THE BANKRUPTCY OF UNBELIEF.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 November 1918, Page 7

THE BANKRUPTCY OF UNBELIEF.

(Published by arrangement with Mr. E. J. Taylor, of Fitzroy).

The celebrated French writer, Lorridan, whose pen formerly had nothing but biting sarcasm for every religious faith, now urges, in a public confession, his nation to return to the Faith as the only saving ground for their souls. All the papers in France, even the most radical, have respectfully printed it. It shews tlie signs of the times, and runs as follows in free translation:

"I laughed at faith and considered myself wi6e. I no longer retain my gaiety over this derision, as I see France bleeding and weeping. I stood by the roadside and saw the soldiers. They went on so joyfully to meet death. It made me ask the question: What is making you so calm? And they began to pray; then said, 'We believe in God!' I counted our nation's sacrifices, and saw how the people praying could carry them. Then I felt within me that it was something consoling to know an eternal homeland which shines with love when the earth is glowing with hatred. This knowledge is the knowledge of a little child, and I am no longer A. child; that is my poverty, and that causes me to shiver. A nation must despair if it does not believe that the pain of the earth can be exchanged for the joy of heaven.

"To hope when everything is sinking, who can do that without faith 1 I stand by the streams of blood on French soil; and I see the rivers of tearß; I doubt! But the old woman from Brittany, whose 3ons have bled to death —she prays! How ashamed am I before this woman! How terrible and burning are the wounds of the people when there is not one drop of this wonderful One's blood This wonderful ... Oh, I dare not name His name! He, who v.«is so good, and I ... . !

"What will become of France—of her children, if they do nto believe? If its women do not pray? That nation will conquer in this war which has confidence in God as its foremost weapon. Franca \va3 great in bygone days, but it was a France mixed with faith. How is it with France at this moment? It is in pressure and difficulties. It knows a France which no longer can believe. Shall its future be better? By God's good hand, yea! only through God's good hand! "Behold, a nation of dead covers the fields! How difficult to remain an athicst on this vast national cemetery! I cannot. I have betrayed myself and you —you who have read my books and sung my aongs. It was a most raving, a most terrible* dream 1 I see Death, and I cry for Life! France! France! turn to faith! to your beautiful days! To give up God is to be lost tor ever. I know not if I be alive tomorrow, but this I must tell my friends: Lorridan dare not die an athiest! Hell does not trouble me, but this thought troubles —a God lives, and I stand far from Him! My soul shall joy mightily if ever I experience that moment when I, kneeling, ca"h sny, 'I believe!' These words are the vespers of humanity. For those who know them not it is night!" These are remarkable words, and they reveal that in the hour of stress tiie soul craves for a foundation upon which to | rest.

Reader, upon what are you Testing for eternity? The delusive dream of unbelief affords no hope when death appears on all hands, as the stirring words oE Lorridan clearly shew. Never within the memory of any one living has the world been in such a state of upheaval. The great nations of the earth flung against each other in the terrible shock of the most awful war which history has ever known. Thousands of men hurled into eternity in a moment, and hardly any one in the earth escaping the effects of the terrible conflict which is raging. No wonder that serious thoughts are awakened! It is a real thing to die, and an awful thing to die without God. But there is no need to die without God, and it is this which I really have upon my heart to say as I have taken up my pen to write. I believe God has allowed the present terrible situation to appear, in His abundant mercy to men, to arouse them from the vanity in which they are living. His desire is that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.

And what is truth? Briefly it is this: All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; but we are

"JUSTIFIED FREELY by His grace through the redemption that is iu Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins . .

. . that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Here is the wonderful scheme of salvation. Men—all men —have sinned; there is no hope of recovery. Death has passed upon all, for that all have sinned. But God has given His Son He has died and suffered the full penalty of our sins, and in so doing has revealed on the one hand the holiness and right'pusness of God; on the other the abounding jfraee and the greatness of the love of God. Oh, my reader, be not afraid if awakened to a sense of guilt and sin God is for us, and if God be for us, who can be against us? He lingers in grace toward all, so that the Gospel of His grace may be through the Lord Jesus Christ. He has proclaimed forgivenness to all nations under heaven and dashes that you should believe Him. "To him that worketh not, but be-lieveth on him that justifieth. the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Rom. IV, »•)

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall bo' saved, and thy house." (Acts XVI, 31.)