The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1918-09-07

Revelation.
The m e
ls@s through which
man receives Gods revelation is faith.
Man discovers material things through
the medium of the senses: sight, hear
ing, touch, taste, smell. The whole
world is open for discoveries to the
man who possesses intact his five
senses. Through such mediums, how
ever, he cannot discover God. Faith
is the only medium through which the
soul discovers the things of God.
Faith is the soul sense by which we
"taste and see that God is good" Faith
is the soul sense by which we 'seek
the Lord, if happily we might feel
after him, and find him." Thank God
for the touch of faithi Faith is the
soul sense by which we see God. Paul
tells us that truth is spiritually dis
cerned. 1t is the eye of faith which
sees God in nature, in providence, in
grace. 1t is the eye of faith which be-
holds Christ in his beauty and sees the
wonders of his grace.
A righteousness of God is revealed
'from faith unto faith" The gar
ments of righteousness are fully de-
scribed and offered to man in the Cos
pei. God is ready to invest man with
all that his faith will appropriate. The
process is like learning mathematics.
From problem to problem, from the
simple to the difficult, from the difficult
to the more difficult, until the boy has
impaired to him a knowledge of
mathematics up to the measure of his
ability to receive. So man is invested
with a righteousness of God from
faith unto faith; from the simple to
the difficult, from the difficult to the
impossible.
The Meaning of Revelation.
The righteousness of God revealed
in the Gospel is offered to mans faith
as something to lay hold of and live up
to. BY his faith he appropriates much
or little. 1.-The just shall live by his
faith" There is no limit in the de-
velopment of mans spiritual life and
no limit to his achievement in Chris
tian service, if only he will exercise
faith. If nan has but meager faith
and will live up to it, he will acquire
more faith in the process, and acquir-
ing more faith will grow in spiritual
grace and usefulness. The trouble is
most people live up to their doubts
rather than up to their faith.
] was aiding once in a canvass for
funds to establish a Crittendon Rescue
Home. Calling up a rich member of
my congregation, 1 presented the
cause. He said: 81 doubt if even God
can do much for a fallen woman I
doubt if such a creature is ever re-
claimed. The enterprise does not ap-
peal to me-" So he declined to make
a contribution. He lived squarely up
to his doubts.
l called also Upon a young business
man of moderate means and presented
the cause. He replied: "Yes! Yes!
will contribute. God only can help
such unfortunate creatures. / believe
that such rescue work is one of the
most Christlike and effectual missions
of the church." He gave $500. He
lived up to his faith.
Knowing of the waywardness and
moral peril of a young man in my par
ish, I called on his mother to ask help
and prayer in behalf of her son. She
said: 81 doubt if he is as bad as you
think. I cannot feel that he is in any
great peril" She lived up to her
doubts. No home influences were re-
leased to save him. Less than a year
later he was found dead in a brothel,
having died in a drunken debauch.
Mothers Prayer Is Answered.
Some years ago a great union meet
ing vas conducted 0y Sam Jones and
George Stewart in the city where 1
was a pastor. One night Mr.. Jones
stepped to the front of the platform
and eat this telegram "Temple, Tex.
Please pray for my boy Tom. He is
in your city a prodigal from God. Am
pouring out my heart in prayer. VIII
claim the victory. (Signed) His Moth
er." Before Mr.. Jones could resume
his seat, a tall young man rose and
said, "That is my name, that is my
mother. Yes, sir, / was a terrible sin
neJ; / have broken my mothers heart
and the heart of my poor young wife,
and | have blighted the life of our lit
tie girl. But this afternoon about the
time this message left Temple, I was
yonder in the parsonage with the
preacher, calling upon God for mercy,
and he g%raciously forgave my sins and
saved me by his grace" His mother
lived up to her faith and won her boy
back to God. "The just shall live up