The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-02-24
REV. MIR. SQuIRES' SERMON
IN GoNGREGATIONAL CHURCH
 VEST HAVEN, sUNDA Y MORNING.


 At the Congregational church in West Haven yesterday morning the pastor, the Rev. Norman l.. Squires, preached an especially interesting sermon. It was listened to by large congregation despite the awful walking in the bor- ough on account of the recent storm. His text was taken from Peter 1, Is: Jesus Christ whom not having seen ye love- on whom though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory. The theme of the sermon was Faith. The preacher said that we do not often turn to Gibbon who wrote the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" for any authoritative declaration in favor of the Christian religion; but his unusual ly hostile pen once wrote, the preacher said, the following lines: Our curiosity is naturally prompted by what means the Christian faith obtained so remark able victory over the established re- ligions of the earth. To this inquiry an obvious but satisfactory answer may be returned-that owing to the convincing evidence of the doctrine itself and to the ruling providence of its. great author.
 Here is a fine definition of faith from an unexpected source-'convinc- ing evidence of the doctrine itself faith in the ruling providence, God.
 If you have no faith in God, Rev. MT Squires said, you may as well stop right short You will not find him. You will be like the astronomer who once said exultingly-I have swept the whole heavens with my telescope, and have not found God anywhere Faith Is impossible to such a man as that Continuing Rev MT. Squires said: That eminent scientist, Clerk Max well, was once asked what he consid- cred the greate scientific discovery or the preceding half century. His reply was, that the gramme machine is re- versible-which we are told means that not only will power produce electricity,  power. Either is convertible into the other, as we know light and heat are. This natural law is paralleled in spir- itual law If you have faith in Christ, you will love Christ; if you love him, you will have faith in Him. One may be expressed in terms of the other. Faith produces joy, joy leads to faith. If you love Christ, you will have great and unspeakable joy in Him. if you have this joy in Him you will love Him. Indeed, I do not see how you can have one without the other, and having one, in any true measure, you will have all the rest. Perhaps the Apostle Peter had something like this law in mind when he began that wonderful cata- logue of Christian virtues, making one | grow out of the other, beginning Wlth faith and adding on to 1t virtue ana l then self-control, to this patience, God | liness, kindness, and to this love; but 1 would not this series of Christian graces grow just as well if you were to begin them at the other end, and plant first of all a great, over mastering love for the unseen Christ in your heart and then climb up the branches through brotherly Kindness, Godlfnees, patience self control, knowledge, virtue, up tc faith? These are all like the 'reversi- ble currents in the Christian life and to which hope and joy may be surely added However I am sure of this much, that any life that is built up ir this way will be joyful life-a deep const ant, rich, unspoken, or as the apostle calls it, an "unspeakable joy The deepest feelings-the profoundes1 emotions cannot be expressed in words they are like the sun sending down hls brightest and most penetrating rays into the depths of the ocean. How glorious in it's unspoken fulness! How beautiful in it's unbroken splendor Such Christian joy, the apostle calls not only "unspeakable," but also ful of glory" or more literally, 'glorified.' Not that this is something yet ill tht future, but Is present possession.
 Paul speaks of glorifying in tribula tions and of being joyful in them which. am sure, betokens a phase O life foreign to all life save the Chris tian.
 The believer does not have all sun shine he does not always walk or flowers any more than his Master did the clouds may fill his sky the storm nav beat upon him; misfortunes, dis appointments, sickness, death of dea ones may strip him Of earthly happl ness; but he still has great and un speakable joy in Jesus Christ, whom though unseen he loves with a love tha triunaphs over every untoward circum stance. Professor Drummond, in ont of his addresses, tells of a young girl exceeding lovelness of character-pos sessing a beauty that comes only to on who is in closest communion with tn divine. She constantly wore about he neck a locket that no one, not even he dearest friend, was permitted to open None of her companions knew what 1 cont aimed; but there came time whel dangerous illness came to her, ant one day very dear friend came an' sat down beside her, and they talked of the ioy of the Christian life. Thel the sick girl put the locket In her hand and she opened it and found Writtel just these words: Whom not havini seen I love" That was the secret 0 her beautiful life. That has been tn
 secret of many beautiful lives-the SC cret of the most Christly service-th
 secret of the faith and hope and jo. ! that triumphs over the ills of life an' over death itself.
 Write it upon your heart-upon you
 ambition-make it the declaration an'