The Newtown bee., 1905-06-16

"The Lord my God will supply your every need" He is peace to those who look for rest; and He is life and zest; all the move and thrill of life He is to those who seek for more than their present days contain. 1 suppose we can sum up all this kind of losing the way in the world by the one word doubt of not being able to prove and demonstrate theoretical or theological propositions, but the practical doubt of not understanding life, of being in the doubt about the meaning of things as they are to-day. So many lives feel lost in the world because their thoughts are full of the one question if we only knew, if we were only cer- tain, if we could only see behind the veil A great deal of the careless, thoughtless living in the world simply rises from this darkening and obscur- ing of life's way by such practical doubt. It is not doubt about hard and intricate theological problems to-day. It is the deadening of doubt at the very center of the great things, the essential things of life and hope and character and all. People feel lost when all unbidden the darkness arises as to whether there is any God at all, or if there is, whether He be good; whether it really is better to be true and unselfish and right, or whether the old Jewish prophets fear be not justified and it is all one with the good and the evil; or if there be a difference it is the wicked that flourish like green bay tree, and they both go down into the grave together. Doubt whether there be any real life any where, nothing more than just this shadow of present living which passes and we are forever fled away. I say those are the doubts that make people feel as if they had lost their way in the world. Those are the doubts which weigh like millstones round the neck of many who want to know. They are real and terrible, and with them life is bitter as the orange skin from which the juice and sweetness have all been pressed away. And there is only one way of facing such doubts as these, only one way of finding one self and ones path again. And that ever such thoughts rise within us, is just to go down into the realities and sincerities of our own soul, hear the word of the Spirit which God giveth with unceasing testimony. Let man have such doubts and fears; then let him fall back on the Spirit of God which showeth the good way-upon the things which the spirit hear eth witness with his own spirit that they are true. Let him rest on what his own soul knows, because God speaks it within us. Per haps that fundamental knowledge or faith a man has will be only that some things are inevitably right and others wrong. There is his one author of in- tuition certainly; to that let him hold own life. So doing faithfully doubt growsiless and pure convictions groweth ever more. Jesus said that when He testified that those who obeyed his commandments in the soul would learn of the doctrine and they do; you and I do.
 NO MAN STRUGGLES TO DO THE RIGHT as God gives him to see the right but that struggle opens his eyes to other and larger and more blessed spiritual truths. I do believe in some lives that is the only way. For in other lives the fundamental thing, undoubted, not to be denied, witnessing itself truest of all, may not be only moral com. mand but also spiritual affection. A man or woman may he sure of love, may be as sure ofrit as they are of right and wrong; we'll then let them serve that sincere and undeniable love; let them do what it demands and commands, and so again learn obedience and wait for love to bring it's further revela' tions; and it does; it also forces on those who serve unselfshly growing knowledge, and larger light. So the Apostle gave us witness saying tn 1t 1oc Dloo far i,of0 GNl i,, to life. And it is true. deep and true love that it led them out to light of spiritual comprehen- sion, while others have loved for a cause, or whole people that to them that love was leading, which waken. ed soul and spirit within them. Think how to many to-day with great social dreams, not Orthodox John Calvin but l lnfidel Shelley, seem the true Prophet because the light of love of man and love ot freedom so glow and shine and scintillates through all his verses. Love of man, liberty, led that soul out into spiritual light. You will see that interpreted if you read in this weeks Outlook the beautiful poem once signing and singing over the ter. rible tragedy of St Petersburg's $
 Neva Gate. Or it may be in still other lives, for men are made | differently, that the fundamental, in. | disputable thing, which they cannot | doubt, which is witnessing itself con- tinually to them is neither moral duty or a spiritual affection but rather | a truth, a truth of law and power. They so discern things that they know or feel that there is truth to be found and they seek it, seek it as hid treas. ure, more than they seek love or even right; and to these also who
 FOLLOW SINCERE HEADINGS OF THEIR HIGHER NATURE,
 these also God leads to find their way so that truth and love of truth leads them on into larger life, and they find that righteousness and love are also truth, continual and unfailing truths in this world and in our nature. So I say that one way through the darkness of doubt of things is to enter into the sincerities, to take up honestly what it is forced upon us to believe. Not sighting any such obligation but be- ing absolutely true to it as we see it, and letting it be Gods messenger as way of life. That is the way to find the duty when at a loss because of doubt. People following duty when that is the only thing clear to them come out into life very much larger and more beautiful than hard, stern duty itself; that is my faith. I be- lieve God made it so. People follow ing righteousness, serving what they believe right come out into world of life more glorious and bright than the world of law, even brighter than a law of right. So believe. God made it so. And people following even a