The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-01-20
doubt The fatherhood of God when we


give ourselves to the practice 'of:the broth
erhood of man.
Our doubts trouble us and thereby prove
that doubt is not state of equilibrium;
we must move on toward the light. Action
is the panacea for doubt. If any man Will
do Gods will he shall know His doctrine.
Do you doubt the power of prayer! 70.
whom do you think the. reality OF that
matter is revealed? Certainl" not the man
YOU can in the attitude of prayer ami lis
ten. You will then be able to know wheth-
er God talks back. You have sat IN the
pew for years and you have heard sermons
without number on the great fundamentals
of the Christian faith. TO some of them
you have given. intellectual assent, and yet
you find yourself in doubt and uncertain
y e u Why it vs "s7 You se0 have San
yourself in holy surrender at the, feet OF
t. e truth you have known. 1t costs some;
thing to do that pity the man who bad
no Bethel in his life; no place where ne
has faced God and duty and said: -!
will" to the divine "you ought" Paul
had his Damascus, Luther his Erturt, Yves
ley his Aldersgate, and B"shnell, lsStur-
ing to the students of Yale, said: There
one of these dormitories which pr Coo
His recording angel may note, allowing 1t
never to be lost" :,
Do not be impatient with your doubt;
only be sure that you are moving toward
the ligh. you do see. Not what we are,
but what we are becoming; not where we
stand, but whence we come and whittier
we go-these are the great things about
which we should be concerned.
The fruit Of the tree of faith may be
plucked too soon and it is then valueless:
1t takes full season to ripen the best OF
natures products and there are some
things in faith which only years and trost
and storm will bring to maturity.
It has been said that one Of the greatest
talents in religious discovery IS the md
ing how to hang up questions without be-
ing anxious about them. Look at them
now and then as they hang and by and by,
YOU will be delighted and astonished to see
how quietly and easily they open their Sc
cret and let you in. I know great teach
er of mathematics who always kept some
hard problems by him. He would. work
on one awhile and put it back IN nus
pocket still incomplete. After weeks or
months the problem would be solved and
another take it's place in his thought.
There are manv who say with easy assur-
ance: Lord, I believe. but they have
never thought enough to have any doubts.
They have no sympathy with those VINO
die for man or cause, They could be-
lieye ANYTHING that seemed to be necessary
.,r a good position in society. and com.
| Portable income. The man who is honest
must adjourn some of his questions and
not be impatient. expect to carry some
of nv questions with me into that larger
| life toward which all men move, but that
fact does not trouble me. Some things l
have settled and others can wait until the
day when all mystery shall be made clear.
One of my parishioners some years ago
| taught me a great lesson. She was iady
of culture and refinement. She had peen
years. Her eyesight at last failed her ana
she became totally blind. saw her at the
close of service feeling her way up the
aisle from pew to pew, that she might
shake hands with me- The thought OF her
| Great suffering and loss finally over
whelmed me and said with deep emotion
as clasped her hand: '"It will be light up
Wonder and you will know why God has
permitted this great afhiction to enter
YOUR life" She lifted face transhgured
by ineffable peace and said: II am SO
| happy as to get to heaven, Il snail let 3y-
cones be bygones and shall not trouble the
| Lord for any explanations. one n"s &c q
spirit like that, whatever doubts ne mas
Remember finally that there are but q
| few things that are absolutely necessary 70
Christian faith. Be sure that you, have
them. whatever the price demanded may
he Do not try to make bargain Tor
cafe and pleasant course. That is an aW-
fmi knocking of the truth. But having set-
| tied the great problems be, assured tnSs 1se
YOU need not be greatly troubled about t1e 9e
| lesser ones. Men have set up stanoaros
which God never ordained.
We have multiplied dogmas and oocI
+rines to the confusion of the mind and l
fear to the loss of the soul. Worse than
ali men have forgotten that right llv'ng is IS
more important than right views. lney
| have burned heretics to get rio OF tne.i
heresv. here and have banished good men be-
canse thew disagreed with them. Have pa
t;ence with other men that they may nave
nat;ence with you. Let your lte recon-,
mend YOUR creed. Right opinions VIII VIII
avail us no more than they aVaii tne oeta, .Sa
and his angels unless we hold them ID ,:iN tne
golden chalice of pure ana hohesS quest, hie. ;T.
teIIec3nai LII truths and the method by which
thew are revealed are not chiefly lntellect'
nal With the heart man belleVeth Unto
ihonbt which is in moral earnest Is a
servant of God to bring the truth. IL mas
nreceded mr. all great reforms in the 1ndivldi.
ppai and in the community. A faith whie9 2
has been forged ont through tne a"iul
heat of doubt is the only KIND tnat Dg, :
comes an anchor to the soul. 1t Is "oIea
Going through the fiery. furnace 10 nna
athe form of the Fourth" ia,
| The conviction which honest d9uEe % ieaho ahe
to is the conviction which has snakJsnI MAKE Ioast .nf
world. Do not scorn any man, anu ;+an' ltao.
of all the truth he holds, Keep the 1h;eE th;aI
r;tv of vour mind. Think honestly, @ tnnk
seriously, for life's questions are soiemn
Do not be obstinate and refuse to OVID ",
new truth which contradicts some position
YOU once held. Above all things re reaniIi MI
That the truth is the only thing that wlit y
free free YOU from an evil life. The verdlet o. 81
the aces and the verdict Of the facts IL
that the truth is to be sought IN person, ba =
a;;tv % and not in theory, and no one naS az
arisen to dispute His words VINO saiq' ,si. !
am the truth" 1t is to Him tnae tIs asH =.
YOU Vol, to come. Well may you say G to MN aat
!I have heard of Thee that Inon cans;
make Interpretations and dissolve oouD'S'
! True Forgiveness.
Phillips Brooks once beautlfully ue,
scribed the meaning Of true forgiveness d
I'M 4rre sion of forgiveness IS not