The New York herald., 1870-01-31
yo,kvlLte PRESBYTERIAN cauScs.
Reasons Tor the Divine KetIcence-scrmon BY
Rev. David Mitchell.

Reasons ior the Divine RetIcence-Scrmon by
Rev. David Mitchell.
Public worship was held last evening In Yorkvtiie
Presbyterian church and was conducted by Rev.
David Mitchell, Of Canal street charch. After the
usual devotional exercises Genesis xxxt 90 was an
nounced AZ thetext--"And Jacob asked him and sald
Veil me, pray thee. thy name. And he said, where
fore is 1t that thou dost ask after my namei And he
blessed him there" the reverend gentleman said
this Ii ons OF the sublime chapters of Hoiy Writ.
At the time Jacob Is considering how he shall meet
his oGended brother he taught that he must first
meet his offended God. He Is brought suddenly face
to face with strange and awful parsonage. This
Is none other than God himself. With this myster-
Gus being he wrestied. When he prevailed he asked
the name Of his heavenly com0atant and for answer
received the words OF your text We see then, that
the angel Of the Lord did not respond TO the Ques.
tion;ngs Of hts servant Jacob. Similarly when the
angel Of the Lord appeared TO Manoah with the
promise that his wife would give birth to Samson,
he said In answer to the question "What Ii thy
name ~ "Why askest thou thus after my name. see-
ing 1t ID secrets" SO. too, Jesus Christ generally
Apocalypse that His name no man knoweth but
he Himself we take from these and many
similar passages the subject OF the divine reticence,
anu Inc rst reason for tue divine retcence Is That
no single name can describe the character OF God.
Is - clearly beyond the province Of human language
poured out ali her treasures; when all her terms
denottng power, wisdom, excellence, goodness have
been applied 20 the Divine Being We are yet nd-
nltely far from just AND true conception OF that
majesty that nils the universe. Our human language
can only express itself through images and qualities
belonging 10 men. the term. tnen, that would be
full 0f meaning 70 one generation or nation would
not suggest the Same thoughts to succeeding gen.
Grafton 10 the race OF IN lts first great period
God must nave appeared very differently 70 what no
did IN another period. As Coo makes new and
luller revelations ot himself new and more suggex-
tive terms must be applied to Him. Tne ample
hymn OF praise with which Adam and Eve closed
their day OF happiness In the Garden OF Eden would
not fully express the thought OF succeeding wOr-
shippers ~ they stood by The atar, With It's ire and
smoke, offering an RtOnement Tor their SINS. Is
was only by degrees Ihat the might and majesty or
Coo were conveyed to tue human mind. God does
not answer the question "What Is thy name" be.
cause all language fails when employed In such
theme. second reason for the Divine reucencs u
tnat God would draw from every mans heart the
highest confession OF which he il capable. wise
teacher would not tell his pupil al that he knows
nilnseil. Sucn flood ef light would dazzle and
piind the mental vision; but by questioning no
uIaHs out all that the child knows, a. well as ITS
latent lhoughts and tnus strengthens aud srmu.
rates the young mind. We are All children In this
sense. were God TO SHOW himself 10 us Ut once in all
ns G'orlous periections, the light thus revealed
Woulu scathe aDd Oserwlelm lie reveals him.
sell 10 W GRADUALLY. lie makes ne answer Tor our.
selves" What ,s thy nanen We may ask that aues
ti0n morning, noon aud night, and iSs answer
Will not ne whispered In our ears Az We
gaze upon the waters Of Ehe vast ocean we NAV
try 10 wiring iron its ebbng waves response to our
cry, "Wno made thee, tnou MoDlrous seaYn We
near notDibQ bat the rppinR VI the ebpiD9 uue