Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-05-07
FAITH. HOPE. LOVE.


gestS supply. At every point in mans
life faith is needed-to account for the
commencement and continuance of his
existence and to meet its conditions and
requirements.
The doctrine Of evolution belongs not so
much TO physics as to metaphysics: an
uncertain philosophy" as Bavinck puts
it. Physics must deal with THE finite
alone; beyond that physical science
changes to sheer speculation. Once over
the line it Of necessity ceases to be sci
-entific in its bald sense. Apart from
revelation. the derivation of life is an
affair of guesswork.
Unsatisfactory at every point in the
theory, or guess. that particles jostlcd
themselves together SO as to form living
beings. Science comedies that no form
of life is known which did not spring
from prior life. The theory or guess that
living particles were shaken down in
planetary dust belongs to the realm
of fiction; or, at best, to poetry and phil
osophy. The descent of man from Il ere
ated Adam is quite as reasonable as the
or ascent of men from protoplasm
common to the ape. Mans development
falls naturally within the lines of the
old scriptural theory, which allows
place for God and moral righteousness;
for man and sin; for reward and punish
ment. So also with regard to the dHra-
ton of mans life. his immortal destiny.
These are the things with which faith
deals. If God in Christ (reyealed by the
word and spirit) is a necessity-and he
is that. because of sin-then faith must
abide" as Paul expresses it. An ex-
tremely important part of our thinking
must be over the liIe of physical science
always. In point of fact we live the
life that now is" chiefly by faith. The
marriage relation, friendship, business
partnership and enterprises rest upon
flith-howeyer much they may be hedg-
ed about with the devices of knowledge
From the first step of the child to the
last step into the cold waters of what we
call DEATH man walks by faith. Our sole
choice is as to the quality of that faith
that is, it's intelligence and reasonable
ness. 1t must be adequate to the de-
mands of life. 1t clamors for a sufficient
remedy to meet condition, not theory:
to make moral health catching instead of
moral disease to give sight, for peering
through the mist of death to the light of
life beyond; in short, to fad him who
brought life and immortality TO light in
the gospel. Faith is immortal till its
work is done. It's work is never done;
therefore, faith is deathless.
How is it in regard to hope? That is
faith plus desire. Those desires which
are right most are self-evidencing. The
hungry desire food; the blind, sight; the
deaf, hearing; the weak. strength; the
sick. health. The morally blind, when
aroused TO their condition, desire moral
sight; the morally weak desire moral
strength. Hope begins with infancy and
holds through our earthly life. Hopes
become fruitioD in heaven. and yet, in a
rery real sense, there too, hope itself
will abide.
The lonely child hopes for the return
aof it, mother; the struggling boy hopes
for the success of manhood; the mature
man hopes for cumulative power to
achieve; the old man hopes for rest and
peace All along the way the star of
hope is shining. Very many hopes may
be deferred indefinitely many may never
be realized at all but man remains a
hoping animal His heart may grow sick
by reason of hope deferred" but, by a
law of splendid inconsistency, he hopes
on undismayed At one time it was very
dark for Moses, but he hoped for a
brighter day, and made the fate of his
people his fate-choosing to suffer hard
ship with the people of God rather than
to feast at a royal table. David suffered
a frightful eclipse. but he hoped in God,
as the strength of his countenance Paul
cried, How shall / be delivered from
this body of death2 And his suhcon-
scious hope replied, Through Jesus
Christ. my Lord, thank Cod"
A crust of bread with hope feeds more
richly than 4 feast with despair. The
sower sings through. his sowing; the
sailor sings through the storm; the sol
der sings through the battle; the saint
sings through the dark valley. because
hope shines upon the way. Hope. like
faith. is immortal till its work is done.
That work is never finished; therefore,
hop, deathless.
Lcv is life's key of gold. If we are
ever TO be admitted to its inner temple,
its hottest place. this must be the key.
Lfe's finest essence eludes everything
else. The mothers presence gives bright
ness to the eye of the child. Her absence
brings sorrow to its heart. Prof Fisk
says that the receding image of the moth
er on the eye frightens the child, who is
not yet familiar with the law of sight.
Losing the image, it thinks that it is los
Ing its mother.
The youth is more Independent. but his
love is just as real. The man. if a true
man. never emancipates himself from the
glorious thraldom. A day comes, how
ever, when another chamber opens to his
love. and. instead Of diminishing. it in
.creases its power. Fe joins heart and
hand with a wife who pours the rich
lifts of her soul into the cup of his life
and makes it overflow. That also we
call love. \ boz or girl leads them
laughing through lite's garden; and we
call that love Sometimes the daisies are
removed to provide a sleeping place for
the silent frame of the little one-and
there seems nothing left hnt love, The
farther door of the tomb swings open.
and the little one beckons to faith and
hope and they bid love be of good cheer.
Taking them at their word. love takes
up the journey once again. and listens
with a hunger, surprising all other hun
ger. TO the words Of the Master. Their
angels do always look upon the face OF
my father in heaven"
Ii is said that man makes the house
and woman makes the home 1t were bet
ter to say. the hand makes the house
and the heart makes tho hone. Love
lays her hand on individuals and groups
chem into families; she lays her hant
on families and groups them into com
munities. an communities and groups
them into nations The sword may G0rct
the conjunction. but there viii be n'