The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-11-09

without meaning or purpose then I
will believe that this longing Of the HUI
man soul for God is not to be trusted.
Until that time know that have ev.
idence in myself that God is and that
I am related to Him. May we not trust
this deepest and divinest instinct OF
human nature? If not, what can we
trust?
You tell me that you will trust your
eyesight. But why? If the thought OF
God is a delusion, why may not the
whole visible universe be delusion?
If my instructive outreaching after that
which is holy is lie, why may not
what I seem to see be another lie?
You say that you will trust your rea-
son? May not that also be another de-
lusion? 1.-TWO times two are four"
you say, always have been. always
will be- But how do you know?
Have you any right from your own
petty experience to assume that some
thing was true million years ago and
will be true million years hence? But
you do assume that. You must trust
your reason. Then why not. trust this
deeper instinct of the human soul
which cries out for God and can be sat
isfed with nothing less? Religion is
it's own evidence. The man who trusts
and surrenders himself to God does
not need to have it proven to him that
God is. His spirit beareth witness
with our spirit that we are children of
God.
But you will say, "Prove it to me-"
I ask you to prove it to yourself.
cannot prove it to you. No man can.
You must make the experiment for
yourself. You must prove it yourself.
Here is man with his eyes bandaged
tight, who cries, "You say that the
sunshine is beautiful, the grass green,
the roses red. Prove it to me-" What
will you do? There is no possible way
in which you can prove the beauty of
the world to this man with bandaged
eyes. "Of with the bandage" you
cry. "Open your eyes and look. Trust
the evidence Of your own senses. Then
you will believe" How does opening
the eyelids alter the relation between
my eyes and the light? Why, the glor-
ious revealing light comes in, thing
it cannot do to shut eyes. How does
breathing in alter the relation Of my
lungs to the air? Why, it brings the
air that was before outside Of me in
side of me. Just where I absolutely
need it for very life. that is all. The
open soul takes God in. The shut soul
keeps God out. that is all. The immu-
table. eternal laws of light and air are
not changed, they are illustrated there
by. The immutable love Of God is not
changed. Its glorious working is illus
trated when the believing soul opens
it's gates and let's the King Of Glory in.
Oh, friend, you who are hungry and
thirsty and have tried in thousand
ways to find satisfaction and have
found it not, make another expert
ment-make the supreme venture OF
faith. Try trusting in God to the ut
most. Surrender yourself to the guild
ance of His divine will. believe that
thus you will find strength, comfort.
satisfaction and that your faith shall
prove itself in the deep experiences OF
your life. You want me to prove to
you that prayer is effective and rea-
sonable. I will not try. I ask you.
rather, to prove it to yourself. Pray.
Talk to your Father. Listen to His
voice. Then you will no longer be ask
ing for proof that prayer is effective.
You will have evidence in yourself.
There is God and He Is our Father,
and He reveals Himself and His love
to men; not to few men, but to all
men. His spirit will bear witness with
your spirit if you will open the eyes
and ears of the spirit to hear and see.
Sorrows may encompass you, temp
tations may harass you. disappoint-
ments may come to you. Still trust,
poor soul; trust as never before. Trust
in the Lord and He shall bring. it to
pass. Cast thy burden on the Lord and
He shall sustain thee Out Of the
depths of the souls experience were
these words uttered. They can be
proved true in the deep experience OF
the soul to which they appeal.