The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-11-07
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Writing At the metropolis OF loni,
Greece, In the atmosphere Of philosophy
and aesthetic culture, John omits tn,
more bdmilialing facts in connection viii
the birth aud early history Of Christ dwell
upon AT such length by the other Erange
lists. The latter viewed him chiefly on
the side Of his humanity; bat mounting
at once TO bis divinity the beloved dis
oiple depicts, 50 most vigorous language
his heavenly nature.
lie is here introduced not as the son o.
a humble peasant bnt as the Creator o.
worlds; not as the despised and rejected
man bat as the onnipotent jehovah.
Aud in the closing paragraph Of thi'
matchless exordium--the words taken fol
our text, lie is declared to be the Re
yealer Of God TO men, the only medium
by whichGod is apprchended by the finlt,
mind.
Man has looked for God elsewhere, but
always In vain.
The deductions Of science afford evi
deut traces Of first great cause.
The wonderons gradations of the scale
of being, the adaptation of means to end
ever respond to the inquiry, "ls there 0
IGodin with an emphatic affirmative.
Science discovers the eristeRce of Q
God, but this is all she can do, Ask hel
where and what lie is and you get no re-
sponse. She points to the evidences that
lie is, but tchdt He is or tchere Tie Is, she
knows not. Studying her evidences you
are in the condition of the unfortunate
navigator, who bad been cast upon al
unlnhabited island. While strolling along
the coast one day, sick with hope defer.
ed no longer daring to expect deliver.
ence from this fearful solitude, he is over.
powered with delight at the evidences he
meets, that a ship had lately visited the
island, Here are human footprints upon
tho sand; the place where the boat haul.
ed upon the beach is plainly seen. There
they had built their fire and yonder were
some abandoned cooking utensils. That
men had been here was beyond doubt;
but who they were, whether English,
Spanish or French, hostile or friendly,
and where they now were he could not
tell. Nor was he nearer deliverence than
if he had not met these traces of their
late presence. lie has only seen their
tracks. So with the inquirers after God
in science.
Here are his tracks; he has been here
1t Is true, but he is gone and where he is
and what be is, and how his aid may be
secured, does not appear.
In history too we are afforded eviden.
ces Of the existence of such a being.
The unceasing, and, at times, uncon-
scious advance Of society toward per-
fccted state, and the resistless force by
which every opposing power has been
hurled aside, point to an unseen observer
and controller of human polity.
One race of men gains empire and
wields influence till it neglects TO encour'
age, or perhaps madly opposes progress
and is then swept from the earth and an.
other takes its place.
Ninevah succumbs to Babylon, Baby
lon to Persia, Persia to Greece, Greece tC
Rome, and Rome in her turn falls beneath
the massy sword Of the Barbarian; be
cause each was in its turn better fitted
then its predecessors TO promote this in
evitable progress.
The restless surging billows Of revolu
tion which increasingly agitatc societ,
are ever heard above the din OF tbei
own distractng clamor proclaiming
God.
Yet like science history tells us no
,chat he is. 1t only shows us his track
through the ages,
Verify no man hath seen God at an,
time.
! Again man has sought for God in hi
own mind. ..........
And by an analysis Of the processes Q
knowledge into this underlying assumpt
ious has found that the hypothesis whic
imust undrriie all processes of knowledge
ism self existing intelligence.
An uncreated thinker whose thought
ca In some degree be interpreted by tn
hnron 'ntellect must be assumed or tn
processes and lowers Of mans mind ar
bewildering dist 'eung MYSTERY
Yet lust what is this being is the M
answered question. Socrates ahiounee
his belief In him, but failing to app 'eheh
him in his essence dies an ATHEIST.
And Plato the exponent Of the sublim
. est philosophy Of antiquity abandons tn
inquiry after the infinite as hopeless.
History, science aud philosophy alike
fail TO discover God; aud man sink
down IN despair Of knowing him.
The gloomy shades Of abandoned hop
settle over the world Of mind.
Man creets with aching heart and trem
bling hand All altar to the unknown GOO
and at that shrine iguorautly worship'
How painfully true at that hour was rea
iized the words OF our text. "No ma
--'frrth seen God at any time"
But l0l there comes voice frot
Heaven saying, "I'his is my beloved sol
hear him And speculation is At an en
/, doubt il gone for God in the person I
Jesus stands before a longing world
No man hath seen God at any time v
The only begotten son, who i 10 the DO
ON oi the Father be hath declared bin
How Unexpectedly glorious i the loi