Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-06-29

front us disappear like mists before
the rising sun. On the. other hand,
blot out this light. and nothing re-
mains but horror Of great darkness
for him who with any thoroughness of
investigation, any clearness of insight
attempts to look into the mystery of
human experience and destiny. Prob
ably no thoughtful man Will dispute
Mr.. Mills position that optimism
prior to a belief in a God. and as q
ground Of that belief. seems the oldest
OF all speculative deIusions" But here
let it carefully be noted that the God
whom the Christian knows and be-
leves in because he knows Him. is not
merely the "cosmc force of physical
science nor the absolute of philosophy.
nor Il hypothesis to account for the
universe. Speculations with reference
to these may be confirmatory of the
Christian faith, and where the light of
Christian revelation has not shone
God, who knows human hearts, alone
can tell what fruit of spiritual life
they may have yielded. but they never
have. they never can. lead to the
heights of hope upon which Paul stood
ulpph in our text. The Christian rcvc-
lation alone points out the way to
those otherwise inaccessible SUBMITS
especially when it discovers to US the
light of the knowledge of the glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ. the
express image of His person." In the
incaFnation He threw aside the man
tlcz6f darkness in which for ages He
had wrapped Himself. and stood
among us in the radiance of the God
heM bodily" the morally perfect one.
WHEN to this external revelation is
added the internal revelation of the
personal union and communion Of the
believer with God in Christ; when
Christ. in the luminous language of
Paul. lis found in the believer the
hope of glory" then knowledge of
God is possessed which ADMITS of no
more doubt than consciousness of
ones personal existence.
The believers in Christ know Him
no longer in the flesh" Oh Cor. V: l6).
no longer as mere historical person
age, although this knowledge is prior
and indispensable to any adequate iii
ward apprehension of Him. A perfect
adequate end, and that must neces-
sarily be His own glory.
Death is still the king of tcrrors. He
contronts us still with his pale and
frightful visage. What, then, did the
Saviour mean when He said" He that
liveth and believeth in Me shall never
die He means, for one thing. to say
that the sting of death is sin. 1t is
sin that gives to death all it's terrors.
For him whose sin is forgiven and in
whom the root of it in the loss of it is
destroyed. death has no sting. for him
death in that sense is abolished. it is
now to him only the opening of the
door through which the captive spirit
escapes. and like Gagged bird let
loose. joyously wings it's way Heaven-
ward We see in His hunted servant
Paul. the Majestic One. who looked
calmly in the face of the Roman en-
pire pcrsonified in PLATE. and could
say to the astonished and naughty
Governor: Thou couldst have no
power at all against me, except it were
given thee from above" Even when
standing under the shadow of His
cross of shame. when to human SEEM
ing His mission was an inglorious de-
feat He could inspirit His Respondent
disciples, saying: BE of good cheer.
I have overcome the world" Yes, for
He was looking with triumphant hope
beyond the horrors of, the cross and
the gloom of the sepulchre to the
waiting glories of His Fathers throne
For Him the best was yet to come.