The Newtown bee., 1901-07-26

are obtained, and, I suppose,Y this ii
 waste our lives and scatter to- tht
 WlhdS what talent we possess? Shal
 we remain out of Christ just because
 Cnls doubt cannot be removed or he cause that portion of Scripture cannot , be accepted.
 1 have life with Christ to live Ana, ere live it, must wait AGa nf itGhairn,ng thisa fan fan clear answer give have life in Christ to live: have death in Christ to die: And must wait till science gives All doubts full reply?
 Nay; rather while the sea of doubt Questioning of life and death and sin. Let us but creep within
 Thy 1Old, . Christ. and al thy feet Take but the lowest seat;
 hna near Thy gentle voice repeat, Ill wlnsome r accents heavenly sweet, Believe me and be blest' ;"
 It may have seemed to you that T am setting forth Thomas in a very un- favorable light. This is not my desire. however. Rather the account of his experience keeps me in a way that the history Of no other apostle does, and his personality appeals to me strongly. Permit me to show how this is.
 There are people who actually thrive on their doubts. To doubt appears to them sure sign of superior mentality an evidence of intellect keenly analyt- ica! ana discriminating. Hence they would almost as soon part with their brains as with their doubts. Not so with Thomas He found no pleasure in unceasing questionings and uncer- tain lies. He lOnged to know.
 HE WAS WRETCHED WHEN HE DID NOT
 KNOW.
 But he was not like John, who seemed to discern spiritual truths by a kind nf spiritual intuition. Rather he had truth through the intellect primarilv rather than through feeling.
 l believe the Thomas type of mind is found to-day more than ever before. It IS time Of sincere questioning. To many people life bristles with interro- gatlon points. Our doubts are hiph barb wire fences that seriously impede our progress through the fields of intellectual and religious life. Most Of us will never cease to encOunter these fences as long as we live. But GnlS IS enevltable. No man can Ob- serve carefully and think candidly without being troubled by grave un- certaintles. Beware of the protesting christlan that boasts he has no doubts. TOT, II what he says is true, he must be very shallow in his thinking; One who makes hobby of his orthodoxy in be- lieving is very likely to be far from orthodox in living! Tho it is no sign of superior mind to doubt, yet it is sign of inferior mind when one main tains he has no doubts. Most men are alike in this, that they entertain doubts; but they differ immeasurahlv in the attitude they assume toward doubts. To take pride in them or to De indifferent respecting them. is 1atal. But to wrestle with them. or. to commend them to God, if that seems useless, is ennobling.
 Tennyson speaks thus of one of his 
 lie fought his doubts and gathered strength He facad the het maas his bnd 4 nd laid them; thus he came at length To lind stronger faith his own.
 Thomas was an honest, unwil]inp 1oubter. The resurrection seemed fn | l!m impossible. He could not bring himself to believe it. He doubted just because he wanted so much to believe. but the resurrection appeared to him % De such tremendous event, if true, hat he must have incontestible eyi, fence it was true. It is much nohler o hesitate to accept truth because T SEEMS so WONDERFUL AMI
 GLORIOUS,
 han to accept it with perfect readi. less having, little conception of it's priceless worth.
 Having this view of Thomas. we ara prepared for what actually happened )ne week from Easter Sunday. in inc vening, as the disciples, Thomas in. luded, sat about the table in that anne upper chamber already held acred, Jesus appeared, Peace be unto ou' is his benediction. "Then saith ie to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, ma see my hands; and reach hither ny hand, and put it into my side; and e not faithless, but believing" The ord does not cenSure Thomas he ( new too well the human heart. f ympathy and not displeasure is eyi- , ent in these words. It is enouph 'homas does not need to thrust his I ana into the side. He is completely Q 'tisfied with less evidence than he . ad all along insisted upon. Observe F is cry, My Lord and my Godn' No jherapostle had addressed Jesus in q lch exalted terms. Here indeed is f ith. Thomas, the most douhtful V 2ostle, has become the one of greatest e nf