Page:Southern Presbyterian Journal, Volume 13.djvu/796

 the fact that one and one make more than simply two. Let me give a homely example of what I mean. When I was in the Seminary I went to Lynchburg twice a month to supply a church. I was entertained in the home of Dr. Paxton. For breakfast we invariably had oatmeal and cream; the best cooked oatmeal, and the thickest cream. Oatmeal is a most nourishing food, and so is cream; but put them together, and you have more than two; you have a combination hard to beat, both as to flavor and food value.

Quietness is most valuable. The noise of the world does not mean either progress or efficiency: machinery is working best when it works smoothly; noise in the engine is a danger signal. A quiet heart, both physically and spiritually, is a fine thing: "My heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord", exclaims the Psalmist, when surrounded by enemies, or in trouble. A quiet conscience enables a man to sleep well, and to live happily. A quiet will, surrendered, as the Saviour's was to the Father's will, means glorious accomplishment: My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work. To be quiet, so that God can talk to us; to be quiet, so that God can walk with us; to be quiet, so that He can fill us with power, and use us in His service: these are wonderful experiences!

Confidence is a vital possession. Faith lies at the foundation of all that is worthwhile in the world. Without it, our homes would crumble and fall; without it, our business and our banks would be gone; without it, our nation would perish; the lack of faith is shaking the world to pieces today. But Confidence is more than faith; it is faith plus trust and hope and assurance. This is the faith which makes heroes; heroes who can do the impossible. It makes men like Enoch, and Noah, and Abraham, and Moses, and Joshua, and the list found in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, which Dr. Jowett calls, the Westminster Abbey of the Bible.

How people covet Strength! Strength of body, strength of mind, strength of soul. How the world needs strong men and women today! the Strength of the Soldier, for there are battles to fight, and the foe is strong; the strength of the Worker, for there is work, superhuman work, to be done; the strength of the Traveller, for we are strangers and pilgrims here and the way is often rough and hard and dangerous. Some men were discussing the question, Which is the hardest part of the journey? One said, The Start: the breaking away from home and loved ones; another said, the End, for we are tired and worn after the journey; then Dr. Boreham said, and I agree with him, Neither the Beginning nor the End, but the weary miles that lie between.

Isaiah 40:31 is a wonderful verse: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Here is Strength for the Tragedies of life; strength for the Emergencies of life; strength for the everyday Experiences of Life. This Strength comes to those who in quietness and confidence, wait upon the Lord. "In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." Do not one and one make more than two?—J. K. P.

Many people in the pews, and not merely liberal ministers in the pulpits, express a distaste for doctrine and theology. They want something practical. Well, who can deny that good works are practical?

Unfortunately for those who dislike theology and a detailed confessional statement, there cannot be much progress in good works unless it is known what works are good and what works are evil. And who can deny that a definition of good works is theological, doctrinal, and creedal? The popular disjunction between doctrine and practice, between theology and life, between knowing and doing, is a false one. The theory of practice must precede the practice of theory.

What then are good works? Are they those actions a benevolently intentioned gentleman may happen to enjoy? Is a substantial donation to an orphanage, hospital, or church a good work? Strange as it may seem to non-Christians, and even to uninstructed Christians, the answer is that these actions are not necessarily good. They may be good; but again they may not be. What then makes a work or action good?

Two requirements must be fulfilled before an act can properly be called good. The Confession says, "Good works are only such as God hath commanded in his holy word, and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretense of good intention."

The first part of this section teaches that unless we had the Bible, it would be impossible to know what is good and what is evil. To be sure, the heathen know that there is a distinction between right and wrong; and they regularly violate their consciences; but they do not know in particular what acts are right because their consciences are unenlightened. The Biblical revelation is essential to a knowledge of what works are good.

The second part of this same section teaches the same truth in a negative form. Without the warrant of the Bible an act done with good PAGE 6