The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-03-25

self TO the sensual ana the material, nc lS
hollow mockery for him to profess a de-
sire to know the truth. The truth aoides
with no man who viii not use it. and. ON
the other hand, il he be. like Romaues.
pure Of heart and purpose, he viii think
hig way out of the darkness into the full
light Of revealed religion and pillow his
diving head upon certain faith. Know"
ing the life OF Shelly we would expect him
to be proud to write himself down IAN
atheist" knowing the life Of Wordsworth,
we would expect the epitaph in Grass
here Church to read as it does, TO the
memory of William Wordsworth, true
philosopher and poet, who, By. speelal
gift AMI calling of Almighty God, whether
he discoursed on man or nature. talled not
to lift up the heart to holy things, tired
not Of maintaining the cause of the poor
and simple and so in perllous times was
raised up to the chief minister, not only
of noblest 2oesy, but of high and sacred
truth"
Before you seek any further for the dis
solving of your doubts, ask yourself hon
estly the question: "Am | unalterably
gwen over to right doing? Am l ready to
obey the voice within me as steadtastly
as Socrates obeyed his daemon, even
though it should cross my purposes and
bring bitter losses"
It will be easy to believe in Immortality
when we try to live a life that is good
enough to last forever. We shall not
doubt the fatherhood Of God when we
give ourselves to the practice of the broth
erhood of man.
Our doubts trouble rs and thereby prove
that doubt is not state. of equilibrium;
we must move on toward the ligat. 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! 10
whom do you think the reality of that
matter is revealed? Certainlw not the man
who never prays. Put yourself as best
you can in the attitude of prayer and 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 10 some of them
you have given intellectual assent, and yet
you find yourself in doubt and uncertain
ty. Why is it thus with you? There can
be but one answer. You have thrown
yourself in holy surrender at the feet OF
t. truth you have known. 1t costs some.
thing to do that. | pity the man who had
no Bethel in his life; no place where ne
has faced God and duty and said: Il
will" to the divine "you ought" Paul
had his Damascus, Luther his Erfurt. Wes-
lev his Aldersgate, and Bushnell, lectur-
ing to the students of Yale, said: There
is story lodged in the little bedroom OF
one of these dormitories which ,prf.. COG
His recording angel may note, allowing II
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 Whlther
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 a full season to ripen the best OF
things in faith which only years and frost
and storm will bring to maturity.
It has been said that one of the greatest
talents in religious discovery is the find
ing how to hang up questions without be-
ing anxious about them. Look ar them
now and then as they hang and by and by,
when you turn some corner of thought,
YOU will be delighted and astonshed to see
how quietly and easily they open their Sc
cret and let you in. / know a great teach
er of mathematics who always kept some
hard problems by him. He would work
on one awhile and put it back IN his
pocket still incomplete. After weeks or
another take its place in his thought.
There are many 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. Ihey coulu pc
lieve anything that seemed to be necessary
.",r a good position in society and com.
Portable income The man who IS honesG
must adjourn some of his questions ana
not be inpatient / expect to carry some
of nv questions with me into that larger
life toward which all men move, but thag
fact does t trouble me. Some Things
have settle and others can wait until the
dav when all mystery shall be made clear.
One of my parishioners some years ago
taught me a great lesson. She was lady
of culture and refinement. She had been
at the head Of great school tor many
years Her eyesight at last tailed her anu
she became totally blind. | saw her at tne
close of service feeling her way up the
aisle from pew to pew, that she mlghc
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
yonder and you will know why God mas
permitted this great atfilctlon 70 e,aet
your life" She lifted a face TRANSPORTED
bv ineffable peace and said: IF | am SO
happy as to get to heaven, | shall let by
cones be bvgones and shall not trouble the
ford for any explanations" II one has
spirit like that, whatever doubts ne mas
can wait. -
few things that are absolutely necessary to
Christian faith. Be sure that you, nave
them. whatever the price demanded may
be. Do not try to make a bargain Tor
safe and pleasant course. That is an aW-
ful moc[ing of the truth But having set
fled tIa 'ii the rreat problems be assured that
YOU YOU need not be greatly troubled about the ne
lesser ones. Men have set up standards
which God never ordained.
We have multiplied dogmas and doc
trines to the confusion of the mind and l
fear to the loss of the soul. Worse tna u
more important than right views. They
have have burned np heretics to get rid OF their
heresy, and have banshed good men be-