The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-06-25
JOURNAL COURIER

current runs swiftest Small-minded men regard faith as a theory; large minded men use it as a practical work ling power to get things not only done. lbut done right. Turn back to the chap ,ter that was read this morning, and tread the record of what men wrought by faith. Through faith they "subdued 1 kingdoms, wrought righteousness, ob- tained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, es- capped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed val iant in fight, turned to flight the armies I of the aliens" Gentlemen, faith is the one thing in the world which will ena- ble you to do this. It is the thing which will prevent you from being daunted by small failures, or even by failures which for the moment may seem overwhelmingly large; the thing which will enable you to accomplish something which not only looks worth doing, but is worth doing. If your coun- | try has men of faith among her citizens she will be saved; if she has not men of faith no amount of intellectual prog ress or material wealth can preserve her.
 But what, you will say, has all this to do with our text? How will belief in | the Lord Jesus Christ help us to all this? Are there not other and plainer ways of making our lives count for fright and of saving our country from it's enemies than by the acceptance of Christianity and the things for which Christianity stands?
 Other ways there doubtless are. By many roads men come to the feet of God. do not suppose that one of us here is so minded as to believe that all good is bounded by the limits lof a single creed, or all salvation wrought by means of single method. As we look back on the heroic deeds of Roman or of Greek, as we behold the devoted lives of followers of Buddha or lof Confucius, we see clearly enongh that the faith that looks through death is confined to no one church or com lpany. But I cannot agree with the tman who goes on to say that these oth- CT ways are simpler and plainer than the way of Christian belief. Not easier has it been, but infinitely hearder to attain saving faith through philosophy than through Christianity, Philosophy lworks through our intellect; Christian ity takes hold upon our affections and lideals. Philosophy asks us to assent to Icertaln principles; Christianity asks us to take a certain kind of man as our lhero. For nineteen persons out of twen- ty this is the appeal that counts. Men will debate forever over a principle; let a real leader come, and they will follow him to the death.
 You can see instances of this in your lcollege life. You will remember how, Iwhen you came here as freshmen, the lcareers of some of the upper-class men took hold of your imagination. You wanted to follow in their footsteps. It Iseemed like the highest prize of college life to accomplish the kind of things that they had accomplished. Whatever lsuch men did was power for good or load through the whole community. As 1.-the years of college life went on, and Iyour own class began to take the lead, each of you found men whom you were proud to know as friends and whom in lyour hearts you desired to be like The Influence of these men upon you, for Igood or for evil, counted for more in Iyour college life than all you learned from books or lectures, from college sports or college politics. You believed lin your friends; you became like them, whether you meant to or not. If they were men of the right stamp your col Ilege course has been a success, no mat ter what disappointments 1t may have contained. If they were men of the wrong stamp your college course has Hailed of it's best purpose.
 And what has been true here will be true In the world afterward. AS you enter upon professional life you will form your ideals of success not from what books say, but from what you see exemplified in the careers of men, past and present. Tn law or in medicine, in business or in politics, you will find he- roes that you wish to be like. AS you grow older, by your choice of heroes will your life's purpose be determined and dominated. In the world, as in college, a strong man of any kind will find friends and followers. Be he prize- fighter or fanatic, politician or millions aire, philosopher or Christian, there will be men who will choose him for a hero and stand or fall by the choice.
 Nearly nineteen centuries ago there was a typical gathering at the passover at Jerusalem A large part of the null titude chose asIts hero a man who rep resented physical force in its lawless Eexerclse; and when the governor cried, l''Whom will ye that I release unto your" they said, 'Barabbas!" There was another section of the community who were under the dominion of fanat- icism, ready to be moved without req son by leader that appealed to their emotions; and when Caiaphas, the high priest, said that it was expedient that lone man should die for the people they cried with a loud voice. ''Cruo1fy him! cruelty him" There was smaller
 but more influential section who cared for success as 1t was embodied in ma
 terlal prosperity and political power
 They believed in Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. He represented the lreally successful man whom they lwished to initiate; and when Pontius kPilate found 1t convenient to wash his thands of a u1attar of which he diaan.