Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08

OF a real faith, surprising all others in
purity and strength. The faiths of
the past have been too tickle. The
world was too full of chance-itS SEEM
ing uncertainty disturbed the minds
Of men: the foundation on which they
relied was not firmly fixed, that which
they thought an everlasting truth did
not abide: every change broke up their
faith; they were left deSolate and dis
consulate. But that was not faith. it
was too blind to be worthy of the
name: it was too much mixed with
superstition and error. We make a
mistake if we think the age of faith
is behind us: it has yet to come; but
| it is just beginning to dawn and 1t
VIII shine in SplendOr and fill all life
with gladness.
| The faith of the future will be
strong for it will receive its nOuriSh-
ment from larger sources of vitality:
| it will have its roots deep down in an
intelligent life. Men will believe
| because they know and see the truth
| for themselves and not because they
are commanded by an authority or
terrified by some Oyerhanging doom.
| And this is what our practical life is
doing for us, it is one great lesson Of
trust, we are learning it by natural
processes.
There is a spiritual side to our
activities, there is always present
some kind Of an ideal which redeemS
them from gross materialiSm. Bust
ness is more than sales and profits.
There. is more in politics than the
SpOilS. However much we may try to
live in, and for the present, We cannot
confine our life wholly to that. We
may worship things and fancy we be-
lieve there is nothing worth striving
for except what we can make use of in
this world, and yet there is deeper
significance in our actions, a prophetic
element which shows that our true
life is lived in the future. We walk
by sight a very short distance, the
larger part of the journey we travel
by faith.
Look and see what happens while
we are so busy with our secular affairs.
Study these constant changes in the
industrial. commercial and political
world. Why these antagonisms? Why
should not every man do as he pleases,
have what he desires and enjoy him.
self in his own way? We readily
answer, that would not be right. But
where does the answer come from, and
how have we got it? 1t has come by
the faith which looks beyond the
selfish striving of the individual to
wider good. There is power working
in and through all these conflicts and
evolving universal benefit. We are
taught by the struggles, reverSeS,
checks. crises, disasters and losses,
which are the constant experiences of
our secular life, that there are not
only material values, but spiritual
values alsO-that the good of the
world is not for few individuals but
for all men-theSe facts are impressed
upon us by every crisis which develops
from the struggle of life, we are
brought to realize that we must not
act as if this day were the only day
and the qualification of any low and
narrow personal desires the one object
of life; these movements are develop
mentS, the outcome is a growth of
nobler ideas of life and larger vision
of good. We are taught to live for
the upbuilding of character and to
find our highest joy in living for
others. Spiritual forces operate
through all our practical activities
bringing us face to face with princi-
piles and ideals and teaching us to
believe in them as the only true and
worthy objects of all our striving.
The busiest man you see cannot get
rid of faith, he may reject this or that
dogma of the Church and declare he
has no use for them, but he cannot
get rid of the power which has made
those dOgmas, the faith faculty is
within him an essential part of his
Intelligence and he can no more dis
penSe with it than ne can do without
reason; faith enters into every trans
actiOn-he commits himself to unseen
forces and tendencies in those
transactions, he trusts his fellowmen,
he trusts the order and course of the
world, and rests in the confidence they
will not betray him.
When we understand what faith is,
we find it is in no danger, for we learn