The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-11-05
RELIGIOUS THOUGHT.

veloped by total darkness.-Rev. DR..
Frank De Witt Talmage, Presbyterian,
Chicago.
Nearest to God.
Religion is personal before being So
cial, and social because personal Ev-
cry man is nearer to God than to those
around him.-Rev. John Campbell,
Baptist, London.
Courage of Conviction.
Never be ashamed of being Catho-
lie. Boldly declare your belief in
catholicity and you will prove your
selves to be greater heroes than many
the world has crowned.-Archbisho
Farley, Catholic, New York.
Faith In God.
Every man must believe in some par
ticular kind of Christianity. He must
believe in religion, which reduced to its
lowest terms is faith in God. For a
man not to do so is suicide.-Rev. G..
H. Gordon, Congregationalist, Boston.
The Indwelling Spirit.
What we all require is the Spirit OF
God. Without him the soul is like an
old house with doors shut and blinds
down. But when the Spirit enters, the
windows and doors are opened and the
sunshine comes in and brings with 1t
the vast universe and the visions of
eternities-Rev. DR.. George c. Lorimer,
Baptist, New York.
The Eternal Life.
To those who believe in God and In
somewhat beyond death, life means
more than physical existence or even
the continuance of personality. Eter-
nal life. according to the preaching OF
Christ, Is something more than con-
tinued being. The man who knows
God by experience. who lives out Gods
will, lives righteously, lives unselfish-
ly-that man lives indeed.-Rev. L. A.
Crandall, Baptist, Chicago.
The Believing Spirit.
We need faith in the reality Of truth
and goodness and the presence and
power Of God, and we need faith in
ourselves and in our work. Happy,
thrice happy, the teacher who goes
forth to her gracious tasks not only
prepared by the study of the best
the believing spirit-"according to your
faith shall be your patience, your
growth in knowledge, your power
Rev. DR.. Joseph *. Mason. UNIVERSAL
ist, Chicago.
Higher Conception of God.
Knowledge has given us a new uni
verse. Knowledge has also given us a
10 &c
longer sitting on throne. He is not
what Carlyle called 1.-THE absentee
God" He is the presence that dis
| turbs u.s." He is in the sunset, in the
| air. in the mind of men. God is sc
near us today that we can use Tenny
| sons Speak to him, thou" This new
and grandcr God has been given to us
as result of modern knowledge
Rev. DR.. Minot J. Savage, Unitarian
| New York.
The vestibule of Eternity.
Man is destined to live forever. This
| fact is confirmed by the highest rea
| son. 1t is III harmony with spiritual
| Interpretation Of nature, and it is in
sympathy with the indisputable facts
| Of mans manifold being. Though ex-
listing in the present, his real life is in
| the future. There are faculties and
aspirations in the human soul which
find no adequate scope and fultillment
In this world. They are therefore
| prophecies of future life. This world
| with its Containing of light. its en-.
| broiderics of the heavens and it's car
| i'm Of j,1ro i..o col
| bule to eternity.-Rev. NJ. ]. Russell
| Christian. Pittsburg.
| Gods Supreme Gift to Man.
The love of God is the light and life
of all spiritual existence. Just as there
| can be no life in the natural world
without the light and heat of the sun
so there can be no spiritual life with
| out the light and heat Of divine love
| The manifestation of this love through
! the mediation of Jesus Christ is the
| great gospel mystery. God himself has
been the mystery of oil ages. The in
| carnatiOn of the Son of God is the won
| der of the whole earth We believe
| without question the mysteries Of ma
ture: so let us by faith accept the mys
/ w
| Baptist. st. Louis.
National Trust In God.
| In the great crisis of national affairs
Ged, If we only trust him, will give
us the right men for the right places
| Did he not give the right man for the
right place when he gave Thomas JET.
ferson, the writer Of the declaration OF
independence? Did he not give the right
man for the right place when George
Washington became the head of the
American armies? Did not God give
the right man for the right place when,
at the breaking out of the civil war,
Abraham Lincoln became president of
the United States? And shall not God
raise up and inspire our future leaders
II the American people are a godly ma
ton and unfailingly look to him for
| divine guidance?-Rev. DR.. Frank De
Witt Talmage. Presbyterian, Chicago.
| AKgressivc Christianity.
| The principle of aggressiveness is of
the utmost value in the quest for re-
| ligious faith and Christian love. Many
neglect this value. They profess be-
LIEF In the fatherhood Of God and the
brotherhood Of man and the office of
Christ, but they forget that such things
truly believed must have the profound
est kind Of effect on their lives. The
prime test and proof Of belief is will
ingness to act upon it. They mast 60
forward upon their belief. Moreover,
just this going forward results in faith.
1t Is the swimmer who takes his feet
from the bottom and commits himself
TO the water who learns that it can
support him. The man who orders
his life after the will of God finds that
all experiences are faith making and
Is given all the faith he needs-Rev.
James Austin Reynolds, Presbyterian,
New Yorl