Show THE PHILOSOPHY OF FAITH Webster defines philosophy as Literally Lit-erally the love of Inducing search after af-ter wisdom in actual usage the knowledge knowl-edge of the phenomena as explained by and resolved into causes and reasons rea-sons powers and laws > How far can faith be thus analyzed There Is a faith manifested in all secular secu-lar affalrsrwhIch affords an interesting and fruitful field for study But so exhaustive ex-haustive a study would doubtless be exhausting to our hearers We will confine our sermon therefore to Christian faith the faith which Is the channel of vital communion between the soul and Us God Let us first observe the phenomena of faith the outward manifestations or the effects of faith We observe In general that It tends to make bad men good The Idle become active the sullen become genial the selfish become be-come generous the frivolous thoughtful I thought-ful thc cynical sympathetIc the hater n lover of good the drunkard temperate the gambler a respeclable citizen tho libertine pure and a protector pro-tector of virtue and thc heart which was full of envy malice and revenge becomes filled with love Joy peace 10ngsufCerlng gentleness and goodness good-ness ness nessWe We observe still further that those who have a like Christian faith organize or-ganize Into bands or brotherhoods and carry forward works of education and philanthropy which spread enlightenment enlighten-ment and healing and comfort to the diseased and distressed and we find where those of pure Christian faith gain tho majority saloons gambling houses and brothels are banished and schools arc improved and hospitals though less needed are more abundantly abund-antly provided But back of all and above all a nobility of character is formed born of a perfect ideal and developed by a superhuman power All of lifes powers and opportunities become a sacred trust to be gladly employed In doing good Now let us examine the causes reasons powers and laws of this faith Among the causes may be mentioned men-tioned an intuition of Divinity the works of nature thc Bible and the experience of others Concerning this intuition of Divinity there seems to be an almost universal feeling In the heart of man that there Is n Supreme Being who rules over all created things who Is our God and who cares for us and desires our love and our worship The fool only hath said Jin his heart there is no God Even tije rude tribes of Africa have fa form of worslUp Nature aroum us affords a multitude multi-tude of evidences of not only the existence ex-istence of a Sunjrome Designer Maker and Upholder but also of his wisdom care and providence The Bible reveals to us more clearly than either qf the preceding sources thc character of God and his designs for men r But a more immediate cause of faith Is the experience of living witnesses wit-nesses Millions of men all about us declare that In answer to the prayer of faith the conscious burden of guilt Is lifted and a power is given to overcome over-come temptation and a comfort peace and Joy come Into their lives which they never knew before The lives of most of these witnesses emphasize this verbal testimony and form an array of evidence entirely overwhelming to the unprejudiced l mind THE REASONS FOR FAITH The mind naturally concludes that the universal longing of the soul to know Its God Is not placed there to be denied or unsatisfied and therefore God will hear the prayer of faith Nature reveals such wisdom love and power that man concludes If God cares for tho sparrow and the grass of the field surely he will care for him The Bible reveals so clearly how God has provided for man In all ages that those who read Its scored pages are led to believe that surely he will hoar the prayer of any trusting sincere seeking soul The experiences of others who declare de-clare that in answer to the prayer of faith such a transformation has taken place In heart and life and such 0 bright hope buoys up the soul over the surging seas o trial and trouble prove lhat they get help from God and If so the reason convinces us that God It must be for all who thus come to THE POWER OF FAITH But who can estinmto the power o that act of the soul called faith which opens the way to Its Maker and finds audience with the Infinite Who can estimate the power of that which changes tho heart from being a corrupt fountain from which proceed evil designs de-signs and all evil words and deeds which curse and damn humanity loa lo-a heart filled with love to God and man from which proceeds all the good lives and organizations and Influences In I the world and fits the soul for tho company of thepure and holy for thc paradise above THE LAW OF FAITH One of tho evidences of the divine origin of the Bible plan of salvation Is the simplicity of Its workings Tho law of faith Is exceedingly simple Here It Is He that cometh to God must believethKt he is and that he Is 0 rewarder of them that diligently seek him > How exceedingly simple Is the condition of Us workings Any child can believe The wayfaring man though t fool need not err therein Behold therefore both the wisdom and goodness of God E G HUNT I Pastor Liberty Poll M E Church I Salt Lake City March 1 1002 |