Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1914-07-29
Is Life Worth While?

| tQlUSS, udillSlS, uo wy ou - W 49, ~
world aud, secondly, where you go
after this life is ended. If we are
going to the devil when life ends,
| it is better not to be born. If we are
going ito the Father" life is worth
while. Where came from, what |
am here for, where I am going IL
nally, are questions which never
wear out, but challenge rejecting
mind. Some one has said there are
three views of life; namely, the
view of the poet who looks upon
life as a dream or shadow; the view
of the atheist who hopes that we go
no where, but sometime styles the
hereafter as the great perhaps. !"
We hope no religious person will
ever be guilty of using such inte'-
rogatory language respecting the
future. Now please contrast this
" ith the Christians view. He says,
II go to my Father" Now listen
once more: II go to dreams;I go to
the "great perhaps" l go to my
Father" Which of the three appeals
to US most? 1t makes no difference
where the Chistian is travelling he
is going to his father. 1t makes no
difference where the atheist Is trav-
cling, he is going to meet the God
of retributive justice, whom he does
not wish to meet. 1t makes no
difference where the poet is travel
ing, he also is going to wake up
from his dreams to reality. So they
are all going in the same direction,
but going for different purposes.
The atheist does not know why he
does not know; the poet does not
know what he knows; the Christian
knows why he does not know why"
He sees a reason in not having a
reason; for he takes the Saviour at
his WORD, Thou shalt know here
after" To doubt, this world is the
world; to faith, the other world is
the world. True enough we all have
things to stagger our faith. God 1n-
tended it to be thus. 1t is the stag
gering storm that strikes the oak,
which if it does not entirely des-
troy it, only makes it take deeper
root and then prepares it for all
storms. In this world is darkness
and light, doubt and faith, lSnor-
ance and knowledge, mystery and
revelation. truth and faisehood,
things to make us doubt, things to
Gispel doubt. 1t is a remarkable
thing that even satan has question
ed God less than many Of US who
believe. That God was reality
satan does not seem to deny. His
great word was IF" Satan knew
Him, but only as God. He did not
know Him as Father Did you
ever think of it, that if the Saviour
had told US more of the eternal we
would have been ruined for time,
because we would have become rest
less to 60 to the father. Then sure
enough life would not be worth
while" not even for US. We i'm
agine that He has done all possible
to disclose Himself to US. | doubt
it. He has taken as much care to
conceal as to reveal Himself to even
His children. The Saviour did not
try to reveal himself 10 the world.
Even vixen He appeared after the
resurrection it was always in secret
to His disciples. When he announc-
ed the Beatitudea it was only to the
disciples. We have seen the wisdom
of it all: If there be much to make
one doubt, there is more to inspire
belief. We cannot doubt altogether
until we have disposed of the facts
of Christ! He told us of our origin;
lie told US our design bearing much
fruit; He told US of our destiny,
the Father. If we believed just this
much, it would be enough. We DO
not need more revelation, nor more
faith, but better quality OF faith
He gave us a sure recipe for knowl-
edge. l.. was this, If any man will
do His will, he shall know" If we
follow the suggestions OF Christ; II
we sincerely e.Lploy our talents, we
shall grow into the coveted state OF
certainty. We shall find this life
worth while. Paul found itso, and ne
said, Il know whom ] have believed"
How? BY a personal experience.
Jesus said, IF it were not so, !
would have told you" Certainly He
had no justifable reason for deceiv'
ing us. lie thereby conditioned His
revelation with the stupendous fact
that it was so. rs life worth while
going to the father" Il We &c mol
to the father, life is not only al
4