Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-06-19
George Mcdonald as q Minister.

+ Continued from last weeL,. |

"The honest man, friends, is bound
by his honesty to inquire whether God
is not somewhere to be found by the
humble, seeking soul. God sent forth
Ills Son to bring the very image of
EIimSelf--no, His very self as much az
can be revealed-to the world and to
the commonplace mind that never asks
questions, the stupid, dull heart that
never sees anything to be true it looks
such an ola story. The form of the
Son Of Man is dim and vague and far
off: 50 it must be until your heart
has got clear enough to reflect some
t. - Of His real image"
And again:
:triends, | believe we have no kind
of idea what it would be, Just for one
moment, if God We're to forget us. |
10 not think We should live An instant
not a single instant. Bat if it were
possible, the agony, suppose, would
be something unspoakablo in its torture.
The we'll being in the worll, that We
have, is only that which the Intaite
Thought scatters around about us
Are we to try and live, rgaiast the will
Of Him in whom We live and move and
have our being
But it was reserved for the peroration
to contain more magnificent, seit for
getfui earnestness than any OF the rest
Of the discourse. Dr. Mcdonald makes
few gestures, but these are SO apt, that
one torLets that they have been used.
He frequently leans over the desk, and
when he came TO these co0clu ilng
words, he returned to the old familiar
action, and spoke with an intensity OF
reverence and Of deep conviction sacn
as | n rer expect to hear again. He
had been saying that it oppressed him
to think how differently men would re-
ce.ve what he had toi / them, and then
he burst out in this majestic appeal, OF
which dare not omit Il single word
Bat, f.ieals, if 1t sAolll be trae-
and On. it is fact = if it should be
true that Goi is like that man and |
tell you th1r, from the Christian point
Of vieU. Jol have 10 II ght to believe
anything of God that IS not IN Christ
- do not believe Of God as one who de-
Eyhss in hiding things What God de-
mAnds is, that we should receive bis
secrets. He is always unfolding. He
is the revealer. He is laboring to brine
into our min Is the knowledge OF our
insinitc nature in Him. And | say, ii
it shol,3 be true that God is ust like
tnis man Utatist Jesus, what can you
say for yourselves what can you say
for yourselves if you refuse Him
For Ills divine nature was as full OF
love-for He was as tender with each
man as a mother over the sickest child
and never thought of Himself. What
can you say Of your self afterward:
when you are asked about it! for ask
el YOU will be, some day. And if Got
sal ii to you, 4 did all could for you
! showed you myself, and yoa woulc
net have me, anI Jesus loved you =
and Jesus loved you.' o friends, il
this poetic fancy? Did you never il
gour l;fe know any de pair-neve'
know what thing it was to have what
we call our heart ache with misery
or did you ever have & single pane
Of fear? Should God withdraw tron
you, all that could be imagined of The
horrors conscience would fall far shor
, of the uncomfortable misery that woulc
be the result.
And God would have you clean from al
devils. And so it is, if you are Willing
to do the will of the Father, you shal
know Of the doctrine, and that by +;
calm, simple, enlightenment of YOU
whole being, "You will see the trutl
of these things, and you will take Me
and My Father will come and dwell
with YOU, and we shall be one. .
! "For the being one with God implie:
being in sympathy with his viii, hav
ing no second thought with God. On
what blessed creatures we should bt
then And all the mean ways anC
the dirty ways would drop from US