Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-30
Gpmortb league
Topie
I John, $50: I Cor, 1859, 10, 12.
reasoning From a Blessed Present
to a Glorious Future
REV. SAMUEL w. GRAFFLIN.

~ CRING the year, Of which the end
AylA is near. we have been studying a
series of deep, devotional topics.
We have sounded the depths Of human
experience: we have scared into the clear
atmosphere of an implicit faith in God
we have laid the foundations of noble
living. Faith. hope and charity have shed
the light of their unbounded glory on
hese themes, and We are richer for this
feast Of good things from the table of
our God. The study of His word has
been worth while.
Today we come to think of things to
come Of things which we must take on
faith. having as groundwork for our in
ference the promises of God.
Before this mystery of the future the
strongest minds must quail, and yet no
system Of philosophy is complete until ii
offers some solution of this greatest of
all problems 1t is Addison who makes
Cato say:
Else whence this pleasing hope. this ford desire
This longing after immortality?
Or whence this secret dread and inward horror,
OF falling into nought: Why shrinks tn soul
Back on herself. and stariles destru, ticn:
tbs the Divinity that stirs with n us;
Tis Heaven itself that points out hereafter,
And intimates eternity to man.
Thus reason the great majority of the
race. We say: IF God has made this
world SO fair that nothins mars it but
the sins of men, and many men striv-
ing. day by day. to shun the evil and en-
brace the good, bearing with faith and
fortttude the ugly side of the stern pres
emf in the hope that some day when this
earthly task is done the infinite will
share infinity with US and we shall live
in better worlds than these the life I'M
trammeled by the sins of time" This
reasoning is lar; ely responsible for the
most beautiful courageous and unselfisf
things in the lives of those whom We
most reverence, and is shared by all the
best Of men in every land.
But though we call this reasoning, it is
reasoning lar ely born of faith and
revelation, and the most ma nificent ex
ponents of its truths are those most in
f1uenced by Holy Writ and most enamore(
Of the Son of God. Hear that SWee
Christian poet, Tennyson:
Strong Son Of God. immortal Love.
Whom sl, we, that t.i have not seen Thy face
Believing where we cannot prove.
Thou wilt not leave us in the dust
Thou madest man he knows rot Why.
He thinks he not ma ia d c;
And Thou hast made him; Thou art just.
And then hear Paul: 81 know whom
have believed and am persuaded that III
is able to keep that which l have com
| mitted unto Him a. ainst that day
Our rea -ons reel and sta ger with thu
weight of ponderOus argument and subtl
question but our faith and hope rise OF
resistless wings to find resting place
beside the throne of God. When sha
this be? No man may know. Where shall
this be? 1t is not ours to even guess. On'
mighty fact stands out in answer to thi:
whole array of doubt. He. the Christ
said: Il go to prepare place for you
and if I go and prepare place for you
| will come asain and recaive you unit
Myself: that where l am We may b.
Also And we who trust may rest con
| tent in this.
| We close this cd year with no proc
| positive that we shall ever see the next
| but none the 'ess We do our best to maxi
! these closing moments tell and bravei.
| lay our plans for future days, hoping t
| have and make them better than tn,
| fast So in our plan for this life and thu
next he shall fare best in that who ha
done best in this.