all his descendants, and the Divine pro- vision of redemption by new birth into the last Adam. How can we fail to per- ceive in this history of " Ev o l u t i o n" the truth that a theory which stands merely " i n the wisdom of m a n " has an insecure foundation? Certainly a consideration of the collapse of Dar- winism will help us to understand why the inspired Apostle so earnestly de- sired that the faith of his disciples "should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of Go d" (1 Cor. 2:5). A doctrine which is established in the mind by the force of human arguments can be shaken by like arguments when those by which it was bolstered up are forgotten. But the doctrine which rests upon the Word of God has an un- failing support. It needs no argument to sustain it, and none has force enough to overthrow it. The one question upon which reason has to pass judgment is whpther the Bible is in fact God's ut- terance. If it be such, then the things which Spencerian philosophy labels as "unknowable" are not only not un- knowable, but are revealed. " E y e hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have Just in the proportion in which we believe that God will do just what He has said, is our faith strong or weak. Faith has nothing to do with feelings or with impressions, with improbabili- ties or with outward appearances. If we desire to couple them with faith, then we are no longer resting on the Word of God, because faith needs noth- ing of the kind. Faith rests on the naked Word of God. When we take Him at His Word, the heart is at peace. God delights to exercise our faith, first, for blessing in our own souls, then for blessing in the Church at large, and also for those without. But this exer- cise we shrink from instead of welcom- ing. When trials come, we should say, " My heavenly Father puts this cup of trial into my hands that I may have something sweet afterwards." Trial is the food of faith. Oh, let us leave our- selves in the hands of our heavenly Father! It is the joy of His heart to do good to all His children. But trials and difficulties are not the only means by which faith is exercised, and thereby increased. There is the
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him, but God hath re- vealed them unto us by His Spirit" (1 Cor. 2:9, 10). This Book makes extraordinary claims and extraordinary demands upon men. It does not purport to exhort, advise, or instruct, from the stand- point of superior human wisdom or of superior intelligence or culture. Neith- er does it seek to commend itself to man's acceptance on the score of ex- pediency, betterment, or progress. In these respects, as in many others, it is' radically unlike the writings whereby men seek to help one another. It bases its claim to acceptance entirely upon the oft-repeated declaration, "Thus saith Jehovah." It asks no favor of man because of its superior teachings and high standards of life and conduct. The very nature of the Book requires that, if we be logical, we either accept it because ' ' the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken i t , " or that we cast it aside as the greatest of all human impostures. —Extract from Philip Mauro's book on " T h e World and Its God." reading of the Scriptures, that we may by them acquaint ourselves with God as He has revealed Himself in His Word. And what shall we find? That He not only is God Almighty, and a righteous God, but we shall find how gracious He is, how gentle, how kind, how beautiful Ho is—in a word, what a lovely being God is. Are you able to say from the ac- quaintance you have made with God that He is a lovely Being? If not, let me affectionately entreat you to ask God to bring you to this, that you may admire His gentleness and His kind- ness, that you may be able to say how good He is, and what a delight it is to the heart of God to do good to His children. Now, the nearer we come to this in our inmost souls, the more ready are we to leave ourselves in His hands, sat- isfied with all His dealings with us. And when trial comes we shall say, " I will wait and see what good God will do to my by i t , " assured He will do it. Thus we shall bear an honorable testi- mony before the world, and thus shall we strengthen the hands of others.— George Muller.
Believing God.
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