Year: 1864

HOW can DelleNe on OlriStf My Bible
tells me that must believe on the Lord
Jesus in order obe sayedsff f-5Y " llss iaesavirg-
faith, and how must l Helieye ?" If one
reader of the Independents proposnds these
questions, there murt be Of kers who are pSr-
plexed with the same difficulty. In replying
brie1yto to one, we may reach the others like
wise.


Friend have you tried to lbeliove AS to
the theory Of faith, you halp been informed
probably very often; you ilay know already
that faith in Jesus Christ comprises three
things--knowing about Chrfgt, asseattng to the
claims Of Christ, and trusti4g in Christ for
salvation. So much for theory but let us
assure you that you will never fully under
stand faith till you practice it.


Would your child ever learn how to walk
in ten years if you were to keep him in
cradle, and talk to him about the laws of
equilibrium, and the "eenter of gravity2"
No; you set the timid creature on the car
pet and let him practice. He viii catch
few hard falls, but you pick him up and let





tour from the sofa 10 the door witheuta tum-
BILE. So Christ bids the weak, trembling
sinner come to him. Your first attempts
may bring spiritual falls and failures but
there is more than motherly pity for your
moral weakness, and an everlasting arm to
help you up. Christ blesses and rewards
immediate obedience. "Stretch forth thy
hand" said he to the man whose arm was
withered from the shoulder. He did not lee
ture the poor in valid on the nature of para
lysis. lie demanded obedience; TIE man
opcyed, and his arm was restored whole as
the other. One day If izith practiced is
worth liletime.of faith explained aud ex-
pounded.
| If a Norwegian were to visit the Island
Of Cuba, friend there might attempt to
describe to him delicious fruit that grows
on that island. He m ght tell his Northern
visitor that the fruit was globular, Of deep
yelllw tint, that it belonged to the genus
citrus, that it grew on a tree Of glossy green,
ETC., ETC., and we question if the Norwegian
would get very definite idea Of an orange
But let his Cuban host only lead him out to
an orange grove, and bid him clay hold" of
the fruit for himself and one moment of see
ing and tasting would teach him more about
an orange than an hours botanical lecture.
You must lay hold of Christ, and taste the
sweetness of forgving love, and receive the
blessings Of his grace, if you would find out
the nature OF true faith. If your heart is
stubborn and Obstinate cry unto God for his
subduing grace. From him comcth power
that can crush the most stubborn unbelief


You inquire ''Can an unconvefted person
pray an acceptable prayor?' We answer
that an unconS erled man is one who has
never turned TO God, and, while he refuses to
turn, his prayer is a mockery. If you hon-
estly admit TIE wickedness Of your present
heart, and, coming to Christ in sincere pen
itence, ask for now heaIt, you will be an
swered But if you continue to live on in
admitted sin, and refuse to give your healt
to G.d, you will never be regenerated
throu gh prayer, though you were on yoar
knees for a century. Remember that con-
,ssrsioe is your own act Of turning from sin
to God. and regeneration is the imp planting Of
a new principle within you by the Holy
Spirit after you have turned. What does
God say2 "Give me thy heart" He does
not change your heart until you give it to
him. 'sLet the wicked forsake his way, and
the unright:ous man his thoughts, and re-
turn unto the Lord and he will have mercy
upon him" 1t is when you ret,t,n that you
find mercy-not before


The prayer that you offer while on your
way toward God, he heareth but the prayer
of him who is deliberately pushing from God
in the path of sin is mockery. You will
spray acceptably" when you give your heart
/, Ged; we dare not tell you that you can do
so before.


"oh but" you cry out, eff you make me
stop praying, you cut off all hope" Not so
friend. We only ask you to stop praying
for impoSsibiIities. We ask you to cease pray
ing for new heart while you hold fast to
your old one--to cease praying to be made
, Christian while you are living as sinner ;
we ask you to stop praying for faith while
YOU refuse to believe. God. never promises
to save the mans life who swallows strych-
nine. Nor does he promise % save the sick
! sul that swallows Satan's anodynes, instead
, of accepting the spiritual remedies which
the Savior offers. e.. -.'
: Finally, my troubled friend. if you are in
, earnest for the salvation Of your soul; il
, you do, indeed, admit your personal gull
: before God, and long for better life, ther
J take faith out of the cold regions of the head
i and put it into the vital region of the heart