Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-26

able to go very far, still as far as we 60
reason must go with US. The Christian DOC
trine of God must be in harmony with
human reason.
The Christian doctrine of God is in har-
mony with human reason. All revelation
and all reason meet here in this supreme
conception of God. The doctrine OF the !
Holy Trinity is an advance upon the uni
tarianlsm of the Hebrews, as that was an ad-
vance upon the polytheism OF their pagan
neighbors. 1t represents mans highest
thought of God. After all the speculations
of all the philosophers; alter all thefnsplred
visions OF ali the poets and the prophets;
after all the voices which have been heard
out of the sky, or in the heart; after all the
centuries o. human experience of God, TINS
is the conclusion: God is the Father, God is
the Son, God is the Holy Ghost
Reason demands that we shall think OF
God as one. The whole effort of science
and philosophy is to reduce all effects to the
working Of q single cause. Whether THIS
6rst and sole cause, this Infinite and
eternal Energy from which all things pro-
eeed' is personal or not, Is God or not,
philosophy does not find it either within Its
province or within its power to say; but that
it must be one all thinkers are agreed. AN
absolute unit" however, sis unthinkable.
A unit which shall be absolutely one, IN
which there can be no conceivable division,
in which there can be no possible relation
OF part to part-if you think OF that you
will see how it defeats thought. 1t is un-
thinkabe. The
ONLY CONCEIVABLE UNITY
is that living unity in which the one and
the more than Que are united. Ihat
infinite and eternal Energy which lies
behind phenomena must be such
living unit. Reason irresistibly seeks
unity. But San abstract unity can
explain nothing" God, if He were abb
stractly and absolutely one, would be dead.
At the same time, our religious instinct,
which is Just as much part OF us as our
intellectual intuition, demands that God
must be personal God. With the suppo-
siton of the impersonality of God religion
comes TO AN end. A whole division of our
nature is lett unsatisfed. We are put to
moral confusion. God must be person.
He must be one with whom we can enter into
relation. AL religion rests upon the belief
in the reality of a relation between God and
US
But absolute unity defeats the thought of
personality. There can be no personality
without intelligence; there can be no per-
ect personality without love. But there
can be NO intelligence and no love without
distinction in unity.
The Christian doctrine of GOD teaches a
unity which includes differences. 1t satisfies
the essential demand alike of philosophy
and OF religion. 1t is the meeting place OF
faith and reason. The doctrine is but a
stumbling definition, but it is true as far as
it goes. 1t is the best we have. 1t is the
most that we know OF God. sit is the SYM
ho1in nt hn r1R nd
oundest and most rational truth about
God" 1t is the highest utterance which
has ever been spoken or conceived OF among
men OF "the completeness OF the nature of
Goj.'
THE THREE ATTRIBUTES.
God is the Father. He is that Supreme
One, dwelling III infnity, toward whom all
men OF all time the world over have lifted
hands in prayer and alteration, in whom meet
all worthy thoughts which any nation under
any name has ever thought Of God; the
Strong Que, in whose hand are all things
visible and invisible bv Him made; the First
Cause toward whom all reason looks; the
Infinite and Eternal Energy from whom all
/ thing; proceed, the OmnipOtent, the Living
God.
God is the Son. God is manifest not only
| in nature but in man. He is the great up
| litter OF the race, leading man with infinite
patience and wisdom, along stumbling
path, out of impertections nearer and nearer
| to the divine ideal. He is the maker of his
tory, the inspirer of heroism, speaking by
| the lips of brave men and saints and proph-
ets God cares. God loves. God became
openly manifest among men in the person OF
Jesus Christ. He lived our life here FOR our
! example He taught us in words and deeds
of wonder about Himself. He showed us
what sin is, that He might draw us away
from it, and what Hislove is, that He might
| bring us near to Him, by suffering or oui
sakes the death of the cross. He opened the
gate OF the grave, that we might look
through into that blessed home where He
has His dwelling. Thus He redeemed us.
GOD, THE LIFE.
God is the Holy Ghost. He is the life o.
all life. Ali things live by Him. He
maketh the grass to grow upon the mount
aims He speaks IN the thunder. He bring:
seed time and harvest with Him, and the
rain in His season. He is the Goo who Is il
the world, the power who moves all force!
| of all life. In Him we live and move anC
have our being. From Him all holy de
sires and all Just works do proceed. HI
sees and hears US always and everywhere
| constantly ne SpedhS W US, III IhC ups U
all utterers of helpful speech, in the page.
of all uplifting books, in the services ant
the sacraments OF the church, in the still
voice of conscience He sanctifes us and al
the people OF God.
''The Father is God, and the Son is God
and the Holy Ghost is God" And ye
they are not three Gods but one God.
GEORGE HODGES. ,