Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1904-12-01

OF many man and many a woman. We
have been facing facts which throw the
mind into an agony. We have been dealing
with conditions which faith has to reckon
with. have talked with men, the tumult
OF whose minds made me think of the
north coast waves. as Robert Louis Ste
venson describes them, In all the terror Of
the frail barks in which men voyage. There
may be minds incapable of turnult. There
may be people who cannot understand
how any question relating to religion can
SO stir the mind. A young man who
thinks and who knows how to think said
| my life" And he reproached Christian
| MINISTER'S for their APPARENT failure to real
1ze that there are multitudes like himself
who are wrestling with the great underly-
ing questions of God or no God, soul or no
soul, immortality or annlhilation, liberty
or necessity.
Such a man wrote a little while ago to
the editor of "a well-known periodical
Prayer, the Bible, Christ, miracles. these
were the subjects in thinking about which
| he had become bewildered He calls loud
| ~ for help. It would be easy to say that
mind and that it would do no good to
reason with him. But what would be easy
IS not always sure to be what would be
fair and right. Faith has sometimes had
too great a fondness for Easy Method
With .Doubters. This man says: "Most
read seem to me to deal with mere side is
sues-why young men don't attend church
how to reach the masses-while want
! to hear land never do hear)-about the
fundamental, elementary principles of re-
hglon: Is man immortal? Is there God.
What is the Christian religion reduced to
| ITS simplest expression? / am sick of plati-
tudes, evasions and gittering generahties
l want to be treated with sincerity. Z
want to hear the simple truth, not ''as to a
little child" but as to grown man, who
has sinned and suffered and now fain
would find safe anchorage for his soul
| IN this sea of doubt and trouble
The editorial article written in answer
to this communication breathes the spirit
OF Him who went to His disciples in the
storm with which they were battling on
Galilee. It says very little about the
troublesome questions the man has raised.
1t takes God and the soul for granted. It
reduces religion to its simplest terms and
let's it go at that for the present. Whether
it has accomplished anything for the
But do know some whom it has helped
and others whom it is likely to help. Men
OF whose spiritual vicissitudes have some
knowledge have spoken of it with graft
tude
The narrower method OF sectarian, dog
matte insistence is perilous. The existence
OF denomination may depend upon the
| observance OF the seventh day Of the week
as the Sabbath But it is ruinous thing
for young person to get the idea that the
existence of God is wrapped up in that
dogma and that he might as well abandon
the religious life altogether as to let that
dogma 90. It has been an element of de-
/ a 1Str rth foh hove r&o1x, p
ideas with reference to the proper mode
and subjects of baptism. But it is spirit
ual misfortune If young Baptist has not
pastor wise enough to tell him, if he let's
go this doctrine, that religious life is quite
possible without it, It is possible to cher
ish and to insist on views Of the Bible, the
MODIFICATION Of which seems to some, when
they find it necessary, to threaten the very
foundations of their faith in God.
! Religion is an affair of the soul and God.
The Bible, the church, the creeds, the sac
raments are designed to serve the soul and
God in this high and holy relationship.
God has life in the souls of men which
these means are meant to promote and
never to hinder. They do not come be-
tween the soul and God. Some sweet old
mystic has said: ''The eye by which see
God is the same eye by which He sees me- u
which we long for God is the longing with
which He longs for us. The love with
which we love Him is from the fountain OF
His love for u.s. In relationship which
is the sharing, the identity of life, what
l room is there for intermediary means and
ministeries? We have precious documents
precious doctrines, precious sacraments and
ordinances. But it is not they that give
life to the soul. They do minister richly
to that life. but it is, as it were, from
without that they minister. If the sou
, ever really knows God at all, it knows Hin
81 ! I'm itcol fho &c
;. self, By the same sort of certitude it il
0 sure of God.
Don't get the idea that you can prov.
!. the existence of God Some day YOU ma,
). fall in with man who is better reasonel
' who will take the other side. Then, if yo,
: really think you believe in God becaus'
!, your faith badly shaken. every one tha
= lovsth is begotten of God and knowetl
- God. He that loveth not. knoweth no
= God; for God is love-" We know God will
a that immediate kind of knowledge witt
. which we know the feelings of our ow,
). hearts: # it is possible for us to love, it i
that we know Him. And John tells u
!, that the proof there is God and to b
! known and that we know Him, is the sam
y y kind of proof, the very same proof, tina
. we must give, if we say that we love.
= Luke tells US how Jesus sent out sevent,
+ Of His disciples to do in all the towns o
- Galilee as they had seen Him do. The
y !, healed the sick. They preached the gospe
= of the kingdom. Men and devils gave hee
= y to- them. They returned to Him witt
~ -. great joy to tell Him all. AS He listene
! to them, as He looked into their faces, FL
j ! rejoiced. They had understood Him !
- was then that He said: II thank Thee. {
.e Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, tha
- Thou didst hide these things from tn
~ wise and prudent and didst reveal ther
~ ~ unto babes" He has succeeded. Plai
- men, seventy of them, had come to kno,
y God through Him.
To every minister of His, to every fo
lower, Jesus is saying: Enter into this 8,
preme joy of thy Lord. This is the JOY fo
you to seek; this is the success for whic
you should work and pray; that throug
you men may come to know God" It wa
for this very thing that He gave thank
the NIGHT before He died. To some Fl
knew He had given eternal life. And whs
OF could He say in His THANKSGIVING ths
We would be more pleasing to His Father tina
Is, what He did say? "And this is life etc
d, nal that they might know Thee, the on
d. true God. and Jesus Christ. whom Tho
Nv hast sent"
AS we begin our work, the words of tt
n beautiful old prayer ring IN my ears: "