaSSed wealth.
built large and beautiful home-Sur-
rounded himself with every modern
convenience and comfort, satisfied his
ambition; he plans and tolls. never
dOubting-neVer dreaming of failure.
II he were told that he is using the
same faculties by which the prophets
havc forecast the future he might not
admit the similarity; if he were shown
that he is doing what the purest Saints
have done in their Joyous authorizations
OF heaven, he would deny it, No, he
does not believe in a heaven-in a
future world, and yet every act is
inspired by faith in the unseen. he
takes tomorrow and next year, and
many years to come into all his plans:
he does not know what he is doing
because he has nc time to reflect, he is
bent on one thing, completely absorbed
by that; he smiles at the simplicity Of
the preacher who is trying to get
people to believe in life to come he
is not to be duped; he is not going to
believe in anything that lie does not
sec. And how much does he see of all
ne belleves-of the thousands or mil
IionS-the fine, new home-the com
forts and luXurieS-the new pleasures
and fuller satiSfactions of life? Why
he does not catch one smallest glimpse
OF it except with the eye of faith;
these things are all in the future, and
IN his effort to gain them he is living
IN the future more than in the present;
II" i doing what the great Apostle did