The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
REASONING FROM
 THE SCRIPTURES Strong Sermon by the ReW.Dr
 Sterling J. Foster SOLVES MYSTERY OF SIN  Reason Leads to Faith, Hope and Then to Love-susplclon and DIstrust, Not Reason, Bring
 Discord and Evil.
SOLVES MYSTERY OF SIN

from Isaiah l.. IS: Come let us reason together. saith tho Lord; though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool"
 He said In part:
 Suspicion has been. through all the ages, the disturbing element fin all or ganlzations. The tares which the enemy sowed in the parable of Jesus might well represent suspicion. for 1t has always been found wherever men were laboring together, and has been the fruitful cause of disorder and failure. Armies, with this poisonous weed growing up. have ever proven easy victims for their ene- mics. Business enterprises from the same cause have fallen apart and come to ruin and bankruptcy.
 Evils of Suspicion.
 The Duke of Monmouth. the natural son of Charles II. once invaded England, hop ing to win the crown for himself, and promising to restore the liberties of the people.
 But he had hardly reached the shore before his followers became suspicious and distrustful of each other, and the l expedition ended in utter failure and ruin, the duke himself being executed and | thousands of his followers put to death during the bloody circuit of the monster Judge Jeffries. We cannot be surprised, then, to learn that so effective an agency for evil has always found it's way into the inner man and has grown up among the faculties and powers of the soul. Where peace and unity of purpose should be found, there we find discord and con- 1ict and dispute. Reason, faith. hope and love are all powers of the soul, and surely being found in the same dwelling were intended to dwell in harmony and peace.
 But long since reason became suspicious of faith, calling her superstition, and faith became dstrustful of reason, call ing her presumptuous and hope visionary and love sentimental, and thus began the age long warfare in the city of Man-soul.
 Reiet in Scriptures.
 The words of our text joined with many other passages of scripture ought it would seem, forever set at rest the ancient suspicion of reason. Come let us reason toegther'' should forever quiet the contention that reason has no place in religion.
 Here we are taught that that faculty without which we could go on no jour ney,s surely cannot be dispensed with. when we would go on the journey from earth to heaven. Here 1t is clearly shown that that faculty without which man could not solve the simplest problem in mathematics, is all essential If he would solve the supreme problems of hu- l man life. the one great problem of sin. . Reasoning With Sin. 7 What then has reason to say of the 3 problem of sin? In the first place, 1t . must hasten to acknowledge that 1t can not solve the problem of it's origin. Why } a holy God who cannot look upon sir . with the least degree of countenanc' should have allowed it to invade His fall } dominions las ever been and no doub } will ever be an inscrutable mystery t' l human reason. It is forced to recogniz 3 It's existence. for its fatal ravages ar | ou every Hdnut dnu edcn udyt WlsH II records of murder and suicide and crime 7 proclaims It's presence in trumpet tones l But it seems to have been written of tn human understanding thus far shal thou go and no further" in the solution of this ancient problem.
 But in the second place reason assert '' that God can forgive sin. That God cal
 conquer sin and blot 1t out forever. Thi !, necessarily if God Is supreme. For if H
 fall in this, then Is He no longer Go, t and sin IS greater than He. And thi agrees with all the teaching of scripture as well as the words of the text. For a 2 Jesus said By this ye shall know tha the Son of Man, hath power on cart to forgive sim
 And in the third place reason assert that God is willing to forgive sin. for " can forgive each other. It should b n an axiom. says a modern great scientist that whatever man will do. that is good God will do also. Surely God will no allow His own creation to out run Hin a in the way of forgiveness, and how per e fectly does this agree with the teaching
 of the text-"Come, let US reason togeth
 CT, saith the Lord, though your sins bt as scarlet. they shall be as white al
 snow, and though they be red like crim-
 son they shall be as wool"
 Four-foId Powers of the Soul.
 Thus does reason lead us onward and
 upward until, without further powers, Il
 can lead us no further. Then is faith
 born in the soul. and standing upon
 the structure, built by reason. and but
 tressed by scripture, it takes its flight
 into the unseen. and lays hold upon God
 Then follows hope. the radiant maider who sings the song good cheer in tho soul. and lifts 1t out of gloom and melan. choly. and then follows love. in natura order, love first for the God who can ant will forgive sin and right the wrongs o earth, and love for God begets love fol man. Thus are the fourfold powers o man united in the great purpose of lifting :. him up and enlarging and developing him until he comes into the perfec image of the perfect man in Christ Jesus Q Reason then we conclude should lead u |. reyerntly to look up to God with faith 8 hope and love in bringing us at last int His sacred presence with fullness of joy Now abideth faith, hope, love. but tn
 greatest of these is love"