The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-07-30


Faith IN the Elder Brother makes us
His fellow children: keen faith in
the Father through storm and sun
shine.
When a man sees the cursed spot
upon his soul can he remove it? "a
man." said Jesus. had two sons"
One went into the far country and
painted his soul black with loose and
unworthy deeds. When his money
was gone he felt his disgrace and
shame. He did not commit suicide:
he went straight home No sooner
had he reached the road outside the
gate when he was hailed and his
father ran to meet him. Whatever
the spot may he upon the soul II
man will take his disgrace and shame
TO God he will find in Him a Father.
SO with social failure. Is the time
short that remains? Waste II not
In vain regrets over e. The past Ia
! irreparable, hut the future is stlll
ones own. Come let Ms he going"
When a man dies shall he live
again? knowledge gives no better
answer than in the DAYS NJ Aristotle
What seems to be scientific proof,
when examined. turns ont to be
/ simply mans hone expressed IN scien-
ific phrases. But man hF1 trust
worthy evidence. not in the spiri-
tualistlc sense, but in the inference
rs 10 what the other world is like
from what We know Of this, in his
hopes and faith. In the testimony of
his poets and prophets And of all
such witnesses to life that desires to
be eternal stands Jesus. our Elder
Brother Before the gate of ueath
He stands and holds the kew. It is
sight of Him. master of life and
death. that STRENGTHENS our faith in
Immortality. quickens our hope for
the dead and casts about life here and
there the golden radiance which sur
passes the sunset glow.
For all these experiences Of life, In
| answer to all these deep questionings,
faith in God as Father, in Jesus as
Elder Brother is sufficient.
In Korea the Christian Church has
learned 10 ask this faith of its con-
verts and no more. When will the
church at home learn this much
needed lesson? There are questions
which this simple faith does not an
swer Christianity no sooner had
reached the educated Greek than the
| questions came: What is the relation
between Jesus and God? How is the
! elder Brother related to the other
brothers? What is the true idea of
incarnation and of atonement? Men
! have a right to ask these questions.
| That right was won long ago by ORR
gen, of Alexandria. But let ii be
clearly understood that all such mat
.ers of speculation, while legitimate.
| are not the faith once delivered "
Fas ln1f l. ., g.
| speculative faith. as 1t historically
| has found expression in the creeds
| and doctrines of the church. as the
tree is related to its leaves. The
| faith once delivered, trust in God as
Father, in Jesus as Elder Brother is
| the tree. The creeds and doctrines
! are the leaves. From season to sea-
son they must change as new life
J pushes off old forms, because the tree
itself abides.
wish l could persuade men who
to-day reject all creeds. and with
them the faith, to see this distinction
between faith and creeds. 1t is possi-
BILE to reject the latter and live by
the former. ! wish that I could per-
suade men who identify faith and
creeds to make this distinction II
would do much to win the thinkine
world to the religion of Jesus. 1t is
a real distinction. The faith once
delivered existed many generations
before the most venerable creeds OF
Christendom were born. 1t will con.
tinue to inspire and strengthen mer
when all our rreeds shall have passed
away. The faith is once for all de
livered.
Subtest thought shall fail and learning
falter,
Churches change, forms perish, system,
go;
But our human needs-they will not alter
Christ no after age shall eer outgrow.
Yea. Amen! o. changeless One, Thou onl,
Art life guide and spiritual goal,
I Thou, the light across the dark vale lonely
Thou, the eternal heaven of the soul.