th dominates and regulates all the rest. For just as a blind
man may turn the eyes of his head to the sun and see no physical light, so
the rationalist may turn the eyes of his mind to the Bible and see no
spiritual truth. It takes the eyes of the heart to see spiritual truth, and
they can function only through faith.

=b.= The Method of the Believer.

In order clearly to understand the method of faith, we need right here to
guard against another extreme. By the contrasts we have drawn in the last
few pages, it is not at all meant that there is no place in the exercise of
faith for the exercise also of the intellect at the same time and toward
the same object. For, in the nature of things, the intellect =must= be
exercised in a mental apprehension of that which is to be believed before
the way is even open for faith to begin.

Neither is it meant that reasoning is so out of harmony with and
destructive of faith that its exercise in connection with faith is
impossible. For faith is not blind credulity; it is not jumping in the
dark; it is not an irrational impulse; it is not swallowing something with
the eyes shut. It is rather an open-eyed stepping out on to the spiritual
foundations of the universe. But notice--it is stepping out on to
=spiritual= foundations.

It =is= meant, however, by the contrasts above, that the moment an
intellectual apprehension of what is to be believed, followed by a
conclusion to accept or reject it according to whether it is reasonable or
not--the moment such an attitude is =substituted= for the heart acceptance
of the bare Word of God, even though it may be beyond understanding and
reason, that moment the normal exercise of mind and reason has degenerated
into a rationalism that makes faith impossible.

Notice an emphasis above. Faith is stepping out upon =spiritual=
foundations. Then recall that to all except the man of presumption,
foundations must be seen before they will be stepped upon. The normal man
demands to see where he is going.

Now spiritual foundations can be seen only by spiritual eyes. The natural
vision cannot see past the natural realm. And spiritual realities will
never be stepped out upon until they are seen. For faith is not an abstract
and aimless emotion. It requires an object that can be seen, and one that
can be trusted.

It is therefore the one main purpose of the Bible to set before men the one
saving Object of faith. This purpose lies behind the multiplied