Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-04-26
SEEING ISN'T EELIE, ING.
The Fullest and Most Complete sigh
Comes only Mhen We Also
Nave Faith.

1t is an old proverb that says, "See-
ng is believing" but it is like some
other proverbs-it sounds well. vet
may be wholly wrong teaching; it is
not so. Seeing is not believing. On the
contrary, believing is seeing. 1t is
rA!y when man truly believes that
he has sight worth speaking of.
That was strikingly emphasized in
the incident of the raising of Lazarus.
Martha viii not believe, and because
she will not believe she has little sight.
Jesus says to her: Z" Said not to thee
that if thou wouldest believe thou
shouldest see the glory of God?''
Sight does not help faith, but faith
creates a genuine sight
1t was said Of Jesus that "He shall
not judge after the sight of his eyes,"
the reason was most natural. There is
nothing so misleading as sight; things
are not what they seem, nor what they
look like. There must be another
basis of measurement. The trouble
with most of us is that we do form
judgments after the sight of our eyes,
and our judgments are often wrong.
What different world it would be if
men believed more; if they had more
confidence in each other; there are
many good qualities they could see If
they only believed. 1t is not sight that
reveals the glory; it is faith that max
the glory visible. Here is a man who
says he will only believe what he sees
and he thinks he is wise. but he is as
blind as n bat. 1t is often charged
against anatomists that they are un-
believers. They see no life. and be-
cause they do not see, they say there
is no life; so the finest creation of God
provokes no reverence in them, be-
cause they are blind to its glory; if
they believed they would see. What n
small circumference to life is sight.
after all; how little we see. and how
confusing that which we do see. What
small world we live in, what a big
world we shut out-when we put sight
first. There stands that old man who
has never seen a trolley car until now:
he will not be so foolish as to step in
and sit down, under the supposition
that the stick over the top will pull
him along; you cannot fool him like
that He will not step on the car I'M
til he sees what makes the thing go.
Well. he will never find out But If he
believes he will see the glory! Or this
man at the telephone; he will not be
so foolish as to sit down at the desk
to talk with a man who has asked to
"see" him at the end of a long wire.
But he will never see any more than
what is before him-and of course he
sees very little. But If he believes he
will see-the glory of the most as
founding miracle we are acquainted
with, in spite of our familiarity with
the telephone.
And the converse is also true: The
unbelieving man sees very little. He
sees no good in folks because he does
not believe in folks. The pessimist is
man who wants to see before he has
faith-and that makes him the small
est man in the universe. But the love
that believeth all things is the heaven
ly faculty that sees ali things. The
more confidence you have in people the
more good will you see in them, be-
cause your faith will draw out the very
best that is in them, and change the
bad into good. The doubter NAV have
a place in the world, but he has never
brought out the best that is in man,
or received the best that is in God.
According to your faith, not accord
ing to your sight, be it unto you. See
ing isn't believing-but believing is
Seeing-BaptiSt Union