There are
some who are always feeling for the pillars, and longing to touch them.
And, because they cannot touch them, they stand trembling, and fearing
lest the heavens should fall. If they could only grasp the pillars,
then the heavens would stand fast.'

'"But how do you know that there is any Christ? You never saw Him!"
said poor Augustine St. Clare, the slave-owner, to Uncle Tom, the slave.

'"I feel it in my soul, mas'r--feel Him now! Oh, mas'r, the blessed
Lord Jesus loves you!"

'"But how do you know that, Tom?" said St. Clare.

'"I feels it in my soul, mas'r; oh, mas'r, the love of Christ that
passeth knowledge."

'"But, Tom, you know that I have a great deal more knowledge than you;
what if I should tell you that I don't believe your Bible? Wouldn't
that shake your faith some, Tom?"

'"Not a grain, mas'r!" And St. Clare felt himself borne, on the tide
of Tom's faith and feeling, almost to the gate of heaven.

'"I like to hear you, Tom; and some time I'll talk more."'

Uncle Tom's argument was the strongest and most convincing after all;
if only all we arguers, and debaters, and controversialists could come
to recognize it. He believed _because_. And, now that I come to think
of it, Miss Myrtle Reed is wrong in calling it a woman's reason. It is
a divine argument, the oldest, and sweetest, and strongest of all
divine arguments. I said just now that a man loves a woman just
_because_ he loves her, and he could not in a thousand volumes give an
intelligent and convincing explanation of his preference. And--let me
say it in a hushed and reverent whisper--God loves in much the same
way. Listen, and let me read: 'The Lord did not set His love upon you
because ye were more in number than any people, for ye were the fewest
of all people; but _because_ the Lord loved you!' He loved _because_
He loved. He loved _because_.

I intend, therefore, to proclaim the magnificent verities of the
Christian gospel. I shall talk with absolute certainty, and with
unwavering confidence, about the sin of man, the love of God, the Cross
of Christ. If my message is met with a 'why' or a 'wherefore,' I have
only one reply--'_Because!_' There is nothing else to be said. The
preacher lives to tell a wonderful love-story. And a love-story is
never arguable. 'God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son!' Why? _Because!_

PART II

I

THE HANDICAP

I

It was a sunny autumn aftern