The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-07-09

Spirit OF GOd, TOT
Me, they are foolish
ness unto him.
neither can he
know them because they are spiritual
ly discerned." Il Cor. 2:ip.
Furthermore. the truth as II is in
Jesus carries with II condemnation
for the sinner. and no one enjoys re-
proof or rebuke As the lawyer, Will
ing 10 Justify himself. said: Who Ii
my neighbour" so the natural heart
questions the authority OF the Bible,
and even the existence OF God rather
than confess its sin. Add TO this the
fact that the devil who first injected
doubt into the mind OF man. and who
Is rightly called by our Savior the
father OF lies. Is ever seeking TO preju-
dice the creature against the Creator.
and II is not strange that all thinking
people pass through a period OF doubt
as 10 the fundamentals OF religion.
and some are 80 completely blinded
that they never come out OF their
spiritual darkness.
In dealing with doubters II II i'm
portant to ascertain their real posi-
ton. Some skeptics are mere trifers
who are too indolent TO grapple with
the truth In a resolute way. and so
find II easier TO doubt and drift with
the current OF their natural inclina
tons. Others use their skepticism as
cover for an ungodly life. You can
say TO such when they question the
inspiration OF the Bible that one proof
OF its divine origin IL the fact that II
describes their condition so complete
ly. and tells how they came into that
condition.
Remind them that 20 doubt the
Bible does not alter the facts which II
reveals. but II does subject them TO
the charge OF making God a liar Il
John 500. and II puts them under
condemnation. lie that believeth not
Is condemned already. because he hath
not believed In the name OF the only
begotten son OF God And this is the
condemnation. that light Is come into
the world. and men loved darkness
rather than light. because their deeds
were evil" John s;ls. l9).
II Is said that a vessel once sighted
an enemy just at shutdown. and kept
up a cannonade until the darkness
put a stop to H. When the sun arose
the next morning. they were cha
grined To find that the supposed enemy
was an immense rock. which still re-
NAMED intact after many hours Of
bombarding. SO In all fges men have
been demolishing the Bible as the
enemy OF the human race. but the old
Book still stands. silent. but solid as
the Rock Of Ages. For trifiing skep-
tics John SAL, "a is very good as
showing the consequences OF unbelief.
while John $40 discloses the origin
OF their skepticism. "Ye will not
come TO me that ye might have life. "
There il another class OF doubters
who are really DESTROYS OF knowing
the truth. As some one has ex.
pressed II, He wishes there was q
God TO whom he could come as q
| child TO his father. but he does not
know whether there Ia or not. and he
wants to know. He wishes he were
an immortal spirit: but he is not posi-.
tive that he Is anything more than
an animated machine. and he seeks
for evidence. He would be glad TO
believe that this unknown God has
provided for this unknown soul some
way by which II could know both its
father and itself. lie does not dis
believe In God or Christ, but he does
not know. and he wants To know. /"
For such people there are two paths
10 the light. the intellectual and the
moral Tho FIRST begins with the
known and argues its way 10 the I'M
known. The creation proves a crea-
tor. Intelligent and moral beings
imply a creator capable OF producing
such. The scientific method results
only in a high degree Of probability,
Il Is true, but then we act every day
on Just such probabilities, and we
ought TO act upon them in religion.
The other method starts with the
distinction between right and wrong
which we all know, and which no
moral man can doubt. Into this world
has come Jesus OF Nazareth. lie
meets our ideals. he commends him
self to our consciousness. he com
mands our will II we take his life
and follow II. his teachings and obey
them. we will soon find our way into
the light. Il am the light OF the
world: he that followeth me shall not
walk In darkness. but shall have the
light OF life" John SID. II any man
will do his will. he shall know OF
the doctrine, whether II be OF God
or whether speak OF myself John