Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-03-04
FIRST SUNDAY Of LENT.
SERVICES HELD IN THE
CHURCHES YESTERDAY
Rev. Dr.. Cookies DiscCurse-Rev. W. W. King
a. the Wesley u. Embarrassing Memorial
EXsrcises-0iher Services.

At the First Presbyterian Church
last night the pastor. Rev DR.. w. H..
Cooke, preached an interesting and in
strUctiye sermon to a large cOngrega-
ton. The subject Of his discourse
was God. He said. in substance:
IL is our duty to have q distinct i'm
preston and definite knowledge of
God. A complete knowledge is impos-
stble as being beyond any created
capacity, but a clear and sufficient
knowledge, sufficient for an possible
human need and attainment is within
our reach. The fragmentary ac-
Quaintance with the material word is
not exhaustive either as to general
outline or as to details, but partial
knowledge, true so far as il goes, can
be attained and used Considering
who God is any avoidable ignorance
concerning Him is ineXcUsabie. The
altar to the unknown God has no
longer "a reason to exist, since it is
written Whom We yourself worship,
declare l unto YOU
What We chiefly want TO know about
God is not the extent OF his power to he
answered by us in admiration of ON
impotence: nor His moral government
as King of the conscience to whom We
owe alegience and confess it; nor as
the supreme intelligence to whom all
science comes with its tribute of gold,
frankincense and myrh
But whether or not this God Of
whom we hear so much has a heart.
Can the children of men call him
Father? Can the sinful penitent say
Father i'm Heaven? Who will show
us the Father? Where can We find
God? If discovered will He repel or
Will He attract us: Heaven is high
indeed and no angels come to us.
But God is manifest i'm the flesh,
even i'm Jesus Christ. who has said, he
who has seen me hath seen the
Father: and of whom God has said re-
peatedly. This is my beloved Son,
hear him. To form acquaintance
with God, to have companionship with
Him. We follow Christ the same i'm
substance. equal in power and glory
Son. our brother. What a clear and
God since the advent of Christ, His
Son, our brother? What clear and
astounding revelation it is.
But where is the record of this life
of Christ? In the Scriptures of the
New Testament wherein we may read
ourselves into knowledge, living, sym
pathetic. saving knowledge of God.
But many read without change of
heart. or conscience. or life. They read
without profit. So many do in the rSad-
ing of books on any subject. They have
ewes but they see not, and have ears but
they hear not.
How must all read to profit? BY
asking for the gift of the spirit of God
10 interpret the Word of God incar-
nate and written. Christ has promised
this spirit. and said to the Apostles
concerning them that "He shall take
of mine and shall show it unto you.
The spirit reveals the son, the
son reveals the Father. The
Word was made flesh and
dweils among us. and we behold His
glory-the glory of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth.
The spirit dwells i'm and with men
manifesting Christ
Our knowledge of God came through
Christ. in the Scriptures, by the spirit
Our duty to represent Christ; TO be like
Him i'm character and in conduct, in
holiness. business. goodness. truth; to
be winsome, gentle, attractive; to have
His spirit self-restrainJ, self-fOrget-
fulness i'm benevOlence. UnObtrusiVe in
virtue. that indescribable but world
conQuering Chrlst-likencss that COM
pells recognition even on part of the
world that he who hath 1T has been
with the Master.
Christ shows us the Father; the
spirit and the world show MS Christ
let us show the Christ to men, that
they may say to Him: "My Lord and
my God This is a splendid Office, q
high calling. a noble service, worthy OF
the ambition of an angel while it is
tho 1rrfv OF man