The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-11-19
A Iifo Of Faith,

A Life Of Faith.
Faith is so urgently spoken Of as an in
dispensable copdition OF success, its impor.
tance is dwelt upon at such length. that in
obedience to q curious law OF human na-
ture we begin to exalt and mystify it, i'm
agining it some strange, new, peculiar pow.
possible Of acquisition by such ordinary,
everyday Christians as We are. This is all
wrong. Faith is one of the commonest
things in the world. It lies at the bottom
OF all business transactions. II is the ba.
sis for all marriages and partnerships OF
any sort on earth.
Faith is nothing more than this. have
Gods word for it that He will do certain
things for me if comply with His condi-
tions. 1t is merely His promise to pay on
sight draft on the bank Of heaven. Faith
is simply a belief in the ability and relia.
bility OF God.
II Ia impossible for any one who has even
so much as opened the Bible to be unaware
that this word faith PLAYS most promin.
ent part in its pages. It is affirmed that
faith works miracles, removes mountains,
restores the sick, and saves and sancti6es
the sinner. Every apostle whose words re.
main to US dwells upon the prime impor.
tance OF faith and its possession BY the in.
dividual.
Ahraham's life is the most illustrious ex.
ample of life of faith that has come down
to US through the ages. It was not only
in the great and exceptional occurrences OF
life that he showed his faith, not only
such as his obedience to Gods call to come
out from his kindred in Ur and 80 into
Canaan, or his patient waiting for an heir
in answer to Gods promise, or his sublime
readiness to sacrifice the only hope the
world held for him at that command OF
God. Not many men are called to leave
home and friends at the call OF their faith,
son and heir. But in the little. everyday,
ordinary occurrences OF life, where most
men would fail, we find Abraham's faith
large enough to carry him through.
The striking part OF this instance in our
Scripture selection OF Abraham's obedience
is that he abandoned his country, his
friends and his kindred in the hope OF a
better country. This is what God would
have US do. abandon the world and all its
pleasures. in the hope OF better country,
IN eternal city.
Faith makes things that are only a dim
hope in the future real. 1t was possible
for Abraham to give up his home in the
land OF Ur, because his faith in God made
q new home in Canaan as real as II he
could look over the hills and valleys and
see il.
In calling forth the substance of things
hoped for" the writer of the letter to the
Hebrews did not mean that it was "proo;
in the way tina: word is used in court Of
law. for it is not. He did TO; mean that
it appealed to a mans reason and gave
him cause TO decide for it because the
weigh, OF testimony lay that way. for OF
all things in the world faith is the most
unreasonable" Faith is not an act or a
work OF reason, but OF the will. Faith is
doing first and pausing to think a.terward;
obeying and then seeking to understand.
Faith Is not an idea-it is a course OF ac:
ton: and the reason tha; il is called
evidence" is that, ii pursued. il brings
its own conviction. HE that wil!eth to do
His will shall know OF the doctrine No
man ever yet came into the kingdom. OF
God who understood all about Jesus, but
he believed as a little child believes, and,
believing. it becomes plain to him:
The climax OF our Scripture selection 10
tremendous. Without faith it is impossi-
bic to please Him" How many OF Us
really have .faith?-New York Mail and
Express.
VI