Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-12
Confidence, and How to
Get 1t.
Sermon by
REV. FLOYD w. TOMKIHS.
Text, Neh. vi. lie.

1herc wore many enemies who tried in
every way to defeat the work. By open
hostility. by shrewd deceit. by spies
and by attempted bribery these bad
men made the work Of Nehemiah very
diHicult. But God was with him and
ne knew he was obeying' Gods COM
mano. ana SO he stood steadfast and by
MS confidence secured the faithful SER
vice OF his helpers. 1t is a wonderful
picture of life. The man who would
do right and obey God has many
enemies. who come in all sorts Of dis
guises and use every kind OF deceit.
1t is part OF our education to meet
ana conquer these obstacles in our
way and God is always with us to
help US II we do our part. We must
haVe confidence In God and SO draw to
Ourselves the confidence of men. And
while we must be on our guard against
those who would deceive us. we must
keep our larger confidence In human
ity and believe in the ultimate good
which Ia bound to come to the earth.
~ We lose confidence In God and in
His final victory over wrong. we are
laise to our trust. And IL we lose con-
hoence In men we weaken our innu-
ence and make life burden. Yet the
problem remains. How can l secure
VIII trust me?" Let US see how we can
solve this problem.
MUST BELIEVE IN
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF OUR WORK
The hrst necessity is that we should
oeiieve In the righteousness OF our
work. Docs God wish me to do this
work! Is IT right to do It. and am
ooins IT in the right way and with
tho right spirit? a man who Is un-
certain In these things has no conf
oence In God orr in himself. and con-
sequently he cannot secure the conf
eence OF others or have that great
pressing which comes when we know
that God Himself has confidence in us.
One OF the great lessons Of the book
OF Job Is the expression of confidence
IN Job given by God To Satan when
Satan attempted TO cast slur upon
jobs religion. Doth Job fear God
1or naughty' cried Satan. And God
cried, Try him, have confidence I'm
MIN that he Will stand the test" 1t
is ono OF the Glories of Christianity
.nat GOO Is ready to trust us IL we do
our part as well as we can; and moth
Ing go strengthens us as this great fact
OF coos confidence in us. 1t makes sin
z miserable thing because 1t is a
breach OF confidence. 1t makes doubt
unworthy because It implies thar God
cannot keep His promises. can hest
secure Gods continued confidence in
me, and 30 finally secure the condolences
OF men. by living as know God would
have mo live.
we must have confidence in the great
truths or life must know-not think
F1a
tnat christ died to save me- that tho
holy Spirit guides me, and that God
is working His purpose out and asks
me TO help Him. So much Of our mis-
cry and weakness result from hcsito
ton and fear
WHY MEN SOMETIMES
DOUBT OUR SINCERITY
We arc afraid to say with st. Paul.
know Whom 1 have believed" III
L. n ,l1
Ing. I am Christian" We hesitate
when men ask US about the future life.
Consequently men doubt at once our
sincerity and our faith. The man who
knows" helps others to know. Our
own assurance leads others to look to
the christ whom we worship and to
trust In His precious blood which
washes our sins away. We are wit
nesses But TX our witness is given
with hesitation and trembling we can
not convince other men. nor can God
rely upon us to bear testimony Oh.
for that splendid confidence which Will
not be timid. but which rejoIces to
declare that Christ is the only King,
and that we are loyal to Him! There
Is nothing OF boasting In such a de-
ciaration. We do not claim that we
are all that We ought to b or that we
never fall: but we do claim that GOD
is righteous and that His love can
never fail.
ACTIONS speak louder than words"
We LAY. II we would secure conf
dence We must live honestly, not be-
cause. as the old saw runs honesty
Is the best policy" but because hon
esty Is right and dishonesty is wrong.
Tho man who is careless about meet
ing his bills: the woman who goes away
for the summer without paying her
dressmaker; the man who Is indifr-
erent concerning the welfare of those
who work for him: the owner Of
houses who does not see whether or not
those houses are fit to live In. and yet
demands his rent regularly; the bust
ness frm which is careless regarding
the character of the goods sold or the
service rendered.: the Christian who
gives no thought to his religious du-
ties and does not plan concerning his
gifts to the church-Such people cam
not inspire confidence. Even men Of the
world who are not especially scrupu-
Ious themselves have confidence in
thoss who try to live uprightly. and
with reason. for where there is any
obedience to the divine law. love for
God and men, there is an anchor which
can hold.
CONFIDENCE IN THE
FINAL GOOD OF THINGS
It is one of the rewards of honest
and true living that men trust us, and
we all like to be trusted. We cannot
bear to have any one doubt our word.
Any man and every man rebels against
any insinuation touching his RELIABLE
ity. How splendid to know within our
own hearts that we are honest, at least
in desire. and that all failures are the
result of weakness or ignorance rather
than OF will!
A man who believes in God has con-
fidence in the final good OF things. I
1oye those lines of Alfred Tennyson:
o, yet we trust that somehow good
Will be the final goal of Ill,
To pangs of nature, sins of will,
Defects of doubt and taints Of blood.
That nothing walks with aimess feet;
That not one life shall be destroyed.
Or cast as rubbish to the void.
When God hath made the pile complete.
OF course. we cannot tell how or
when the good Is coming. Indeed. in
the dark hour Of distress and loneli-