The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-08-30
INVISIBLE FORCES
BECOME REAL TO US

DR.. Jolliff Delivers Interesting Sermon
On Seeing the Inyisibae''--The
Things Exist.
Seeing the Invisible" was the
theme from which DIR. j. X. Jollin last
evening in Iaurel-Street METHODIST
Church. His sermon was very inter.
esting and a large congregation hearo
him. The pastor said, In part:
For he endured. as seeing Him
who is invisible
This is one of the great passages
lin this chapter in Hebrews on the
i ImmortAls'-that wonderful galaxy OF
the heroes of faith OF whom the
record Is here given that the world
was not worthy of them'--as II sets
forth as a fact what appears 10 the
luninitiated mind as not only para
doxIcal but as well-nigh impossible,
for II a thing be invisible, by what
law Of mind or matter can It become
AN object of vision7
! yet. strange as 1t may seem. para
! doxicai as Ii may appear, TINS Is eS-
actiy what the most satisfying type
| of religion does for its devotee--re-
lveals to him the unknown. and brings
within the field of vision things that
aforetime were invisible. Indeed 1t Is
\ true of our religious life that our
largest inspirations are drawn rom
the unseen, but not unknowaole,
sources OF truth. which have no bodily
or material setting, but which fasten
themselves so firmly in our spiritual
Lives that they become matters OF con-
scious experience II Is thus that
! faith comes to have real authority ana
power in the life of the Christian
1 man. 1t is the eye of his soul through
which great spiritual visions are
borne in upon him. and through wnlch
these subtler and deeper forces that
seem Intangible and unreal TO the
natural mind are seen TO have real
! place and proportion in determining
4 the life and destiny of the race. 1t Is
I through this power of faith that rev
elation is made of the invisible in
1.-THE phenomena of nature. BY 1t we
see behind nature, natures God. ny
lit Moses grasped the great truth OF
1.-THE spiritual. and turned away from
the glory and attraction OF Egypts
i,hrone. 'esteeming the reproach of
fChrist's greater riches than the treas
lures OF Egypt. for he had respect unto
1.-THE recompense of reward
| Have you ever thought how mucn
OF mans life Is concerned with things
that are practically invisible?
/ Great Things Invisible.
The most of the great natural
forces with which man has acauaint-
Iance are invisible. Only the attend
ami phenomena are subjects of cog
milton. heat. electricity. gravitation--
these are all recognized facts in the
natural world, yet each Of them Is
invisible Light Is not electricity. nor
1.-The falling apple gravitation; yet Inc
effect produced upon the mind oy
Ithese phenomena establishes beyond
cavil the existence of these great m
visible forces. SO IL !s with the great
moral potentialities. They are m
visible. yet we are conscious .hat tnes
exist Spiritual things cannot be cor
: poreal. vet they influence determln-
: ed corporate existence.
| "You are interested in the question
, Of how these spiritual, invisible forces
become real to US.
: Some would perhaps say here In
the outstart that such thing 10 I'M
possible, yet Ia one of the postulates
! Of Gods word---that 1t may be so.
IT saw 1t stated somewhere in a
popular work on astronomy that years
, ago before the days OF the great teie-
. scopes came. that the stars OF HEAVIER
I that are accounted numberless in null
,itude numbered but little more thar
Q three thousand as seen by the naked
= eye.
yet of there In the vast distances
unseen by the human eye, were count
. less thousa nds OF stars. little points Of
!. light too dim to fix themselves upor
Il the retina and become objects oil
y vision. Yet they were there, poten'
u tial facts in the great universe o.
God. II was only when the grea
= magnirying glasses Increased the
powers of the human eye thousand
:, fold that they were revealed al
4 worlds of beauty and power.
: so these great spiritual truth!
a become known to us when faith, tina
|, wonderful telescope, is pointed towars
!, them. Through it's agency strang'
: visions of beauty and glory burst Ii
v upon the soul, and there comes tina
: clarified view which brings things
eternal within touch of the shores o
= times and makes them gracious reaii
Q ties.
y Live Noble lives.
But the most blessed result y
these revelations OF the invisible i
found In the increased strength AM
. power which is given us to live hisl
y and noble lives by our knowledge o
them What were difficulties AM
hardshtps to Moses when he behel'
by faith Him who Is invisible? Wha
were the attractions of Egypt wheI
compared with these most wonderful
Q truths? What II one cannot see tn
end? II he sees. like Jacob of old
in his vision of the ladder, his Co.
:. at the end of the way, he will b
> = strong to endure and mighty TO YIN
= dertake things for the spiritual AM
moral betterment of man.
= Sometimes one becomes almos
discouraged in the work OF life
:. Clouds and darkness are overhead
- Things go wrong. and then we fee
as If all the pillows had gone owe
J, US The province of faith at a tim
= like this Is to penetrate the gloon
= and to see the smiling face of Hin
:, who Is to mortal eye invisible. bu
to the eye of faith beautifully ap
: parent God Is on His throne: alr