St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-29
MINNEAPOLIS.
VISION OF GOD.
This the Theme of Rev. William
Wilkinson Yesterday.


Wilkinson Yesterday.
Yesterday morning III st. Andrews
church the rector preached on seeing
God. He said AS we look over the past
and see what has been taught IN the
name of the Christian religion, II we
have any moral sense. we are not sur
prised that many men are outside OF the
faith. and that not a few have turned
their backs upon it absolutely, for IL Is
severe truth that when they have
asked for bread they have been given a
stone. What man is there who, III the
blaze of nineteenth century knowl-
edge, does not see clearly tnat
in the days of strife. when men
pretended to show fidelity to God they
hated their fellow men with rancor
which was often fendish, and which to
this day every man who is, in the warm
est aspirations of his soul and loftlest
views of his mind, trying to show the
supreme beauty of the teachings OF
Christ, finds terrible weight, when IL
is not possible for him to carry and hard
for him to shake off, The regal, the
warrior, the magisterial, the prison
view of God has been exalted, explained,
enforced and amplited until men saw
hardly any other qualities IN DeitY' ana
even these view shave been SO distorted
as to be libel upon the King OF Kings.
1t has been said that if the things
taught had been true they would throw
government in hell itself. When was
a little child | learned this as Salutary
fact: "There is a dreadful hell, with
everlasting pains, where sinners must
with devils dwell in darkness. fire and
chains" ! was told no one ever SAID
one word to the contrary, regarding all
the dead. Thus: where are the dead?'
Answer, sin heaven or hell, their dis
embodied spirits dwell, Of endless
bliss or woe the heirs; Oh, what an
awful lot is theirs" have heard
sung hundred times with great fer
vor: "a point of time, moments
space, moves me to that heavenly place,
or shuts me up in hell" Hymns might
be quoted by the hour with like cheer
full sentiment. Sermons by Roman
Catholic, Anglican and Puritan noncon-
formistS rected with savage delight
though it was not Intended to be saw
age, this repulsiVe view.as is seen In re-
nglOHS art.
have seen it in lurld pictures i'll
Pisa in Italy, and all parts OF Europe.
So wide is it taught that even good men
often fear to think steadily upon God:
He is not to them constant vision OF
delight, a perennial JOY, presence,
widening, broadening, deepening With
every rising sun, the sweet thought
that He is the dearest and the very best
friend q man can ever have, that HIS
love is past the power OF speech to tell,
and that His mercy endureth forever;
that He knows man, remembers that
he is but dust; that he is purifying,
ennobling God, pardonlng transgresslon
and blotting out SIN, that as he is head
over all, blessed forever more. so he
wants all men, waiting to be gracious,
to be fully blessed, not alone in him,
but in his home. The one great eternal
unifying power and person i'll the uni
verse is the Lord of Hosts, in this is his
greatest glory. Division means diSrup-
ton and dishonor and sin. No words
can picture, no thought can make clear
how very real and deeply interested
God orr Father is in all we have
to bear, to suffer, to hope or to fear. 1t
is prime duty of the church to hold
up to nature, and in sight of all men,
this vision Of God in all his spotlesS
purity, holiness, and in all his love of
man as seen in Christ Jesus OUT Lord,
to make it delight to center thought
and enshrine love in Him; this will kill
the evil and extend all the good in our
soul. 1t will make sin appear dreadful
as it is, and holiness will take a
thousand forms of glad and gladdening
service for men. The vision of God is
not a physical or mental one alone. 1t
is TO be found in moral lives. A man
NAV be gifted. learned, and in every
way bright, and not see God. On the
other hand, man may lack many Of
these Qualities, but by his humble truth
tulness, his sincerity, faith and love,
purity of heart, he maybe VIII
be blessed with THIS vision
glorious and by, 1t be lltted!
into lofty realms, both OF mental ana
spiritual experience, ana SO maze emil
nently fit for the service OF men. Great
holiness and notable service 90 hand In
hand. The one reason Tor any vision OF
God is to make the man happy VINO sees
it that he may make happy the man
who hears it. There we may find one
common bond of brotherhood ana one
uniform plane of service which will
have in it song and triumph in the Lord.
When men see these views and accept
them we shall have better days. I'm
stead of the thorn shall come up the fig
tree, and instead of the brier shall come
up the myrtle tree" Instead of strife
will come union, and it will be to the
Lord for name and for an everlasting
sign which shall not be cut off.
Worlds Columbian Exposition
Will be of value to the world by Illus
trating the improvements i'll the me-
chanical arts, and eminent physicians
will tell you that the progress in medic.
inal agents has been of equal Importance,
and as a strengthening laxative that
Syrup OF Figs is far in advance OF all
others