Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-01-09
give ourselves to the practice or the broth

give ourselves to the practice or the broth
| erhood of man.
Our donbts trouble rs and thereby provo
that donht is not a state of equilibrium:
we must move on toward the light. Action
is the nanacea for doubt. II any man will
10 Gods will he shall know HIS doctrine.
Do you doubt the power of prayer. To
v-hora do you think the reality of that
natter is revealed: Certain" not the man
vino never prays. Put Yourself as best
Won can in the attitude of Jrayer an: lis
len. You will then be able to know wheth-
,r God talks back. You have sat in the
pew Tor years and YOU have heard sermons
without number on the great Fundamentals
of the Christian faith. To some of them
Noa have given intellectual assent. and vet
YOU find yourself in doubt and uncertain
~. Why is it thus with you? There can
he but one answer. You have thrown
Yourself in HOLY surrender at the feet OF
+ truth Won have known. 1t costs some.
thing to do that. I pity the man who had
no Bethel in his life; no place where he
has faced God and duty and said: II
VIII to the divine .you ought." Paul
had his Damascus. Luther his Erfurt. IVES
lev his Aldersgate. and B'-shneli, lectur.
ing to the students OF Yale. said: There
is a story lodged in the little bedroom 81
re of these dormitories which mr. tod
His reec, ding ANGEL may note, allowing IL
sever to be lost
Do not be impatient with your doubt.
,n,y he sure that Won are moving toward
the ligh. you do see. Mo- what we are.
but what we are beeom ag: not where we
stand. but whence we come and whittier
We go-these ave the great things about
which We should be concerned.
The fruit of the tree of faith may he
S,ucked too soon and it is then valueless.
II takes full season TO ripen the hes. OF
rature's products and there are some
Kings in faith which only years and frost
md storm will bring to maturity.
1t has been said that one OF the greatest
.alen.s in religious discovery is the find
NJ how to hang mp questions without be-
ne ANXIOUS about them. Look at them
low and then a. they hang and by and hv.
when voI turn some corner of thought.
sou will he DELIGHTED and astonished TO see
now quietly and easily they open their Sc
ret and let Won in. know a great teach
'r of mathematics who always kent some
hard prob,ems by him. He would work
IN one awhile and put it back in his
Docket still incomplete. After weeks or
months the pro6iem would be solved and
another take its place in his thought.
There are nranv who ss-v with easy assur-
nice: Lord believe" but they have
pever thought enough to have any doubts.
they have no sympathy with those Tho
HE IL. man or a cause. They could he
lieve ANYTHING that seemed to be necessary
- good position in society and COM
Portable income The man who is honest
must adjourn some of his questions and
not be imnati lent ! expect to carry some
Of my questions with me into that larger
III, toward which all men move. hat that
fact does not trouhie me- Some things
have settled and others can wait until the
dav when all mystery shall be made clear.
One of nv parisaioners some years ago
taught me a great lesson. She was .adv
Of culture and refinement. She had been
at the head OF great school Tor many
wears. Her eyesight at last failed her and
she became totally blind. ] saw her at the
close OF a service feeling her way up the
aisle from pew to pew. that she might
| shake hands with me- The th0gght OF her
great suffering and loss finally over
whelmed me and said with deep emotion
as c.asped her hand: 1T will he light M
Wonder aud Won will know why God has
YOUR life" She lifted face TRANSPORTED
hv ineffable peace and said: I'll | am so
happy as TO get to heaven, | shall let by
cones be bygones and shall not trouble the
Lord for any explanations. II one has
spirit like that, whateve: doubts ne mas
| can wait.
few things that are absolutely necessary TO
| Christian faith he sire that YOU have
1 them whatever the price demanded may
be- Do not try to make bargain ioT d
safe and peasant course. That Is an aw'
full hooking OF the truth. But having set
tied the great problems be assured thar
YOU need not he greatly troubled about the
lesser ones Men have set up standards
which God never ordained.
we have multiplied dogmas and doc.
trines to the confusion OF the nind ami l
fear to the loss OF the so1'. worse than
all men have forgotten that right ilNing II
more important than right views. ihev
have burned heretIcs TO get rid or iheir
heresy. and have banished good men be-
cause they disagreed with them. Have pa
tienee with other men that they may nave
PATIENCE with vow Let your lie recon-.
mend your creed. Right opinions wal
avail us no more than they avail the deyii
and his angels unless we hold them IN ne
Golden cha!ice of A pure and honest life.
The great truths OF life are not slmp'y m
tel,ectual truths and the method by wnich
they are revealed are not chieiiy inteiiect-
ual. With the heart man beiieveth unto
Righteousness.
Doubt which IS in moral earnest IS
servant OF God to bring the truth IL mas
preceded all great reforms IN tue indiviI'
iial and in the community. faith when
has been forged out through the awtui
heat OF doubt Is the only kind that be-
comes an anchor to the soul. 1t Is worth
going through the fiery furnace to hnd
1.-THE form of the Fourth:
The conviction which honest doubt leads
to is the conviction which has shaken the
world. Do not scorn any man, and least
OF all the truth he ho.ds. Keep the integ-
rity of YOUR mind. Think honestly, think
seriously, for life's questions are solemn
questions.
Do not be obstinate ard refuse to own
L ,1nfraAtstS nnSltIOn
Won once held. Above all things realize
that the truth is the only thing that Will
free Won from an evil life The verdict OF
the ages and the verdict OF the facts Is
that the truth is to be sought IN person.
atty and not in a theory. and no one has
arisen to dispute His words who said, i
am the truth" 1t is TO Him that | ask
YOU TO come Well may You say to Him:
II have heard of Thee that Thou canst
make interpretations and dissolve doubts.
What Better: