Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-02-22
The Sermon.

open the door, I tcM come ~ 10 him,
and wM sup rith him, md he wtth
Ne" Rer. III. 20.
Our indirect, or secondary, mode
ofcommunication with the Most High,
is one of the hindrances which shall
pass away when we shall have arrived
at that period of our growth in which
our spirits can directly understand
His will without the intervention of
material intellectually. Till then,
man must understand Gods desires
for him largely through the sem
blances which things material bear in
his mind to things spiritual.
While the spirit of the Bible is clear
and distinct in its condemnation of
spurious revelation, we yet perceive
that Biblical Revelation. is, and must
be, more or less an accommodation to
human needs, rather than an actual
statement of the relationship existing
between God and men.
As, with hearts deeply stirred by
gratitude, we have gathered together
to engage in a specially religious SER
vice. let MS seek diligently for some
general truth which shall help us to
come into closer fellowship with the
God Whom we worship.
The text which | have chosen sug-
gests to us that DedicdtiOH is maH's
FITTING response 10 G0d'S 0ppeoi for
0dDuSStoB
|. God is everywhere present as
helper.
The conception of the omnipresence
of God is a growth from the greatest
antiquity, ever, we trust, becoming
more clear. yet certainly believed in
fully but by a few. Mans conception
of God is inherent, except as the de-
termined opposition of men to God,
begets in their children the vacuum of
unbelief, which is ever the result of
wilful Wrongdoing.
At the beginning, indeed, still, in
many races, the conception Of God
had To be what we call heathenish. |
The infinity of God is truth realized |
very slowly, and as men learned to
believe in the omnipresence of God,
they sought to find out how he could |
possibly attend to the needs of the
millions of people scattered far and
wide over the world, having DIVERSE
fed interests, and seemingly contra
dictory requirements.
The solution which has best served
the purpose was that there were many
Gods, each one with some special do
main, territory, people, or interest,
under his care. Though the system
was in itself an evidence of the power
ty of mans spiritual nature, yet even
the worship of Gods many and Lords
many, is far higher ground than
that of the self-worship, or still worse,
the negation or agnoSticism found al
most wholly in Il few debased tribes
in northeastern and central Africa.
and in the souls of men in the midst
Of Christian civilization. The tabled
labyrinth of the Cretan Minotaur,
from which escape was impossible,
-hough only by a thread clue, held in
the hands of I'M Ariadne, is far prefer
lble TO the prison OF negation, the
walls of which slowly, though surely,
lose in Of themselves, and crush the
helpless victim, though he had exult-
ID in the thought that his narrow
grave included all the space
hat had existence.
Polytheism had 10 pass away, even
hough its absence made sccptics Of
he many who were not advanced
,nough in spiritual growth to enable
hem TO receive, intellectually, the {
ruth of an omnipresent God. But in {
as in polytheism, men ,
lad low ideas of God. the common :
conception being reflected clearly |
rom the 50th psalm, Thou thought !
st that was altogether such an one
is myself" God has been judged by {
men, and consequently treated rs pos. 1
essed with mans passions, weakness (
5 and prejudices. t
Even if mans ideas of God be far !
STRAY, he has gained exceedingly a
When he has grasped the conception {
4 the omnipresence of God. OF i
curse, this conception. while held v
mentally only, is of small import. rs +
Te have abundant evidence that where i
he belief is only a brain belief. the Il
pirit still wallows IN the mire of self +
leasing. The thought of God as a
present, must be reality c
D the spirit as well as to the brain Ii
nd the two together have stillenough
D do TO contend with the body, which 4
Insists, where il can, on the creeping. II
Iusive, and often false evidence Of Il
he five senses. Thus il is that to-day y
0 many are religious but not Chris /
ans; they have inherited religious {,
but have not vet allowed "
he Spirit of Jesus TO take possession W
their spirit. 50 that they pas :,
mong us as children Of God. but with "
cd as children of the world. {,
The voice Of God has been heard Il
leading with men, since the earliest Il
ages OF human history. Gods d
noel may anut, ,-,rt-