Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-01-30
GRAND RAPIDS WIS., THURSDAY JANUARY 80 1878

context shows at once that by the spir-
itual man, he means one who has re-
ceived the Spirit of God. The differ
ence, then, is this !: the natural man,
is the man, with only a mans spirit
and faculties--the spiritual man has,
in addition, the Spirit of God.
Now for the statement 'sThe nat
ural man receiveth not the things Of
the Spirit OF God; for they are fool
ishness unto him" How is this? Not
that the man is bad-he may be, or he
may not-but simply for the want of
perceptive powers which don't belong
to his nature, and which he can only
have by new divine gift. With this
idea we find Paul saying, few SEN
tences before, quoting it from former
scriptures, "eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither have entered into the
heart Of man the things which God
hath prepared for them that love him. "
That is, the eye and ear and heart of
"the natural man. for he goes on, in
the same breath, to say Of those who
are spiritual, But God hath revealed
them unto us by his Spirit" That is,
hya L
faculties, for perceiving the truth and
good and wealth that is in God and
for Gods children. Only they who
have received Gods spirit, SO that
they have Gods eyes and ears to see
and hear with. and Gods heart to
understand with only they can know
these things. In other words, the
natural senses are not enough, to give
US the knowledge Of the glory of the
lord.
No wonder that to the natural man
even the talk about these things is
'.foolishness Talk to man born
blind, of color, or to a man born deaf,
of harmOnies Or to an idiot, Of the
wonders Of science, and your talk
must be foolishness, Of course, to them.
So, if the spiritual senses are wanting,
men find but foolishness, in what we
say of spiritual things, ''neither can
they know them, because they are
spiritually discerned"
1t will be said-they are not to blame
then, for not knowing, seeing they have
not the requisite faculties-the requisite
spiritual sense. True: but they are
to blame for not securing those requir-
ed spiritual eyes and ears, inasmuch
as God offers his spirit to al who will
have it, that, being possessed by Him,
they may apprehend and know. even
as having the very mind of the
Lord
These things then are suggested:
LIST. 1t is foolish for men to call
that fnolishness, which they have nc
power to appreciate.
End. 1t is unphilosophical and un-
worthy to say, Il cannot see, and 50 |
will not believe - rather say, s'Have
mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of Da-
vid, that / may receive sight,
3rd. 4 very great multitude are
saying, "whereas | was blind, behold
now | see." This shonld move you to
accept the fact of your blindness, and
should encourage you to hope in that
Spirit which is able to make you see.
4th. "The things of the Spirit of
Cod are the real things. They are
the glorious sights, though to you in
visible-the fullest and sweetest har-
monies, though to you inaudible-tie
most wonderful and thrilling and salts
flying truths and facts, though they
have not entered into your heart.
They are prepared for "those that love
God" and revealed to them, not by
Gods works, not by nature, not by
experience, but by Goods spirit" "
Those that love God, are sure to de-
sire of all things, the presence of his
spirit with them, they are sure to seek
for it, and so to find it. This possess
ion of some divine power to see (what
is foolishness to the worldly the things
Of God, is thus a sort Of test Of our
love to God.
9Th We can see how it is impossi-
bic for the natural man and the spirit
ual man to have real heart fellowship.
The former may be ever so intellectual,
and cultivated, and pleasant, but the
veriest delights of the latter are fool
ishness unto him. The spiritual man,
therefore, can never open his heart
with joyful freedom to the other,
though he yearn toward him with the
heartiest love. ( have known this