The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-01-08

doubt the. iaihsrhood Of God when v
give ourselves 10 the practice oi the s4soth
eIhood Of man
Our doubts trouble Ne ana thereby prov
that douhtls NOT a s,Sse ef equilibrium
We mus, RsANs on tows rd Ihe light Act,o,
ls the nanacs. foi doeht 1fsny man w,I
1o TOD Will he shaa know His iocil,ne
10 YOU uoobi the power OF prayert srr,
nom do You think the reality of ths
matter - reNea.edt Certalnl' no, the maj
VINO never. prays. Pat Yourself a. bes
You can lnNhe attitude OF Lrayer am n.
ten, You sill then he abe 20 know wheth
er God talks bach Nou have sat in IN,
pew ior years and vou have heard sermor
without number on the great fundamental
oi the Christian faith. To some OF then
YOU nave gwen intellectual assent. and We
Noa md yourself IN doubt and uncer, ain
". Why IS II thus with YOU? ihtre car
he hut o'f answer. Nou have thrown
| yourself nv hoy surrender az the feet %
. e truth vou have known. IL costs some
thing 10 DO that. pl,y the man who hac
40 Bethel IA his HE. no place where h,
has faced God and duty and said. II
WI To the divine ,'you ought Pau
/ had hls Damascus. luther ms Erfurt, Wes
lev has AldcrsSa,e and B"shueil, leetur
/ ING 10 the students of Yale, SAID. There
Is story lodged ia the little bedroom q,
/ cle Of they dormtoues which nr God
! HIS reooi Ding angel may note. allowing i.
| never kN Nt leNt.
| Dc not be impatient with your doubt
! only be sure that yor are moving toward
| the hgh You do see No, what we are.
| but what We are becon, ag. not where we
sand, hut whence we come and whittier
! we go-these are the great things about
whch We should hc concerned.
The fruit OF the tree Of faith may I've
nnckcd too soon and It IS then valueless.
IL takes iull season 90 ripen the best OF
natures products and there are some
things IN faith which only wears and frost
and storm VIII brinC 10 maturity
IL has been sand that one of the greatest
talents IN religious discovery Is the find
M how 10 hang up questions without be.
lng anNtous about them. Look at them
now,and then as they hang and by and hv,
when Nou turn some corner Of thought
YOU Will he delighted and as.onishcd TO see
now quietly and easily they open their Sc
crct ana let YOU in. | know a great teach
er of mathematics who always kept some
hard problems hy him lie would work
on one awhile and pat It sack N his
pocket stlll incomplete After weeks or
months the problem would be solved and
another take lts pace ~ his thought.
There are many who sIy with easy assur.
anCe: Lord, | believe but they have
never thought enough TO have any doubts.
They have no sympathy with thos, Who
die i1r a man or cause. They could he.
v
p a good position IN society and com.
Portable income The man who rs honest
must adjourn some OF has questions and
not be impauent | expect 10 carry some
OF my questions with me INTO that larger
ma toward which ali men move. hut that
fact does not trouble me. Some things I
have settled and others can wait until the
dav when all mystery shall Toe made clear.
One OF my Pensioners some years ago
Taught me great lesson. She was a lady
oi culture and refinement She had been
at the head OF a great school for many
years. Her oycsght az last failed her and
she became totally blind ! saw her at the
close OF service feeling her way up the
aisle from pew 20 pew. that she might
shake hands with me. The thought Of her
great suffering and loss finally over
whemed me and | said with deep emotion
as clasptd her hand. 1t viii hc light up
yonder and You will know why God has
permitted this great aillction 10 enter
your life. She lifted a face transhgured
by ineilabie peace and said. III ] am 90
happy as 10 get 10 heaven, ! shall let by
gones be hygonee and shall not 'rouble the
Lord for any explanations" II one has
sprlt like that, whaicye: doubts he has
can wait.
Remember finally that there are but a
few things that are absolutely necessary to
Christian faith. BE sure that YOU have
them. whatever the rrlce demanded may
be. DO not try 20 make a bargain for n
safe and pleasant course That ~ an aw- /
iul mocklng Of the truth. But having set /
tied the great problems be assured that /
you need not be greatly troubled about the |
lesser once. Men have set up standards |
which God never ordained.
We have multiplied dogmas and doc. |
irines TO the confusion Of the mind and i
fear 60 the ioss Of the soul. Worse than 4
all men have forgotten that right living ~
more important than right views. They
nave burned hcTetICs 20 get rid ot Their
ieresy, and have bapishcd good men be
'ause they dlfapeed with them. Have pa.
.Ience with other men that they may have
patience with YOU Let your life recon
mend your creed Right opinions wlll
,vail NJ no more than they avail the devil
md his angels unless we hold them IN tho
,oldcn ChahCc OF "a pure and honest ne.
fhc great truths OF life are not simply IN.
ellcctual truths and the method by winch
hey are revealed are not chiefly intellect.
lal. With the heart man belevetb unto
Ightcousuofs.
Doubt which is in moral earnest is
ervant Of God 10 bfng the truth. IL has
preceded al great reforms IN the lndlWd'
lal and IA the community. A faith which
.as been forged out through the awful
leat Of doubt ~ the only kind that be
ONES an anchor 10 the soul IL ~ worth
oiug through The fiery furnace TO lind
the form Of the Fourth
The conviction which honest doubt leads
0 ls the conviction which has shaken the
World DO not scorn any man, and icast
+ al the truth be holds Keep the integ-
ity OF your mind Think honestly. think
criously ior lies questions are solemn
ucgtious
DO not he obstinate and refuse 20 own
ew truth which CoutradIcts some position
on once held Above al thing, realize /
hat the truth is the only thing that VIII
-cc YOU from an cyIl life. The verdict OF
he ages aud the verdict Of the facts ~
nat the truth u 20 be sought IN person'
.ity and not 10 . theory, and no one has
risen to dispute llIs words who SAID,
m the truth " ~ 10 Him that J ask
on 10 come Wei may you say 10 HIM:
have heard of Thee that 1bon canst
lake interpretations and dissolve doubts
Tru. Torgiv.Eess.