Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-06-04
oMNIPoTENT FAITH.

the worlds were framed. Hebrews,
11:S.
That is as true to-day as 1t ever
was. Faith moves the world. faith
makes the world. and 1t is faith that
is ever making the world into new
forms and leading it into new life,
Nothing is done without faith. As
one old writer reminded us long ago
all works are Just as dead without
faith as faith itself is dead without
works.
All men work by faith who work in
ably prides himself as being nothing
more than a cold business automation
utterly Indifferent to such visionary
matters as faith and idealism, never.
theless works by faith; he pushes out
his business into new fields in conf,
denco that the venture and invest
ment will bring It's returns; his fore
sight goes beyond knowledge.
No matter how material III It's ma.
ture your work may be, this quality
must enter into It, the power to sec
beyond the thing you handle, beyond
the immediate task being done, and
far beyond the pressing circumstances
which largely dictate present methods,
into that which tomorrow will de.
mand into the promise of the future
Living from hand to mouth is usual,
ly simply matter of inability to see
any farther than the end OF the nose
Getting ahead in life is largely mat.
ter of seeing ahead Faith is the
confidence in things that are not yet.
the forepossessing of the things that
are to be; 1t is the pioneer spirit that
makes men push into new lands, at.
tempt new tasks. and bring the world
into new days.
The most practicable tools to our
hands are the fruitage Of faith. Here
is the indispensable telephone at the
elbow of every man because one man
had the faith to follow his vision, per.
severed when others scoffed, and be.
lieyed in the values where others saw
only toy Faith is not dreaming; 1t
is so doing as to realize our best
dreams.
So religious faith means not some.
thing other than we know In every
day living. 1t means applying this
spirit of confident endeavor to make
real the hope for the future to the
matters of the moral and spiritual life
In the realm of character and ideals.
Faith in religion means simply giving
the life to the realization of religions
hopes.
Does man say that he has faith in
the most high, then it Will mean that
he has CONFIDENCE that infinite wisdom
and affection are so working in this
world that nothing better can be for
him than to work in harmony with
them and to bring that will which is
right and truth and goodness to be
done amongst men.
Faith in the infinite does not mean
blind baby-like confidence that al,
mighty arms will pick us up and car,
ry us to some fair land, unswept by
storms and uncursed by the necessity
for labor. 1t does mean so great con,
fidence in the rtghtness of the whole
universe that we put our lives into
tune with it and follow the right.
There is nothing men need more
than this faith, faith to believe that
this world, whatever eddies of sin and
wrong may swirl here and there. is
part Of a universe essentially right
where justice is eternally unchanging
where law reigns, where the will that
Is truth and right is being done. and,
therefore, where one dare not do other
than follow that confidence, where one
must follow the right. though the
heavens may fall.
We need faith in the possibilities of
our fellows, to see the possible good
ness In even the basest, to waken finer
chords as we strike the note of love
and confidence In them. Men are wha,
we believe them to be and this is Just
as true Of great groups OF men as II
Is Of individuals, a democracy is only
possible so long as We believe that ali
the people, taken together, viii do the
right.
No great work ever had immediate
results. Those who SOW for the rich
haryests must wait long for the ripen
ing grain; weeds grow in a night
worthwhile things try our faith. Char
acter is the finest frultage Of all. Its
harvest comes not by observation. but
1t never fails TO come to those who
live for It's high purposes in Others
and It's heights of calm In themselves
sERMONETTES.