The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-17
III TRINITY IN NATURE.
SERMON ABoUNDINa IN PHILo-
Sophie TRUTHS.
rhe Discourse OF the Rev. william Klein
at st. Mary's Cathedral Yesterday
Morning-A Study of Nature From tho
Standpoint of the Pulpit.


yesterday at st. Mary's Cathedral by the
dean, the Rev. William Klein:
Epheslans g., Is: Through Him chat is through
the SOM We have access by one spirit unto the
Father.
The reason is not the only or the chief
faculty by which man may apprehend the
great facts Of divine revelation. Countless
thousands are living today in the enjoy
ment OF constant sense OF Gods pres.
ence, and with hearts full OF loving thank
fulness Tor his work OF creation, OF re-
delnpiion, OF sanctiGeation accomplished
in them, who could give no intellectual
account OF the great truths which ars
their very life. The blessed Trinity is TO
them tho most real of all facts, though
they could not put the doctrine into theo-
logical or philosophical language. Their
knowledge Of God does not consist OF mere
human conceptonsand definitions which
must necessarily be wholly inadequate to
express what He Is. They know God he
cause He is present in their hearts and in
their lives. They know Him by an i'm
mediate Intimate knowledge, as a child
knows its parents, as q friend knows q
friend. The highest and best knowledge
OF God Is that which grows out Of the act
We are far nearer to Him when we wor-
ship than when we define. The only
complete and perfect apprehension oil God
is OF the heart and not Of the head. Gods
,Syesence in the soul OF the devout Chris.
tian is its own witness, and II that is not
there no argument addressed TO the mind
can be OF the least avail. The great truths
OF God can be stated philosophically, but
ii they are to have any real living signih-
cameo they must be embraced not merely
by the mind but by the whole soul They
must not merely be registered in the in
tellect, they must warm the heart and stir
the Imagination; they must kindle devo-
ton; they must rouse the will, and control
thought and word and deed. Tho love Of
God, the grace OF our Lord Jesus Christ,
the fellowship Of the Holy Ghost, the man
fold operations OF the Triune God, are
vital truths, not to be exhausted by formal
definitions; they may not be relegated TO
the domain OF the intellect alone.
They must DO lived to be UNI
deslood The best and truest
knowledge OF God is to be sought in lowly
worship, in the conscientious performance
OF duty, in general disposition toward
Him OF childlike humility, and toward
man Of loving service. III any man will
do His will, he shall know OF the doc
trine," said our Lord Himself, and 81.
John has told us out OF the Utmost eXpe-
rience OF his loving soul, that every one
that loveth is born OF God and knoweth
God" and ''lle that lovcth not, knoweth
not God" "No man hath seen God at
any time" but III We love one another,
God dwelleth in us"
However, the mind has a right to be
. satisfied as we'll as the heart, and the salts
faction provided is ample. No truths Of
revelation are or can DO contrary to a
healthy reason, and II we may so say, the
great fact OF the Trinity is the most reason
able OF all. Only, OF course, We must
remember that the finite human mind
cannot embrace the infinite, and that our
conceptions OF God, though perfectly true,
reand can be only partial and incomplete.
And We are necessarily confined TO the
pso OF the human language, which can
never adequately express the 'inellablc at
tributes OF the divine nature. We are
--'fJfced to speak Of God according 10 hui
man analogy, and must remember that
whilst the words Person, Father, Son ex.
press real facts when applied TO the mys.
terry OF Gods nature, they are only used
after all, by way OF analogy, true Ms far rs
they 90, but by no means complete def.
nilions OF the eternal Godhead. All that
we can say is that the doctrine Of the
Holy Trinity. az formulated In the crecds
Is the best statement that can be made ID
human language regarding the unspeaka'
bic Projections OF the divine nature
These definitions. furnish sure and ncccs
sary standing ground. We may safely
rest upon them, but at the same time Il
must not be forgotten that the unlathoma
bic ocean OF divine truth lies all around
Nothing but childish ignorance or willfu
peryersion OF the church's teachings could
possibly find any contradiction In the doubl,
truth OF a Trinity In Unity, n thrceiolt
distinction within the insepamblc oneness
OF the Godhead. Mystery there must be-
there arc equally insolublo mysteries OF
every side, even in this world-but con
tradiction there is none. God Is One, yc
lie has revealed Himself 10 us as Father
Son and Holy Spirit; Creator, Rcdeemer
sanctiher, a threeiold distinction Of op
Grafton and a thrceiold distinction o.
what. for want Of a word, We are obligeS
10 call Person, though the ordinary con
ception OF person as separate indiyid
ual Is very misleading, and cannot, o
course, literally apply TO the Father, Sol
and Holy Ghost, who are externally one
il is a distinction within the unity OF God
head, for which we have no adequate
word or idea. But We arc not for tina
cause without means Of satisfying on
~, minds as 10 the reasonableness OF thi
great truth OF religion. On the contrary
there Is no divine fact which is 80 richl.
illustrated for us by analogies in thi
lower world. And tho reason Is tina
rs God has made the crown Of creation
-man-in Ills own image, 10 lie ha
also impressed His likeness upon all otho
works OF His hands. The whole univcrs
isa revelation OF Him who made Il. Ill
hhs mirrorcd lis divine PROJECTIONS In all th
levels Of the material and scnscnt world
Diversity and unity combined describe
tho nature OF God. II also describes thl
nature Of the universe Absolute oneness
bare unity, Is an impossibiity, even o
thought. There u no such thing con
ccivablo rs a uniformity which contain
no variety. The wondrous unity OF III
universe IL not moro striking than its ric
diversity. IL Is one, Ike rs Almight
Creator, and this unity contains ondles
variety, but none would think Of calm
this contradiction. Tho wonderful col
responsiveness by which every part minis
tcrs 10 every part, the universal range {
law which controls al the same time th
Bweop through space ~ whole systems {
worlds and the fall Of stone 10 the cart
here is unity and variety In one. Ia
from contradicling each other, they AZ
mutually necessary. We see the unit