The Washington herald., 1908-05-10
A SUNDAY TALK.


Nov faith is the substance Of things hoped for,
the evidence Of things not seen.-HebFews. Kill
Few things in scriptural doctrine have
proved more OF a puzzle and confusion
than the exact meaning of faith as it
was used by the ancient prophets, and
later, as in the text above, by ST. Paul.
The eleventh chapter OF Hebrews is given
over to On explanation of what faith
means, and yet it is not altogether en-
Tightening. Many preachers seem TO find
in faith something mysterious, elusive.
and viii not have It that the Apostle
meant faith TO be synonymous with be-
lief The photographers tell us that faith
is the assent OF the mind 20 the truth of
divine revelation, on the authority Of
Gods testimony. accompanied by a cordial
assent Of the VIII or appreciation OF the
heart, an entire confidence or trust In
Gods character and declarations, and in
the character and doctrine of Christ, with
an unreserved surrender OF the win to
His guidance.
And this is the eommon-sense definition
Of the word which. perhaps. more than
any other in the Scriptures, it Is i'm
portant we should comprehend fully. 1t
IS because Of the element of faith, which
is so necessary to a complete acceptance
OF the Christian religion. that there can
never hope TO be a complete reconciliation
between that religion and science. Belief
in the facts Of science is founded on au-
thority, based on evidence or personal
knowledge; belief in the miracles OF the
Old Testament or in the miraculous DO
ings OF Jesus christ-many OF these re-
pugnant to scientific knowledge-is only
to be attained through faith, Claiming
said.
Faith is deep want of the soul. We have fac
aties for the spiritual as well a. for the outward
world God. the foundation Of al existence NAV
heeOme 70 the mind the most real Of all beings Tge
believer feels himself resting an everlasting foun
dation
And true faith, It must be remembered,
the faith of which St Paul speaks as
the evidence Of things not seen" Is not
10 be argued into a man. It must come
through the inward perception Of that
which is inwardly revealed. knowledge
has little to do with faith. for. as Froude
says:
faith-belief IN goodness, belief in justice in
Righteousness; above AL belief In truth Men Of
knowledge, without which al the knowledge in the
woTid IS Of no use te man. if he wishes indeed to
be man in any high and noble sense Of the word.
No man can feel that he Is complete.
that life is a problem being solved salts
faetorily unless he possesses faith. The
foundation Of most Of the misery or the
world Is unbelief; lack OF faith that
makes US repine at what chances to us,
that impels Us 20 the thought we are
wiser than Providence and could have or
dered things better. Ruskin said once:
We treat God With irre7erenoe by banishing Him
from our thoughts. not by referring 70 His viii on
slight occasions His is net the anite authority og
intelligencs which cannot be troubled Rith small
things. There Is nothing 50 small but that we may
honor God by asking His guidance Of II, or insult
Him by taking It into or own hands
1t is through faith alone that man can
do good work In the world, and. after
all, It Is only through good work accom-
plished that a mans life really counts in
the great universal scheme. So it is that
one OF the most important things in life
is the cultivation, assiduously. OF A living
faith that shall imDel US. for the love of
God and for hope OF ultimate salvation.
TO express the best that is in US, for
II faith produce no work. see
That faith Is not g living tTrr.
Thus faith and works together grow.
No separate life they e'eF cas- know.
Theyre soul and hody hard and heart
What Ged hath joined. LEI no man pavt.