The Newtown bee., 1901-07-26

are obtained, and, I suppose. this i, generally the case. Shall we. then waste our lives and scatter tO thf winds what talent we possess? Shall we remain out of Christ just because LnlS doubt cannot be removed or he cause that portion of Scripture cannot be accepted.
 Fl have life with Christ to live. Ana, ere live it, must wait
 Illl I'll, learning can clear answer give
 UT this and that book s date?
 have life in Christ to live: l have death in Christ to die:
 And must I wait till science gives
 All doubts full reply?
 Nay; rather while the sea of doubt
 IS raging wildly round about
 HaessiGniago et S h,1 & ol ilfe and death and sin.
 Thy fold . Christ. and at thy feet
 Take but the lowest seat;
 In winsome accents, heavenly sweet,
 Come unto me and rest;
 Believe me and be best''
 It may have seemed to you that l am setting forth Thomas in 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 strong ly. | S1 i1AO U ulO uO OtlOW 1lO" UIllS IS.
 There are people who actually thrive on their doubts. To doubt appears tc them sure sign of superior mentality an evidence of intellect keenly analyt. ical and discriminating. Hence they would almost as soon part with their brains as with their doubts. Not SC 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 kind ot spiritual intuition; Rather he had that type of mind that apprehends truth through the intellect primarily, rather than through feeling.
 1 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- gatiOn 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 this is enevitable. No man can ob- serve carefully and think candidly without being troubled by grave un- certainties. Beware of the protesting christian that boasts he has no doubts, TOT, 1T what he says is true, he must be very shallow in his thinking. One who makes a 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 a 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 immeasurably in the attitude they assume toward doubts. To take pride in them or to be indifferent respecting them, is fatal. But to wrestle with them. or, to commend them to God, if that seems useless, is ennobling.
 Tennyson speaks thus of one of his characters:
 He fought his doubts and gathered strength He would not make his judgment blind, He faced the spectres of the mind And laid them; thus he came at length To find stronger faith his own
 Thomas was an honest, unwilling. dOubter. The resurrection seemed to him impossible. He could not bring to believe it. He doubted just because he wanted so much to believe ouo ol4O iCoui ACSO1OlI appeared CO nm to be such tremendous event, if true, that he must have incontestible eyi- dence it was true. It is much nobler to hesitate to accept truth because TT SEEMS So WONDERFUL AND
 GLORIOUS,
 than to accept it with perfect readi- ness having, little conception of its priceless worth.
 Having this view of Thomas, we are prepared for what actually happened One week from Easter Sunday. in the evening, as the disciples, Thomas in cluded, sat about the table in that same upper chamber already held sacred, Jesus appeared, 'Peace be unto 1Ou' is his benediction. "Then saith tie to Thomas, reach hither thy finger. md see my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and put it into my side: and pc not faithless, but believing" The Lord does not censure Thomas. he knew too we'll the human heart. Sympa thy and not displeasure is evi- lent in these words. It is enough. Thomas does not need to thrust his | land into the side. He is completely atisfied with less evidence than he l lad all along insisted upon. Observe l lis cry, My Lord and my Godr' No had addressed Jesus in uch exalted terms. Here indeed is aith. Thomas, the most doubtful postle, has become the one of greatest oith ITic ofton co, %la,o