The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-01-10

tHSIS2k kU22tkLJ) more so. well l re-
member as a child
inquiring what would be the fate of
the heather, and the answer that
got, namely, that only through faith
in Jesus, the Redeemer, Is there any
salvation. Then ! queried, What Is
the penalty of their ignorance df the
Only Name given under heaven or
amongst men whereby we must be
saved? The answer was the usual one
of all OF our "Orthodox creeds:" that
they would spend eternity in hell Of
unutterable anguish. How my heart
went out alphabetically toward every
missionary movement on behalf Of the
heathenl
Then came mature thinking and l
said, Like others / am imperfect in
every way; my sympathy and love,
therefore, cannot be as great as that Of
our Creator. How is 1t possible that
God, with all the force Of the Universe
Mt His command, could look calmly on
and see the operation Of His own laws
carrying thousands Of millions to eter-
nal misery and yet refrain from giving
those creatures the necessary informa-
ton? said, there is something wrong
with the Bible and with our, creeds
which we have built upon 1t.
1 threw all away and began to rea-
son--but, thank God! not along irrev-
erent lines. / reasoned that He who
made the Universe also made man;
that whatever noble qualities / could
find in humanity were the work of the
Creator. / said, Mans noblest qualities
are justice and love, and hence the
Creator must possess these unlimitedly.
i bowed in worship before God, Infinite
in Wisdom, Justice, Love and Pow
err.
He That Sesketh Findeth.
said, oh, great, Almighty God, al
though unknown to me, l worship
Thee I adore Thee! My whole being
cries out for the pleasure of more init
mate acquaintance with Thee, that I
might know Thy will regarding me
and Thy purposes respecting human
ity. I said, Assuredly, as God is ALL
Wise, He must have an All-Wise pur-
pose, of which l need not be ashamed!
So surely as He is just and loving, all
of His plans and purposes must accord
with these qualities; and having made
man capable OF approaching these
qualities, He will surely be willing to
bestow the information which I,desire
information as to how l can best
please and serve Him and as to what
His purposes and intentions are re-
specting mankind.
My prayers convinced me the more
that there must be a Divine Revela-
tion somewhere in the world. thought
that I had searched the Bible faith
fully and proved 1t unreasonable and
contrary to every conception I could
have Of Divine Creator and His pur-
poses; hence my eyes turned toward
this Eastern land and your sacred
books. studied them for a time, only
to find them far less satisfactory to
my intellect than the Bible / had al
ready cast aside.
returned to the Bible. / asked my
self, Might you have been preJuAAcsd
when you examined 1t beforef Al
though thought not, l made fresh
investigation. because felt there must
be. a Revelation from the true God
somewhere, and because the Bible thus
FAR gave the best testimony. 1t, In
deed, told of God of Love, as no
other religious books do, yet its teach
ings respecting the future of the non
elect staggered me, for l was sure that
they were not Godlike, but the reverse.
Proving tho Bible Reasonable.
Disregarding the Old Testament
Scriptures entirely / began with the
New. | said. Was not Jesus a most
wonderful Character? Is it not true
that "never man spake like this MANI
Both heart and head answered, Yes
His teachings are the noblest found on
earth! His example fully COMFORTS
with His teachings! l asked, Can
rely upon the evidence? My mind re-
piled. Yes. If just such men today
told you their observations you would
believe them implicitly. These men
confessed that they were ignorant and
unlearned men, telling of their own
weaknesses ia a way that impostors
would not do. Their Message abounds
in good tidings of great Joy for all
people" and not merely for their own
nationality. My heart began TO take
courage | began to feel that had
found footing for my faith and that
the Bible indeed differed considerably
from the various and conflicting cresds