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Topical Index

Art 7. 96.
Beauty 96.
Blasphemy 21.
Brevets & Missions 5. 8. 11. 18. 22. 88. 105. 116. 130. 142. 207. 257.
Celestial Administration 12. 19. 60. 69. 79. 91. 92. 137. 138. 165. 198. 209.
Change 41. 45.
Children 37. 63. 196.
Circumspection 212.
Communion 1. 62. 178. 200. 200. 201. 206.
Comportment 40. 44. 97. 129. 134. 142. 241. 244. 249. 251.
Divine Instruction 23. 25. 35. 78. 95. 97. 122. 140. 194.
Dogma 25. 91. 163.
Etheric Vacuum 66.
Evil & Ignorance 5. 11. 23. 36. 47. 89. 97. 98. 144. 159. 215. 222. 236. 237. 238. 249.
Experience 8. 9. 27. 86. 152. 186. 193. 253.
Faith 78. 210. 211.
Fear 27. 31. 111. 241.
Force : Physical 128, 169. Cosmic 151. Moral 80.
Giving 70.
Growth 148.
Humility 155.
Impatience 226.
Justice 231.
Knowledge & Wisdom 37. 86. 122. 163. 189. 232. 256.
Leadership 81. 133. 215.
Light 25. 30. 109.
Love 43. 46. 50. 57. 58. 147. 148. 217. 218.
Matter 109. 152.
Mediums 75. 76.
Numerology 85.
Omens, Symbols & Miracles 35. 55. 73. 74. 96. 126. 146. 168. 195. 203.
Pact, Plan & Program 14. 17. 78. 142. 178. 180. 215. 233. 257.
Parables: Figs 104, Five Sons 156, Gardener 163, Mustard Seed 156, Ravens 160, Roses 101, Small Mishiefs 175, Two Bounties 182.
Pattern 149.
Patience 9. 22. 84.
Patriotism 15.
Peace 230. 234. 246.
Personal Choice 14. 16. 29. 93. 153. 157. 168. 246. 253.
Prayer 32. 131. 241.
Promise 10. 16. 24. 28. 42. 117. 166. 192. 205. 248.
Prophets & Prophecy 65. 66. 67. 83. 172.
Reincarnation 6. 12. 25. 31. 72. 76. 81. 152.
Rewards, Recompense & Money 39. 40. 82. 87. 143. 144. 201. 247. 250.
Sacrifice 34.
Self Command 93. 147.
Science & Inovation 14. 166.
Second Coming 25. 26. 29. 36. 72. 81. 106. 114. 120. 146. 181. 219.
Service 2. 33. 69. 107. 114. 156. 177.
Space 65.
Spirit 20.
Suffering 13. 176.
Thought 57. 66. 148.
Time 41. 45.
Tolerence 27.
Tranquility 38.
Vibration 67.
Victory 223.
War 18. 47. 230.
Others 3. 4. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 56. 59. 61. 64. 68. 71. 77. 90. 92. 94. 99. 100. 102. 103. 108. 110. 112. 113. 115. 118. 119. 121. 123. 124. 125. 127. 132. 135. 136. 139. 141. 145. 150. 154. 158. 161. 162. 164. 167. 170. 171. 172. 173. 174. 179. 183. 184. 185. 187. 188. 190. 191. 197. 198. 202. 204. 208. 209. 213. 214. 216. 220. 221. 224. 225. 227. 228. 229. 235. 239. 240. 242. 243. 245. 252. 254. 255.

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Chapter 210:

What Is Faith?

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1. THIS HOUR I address you of the efficacy of faith, the substance of things hoped for but not seen.

2. What is faith, beloved? I ask you as those who have known a sore trial.

3. Is it not true that there are those who make a great disturbance in that they have faith and would have men to know it? that humor seizeth on them that thus are they vaunters of their hopes and despairs, even their auguries uttered unto Mammon?

4. I tell you of their faith. Harken ye, and hear me!

5. Behold a man cometh unto you who declareth himself. He saith, I have faith to believe that a certain event will mature of the future.

6. What meaneth he, beloved?

7. I tell you that he hath a certainty within himself that the winds of chance will blow him much good; he hath a presentiment within himself that he is destined for great honors; mayhap he thinketh that he raiseth himself in the esteem of his fellows and they pay him great homage.

8. He saith to himself, I greatly desire that this event come to pass; I greatly desire that fortune shall favor me.

9. I am bought and sold daily in body or spirit and I long for release from such unhappy bondage;

10. I wish that I may better myself as I am bettered by event.

11. What doth that man? I say that he maketh himself an altar and worshipeth thereat, calling it faith that he wisheth for release; he maketh an altar of hope unto his passions or his fears and embraceth release in that it ennobleth him.

12. I tell you that such is not of faith truly; behold, my beloved, he loveth himself, he abideth within himself, he raiseth himself by love for himself.

13. And now I tell you of faith which is pure.

14. The faith which we have is not for love of self; we desire no rewards that enrich us in person.

15. We have another faith, that the world goeth on to a goodly essence.

16. The faith which we manifest is love indeed, but it waiteth long and behold it is kind; it waiteth for beauties of character to show themselves in men, that they rise above their circumstances and make an anthem unto the Father.

17. Still are these faiths but little faiths if they include our own desires only.

18. What then is faith if it embraceth not ourselves?

19. I give unto you this answer: The faith which reacheth out and upward is the positive assurance that man knoweth benefit through the action of his character in mastery over circumstance.

20. It is the opening which penury showeth to make great esteem of those sacrifices and those virtues which beggar none, that only make paupers of those who have no light to guide them and resent that light doth find them out at all.

21. Behold it is the desire of the human heart for a thirst that is unquenchable for that which knowledge slaketh, that those drinking are ennobled and the world lifted up toward radiance.

22. Faith is not believing in a thing, nor in a person, nor yet in a doctrine;

23. There must be a reason for the faith.

24. Hear me tell you of reasons whereof Faith must be born:

25. Faith cometh of the Father, that in man there is an urge to go higher in the scale of spiritual evolution and plant his feet firmer on the mountaintops of victory, verily victory over self.

26. It is the unexpressed desire within the human heart to so make the life entwine about the Tree of Love that the branches sustain it, that it addeth to the shade for travelers scorched and weary from much sunshine.

27. Faith is the call of the heart away from that which is fleeting and base; it is the urge of the soul toward victory over mental torment, yea even over doubtings that what is perceived cometh not from myself.

28. My beloved, I instruct you: There is faith which upraiseth, there is faith which maketh humble, there is faith which maketh pure, there is faith which defileth if its essence be not simple.

29. Ye do say that ye have faith. But is it courage to endure?

30. Ye do say that ye have faith. But is it strength to retain your sweetness under sacrifice?

31. Ye do voice your faith in me. But is it strong in its purpose to follow in my footsteps?

32. There are heights to be conquered, there are races to be run, there are thirsts to be quenched, there are apples of discord to be plucked from the orchards of the nations.

33. I tell you that he who hath faith that all things work together for good is a husbandman who burneth the tares of his spirit; verily he burneth the scaffoldings of his errors on a pyre exceeding great.

34. I tell you a fable to soothe your weary spirits, I sing you a song to rest your feet from marchings, I speak unto you in silence and say:

35. Let your faith be as apples of wisdom hanging upon the beauteous bough of Courage,

36. For it feedeth the humble with the juices of great nourishment; it delighteth the eye with the provision of great splendor; verily it pleaseth in that it hath soundness, that the carcass of no worm giveth it defilement. . . .

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