The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-12
lIISNZI i


the men of old were well spoken of
1t was faith that enabled
Abraham to obey the call that he re-
ceived, and to set out for the place
which he was afterward to obtain as
his own; and he did so without know
ing at the time where he was going.
It was faith that made him go to the
PROMISED Land-a stranger to a
strange country-and live there in
tents with Isaac and Jacob, who
shared the Promised Land with him.
He was looking for the city with the
sure foundations, whose architect and
builder is God.
ut was faith that caused Moses,
when he was grown UP, to decline the
title of Son of a Daughter of Phar-
aoh.' He preferred to share the hard
ships of Gods people rather than
have the short-lived enjoyment of a
sinful life For he thought that the
stigma which attaches to the Christ
was of greater value than the treas
ures of Egypt, looking forward. as he
did, to the reward awaiting him. Faith
caused him to leave Egypt. undaunted
by the kings anger, for he was
strengthened in his endurance by the
vision of the. invisible God
Vision of the invisible"-that
phrase defines faith. 1t is the inner
spiritual light that makes plain what
material powers demonstrate. Within
this realm lie all of life's best things.
Modern Missionaries.
Visionary" does some one call the
man of faith? Here struts the physi-
cal scientist, who accepts nothing
which cannot be proved in his labor
atory. Ask him to define electricity.
Ask him to explain the nature of life,
not pushing him to the extremity of
trying to explain the beginnings of
life. Your physical scientist will
straightway walk more softly, re-
IN a ffanx nVEy of ncVAIA Oh ant
him is charged with mysterious waves
about which his science has only late
ly begun to make discoveries, and he
will confess that all his certainties
about the atomic theory have gone
to smash within a generation Faith
is as scientific in this twentieth GEN.
fury as is ocular demonstration. |
If we are to classify as Missionaries
all the men of faith, we shall find
ourselves grouping in this same gall
lery of God most of the mighty men
who have made history. America will
give a high place to that visionary,
Columbus. We make room for the
artist whose eye of faith sees on the
plain canvas the vision of his soul;
and for the sculptor who can perceive
the angel in the block of marble.
and for the architect who can build
city in a wilderness. And what
been recently In session at Chicago
in the Peace Conference, who have
glimpsed the era of world peace and
of human brotherhood? Or of that
larger company who look forward
with confidence. even as did Abraham
of old, to q conquest of the whole
human race to the will and love of
Jehovah?
In Simplest Terms.
The climax of this letter is to be
found in the beginning of what is
called the twelfth chapter In our
chOpDed-up versions with their aFbi-
trary divisions. The writer was lead
ing up, by the way of the heroes of
IsraePS history, to the faith of which
Christ is the beginning and the end
ing. Again to quote from the TWEEN
tieth Century New Testament: See
ing that there is on every side of US
such a throng of witnesses, let us,
therefore, in our turn lay aside every
thing that hinders US, and the sin
that clings about us, and run with
perseverance the course that lies be-
fore US, our eyes fixed upon Jesus,
who is our Guide and our perfect Elk
ample of faith, and who, in exchange
for the happiness that lay at His feet
submitted to the cross, disregarding
its shame. and has now taken His seat
on the right hand of the throne of
God"
OF course faith is a mystery; but
no less a reality because a mystery
BY the testimony of many more wit
nesses than the inspired writer ever
knew, it can be proved that there
is a power in Jesus Christ which he
imparts to those who trust in Him.
That power, which is given to the con-
fiding. keeps men pure and strong,
and makes them victorious. 1t brings
the individual life and organized So
ciety into subjugation to the mind of
Christ. "This is the victory which
overcometh the world, even our
faith