The herald., 1896-12-21
CENTRAL BAPTIST.
Gods Relations to Men Are PERSONAL
Was the Theme.

Rev. B. A. Copass took as text yes
terday morning Genesis 1913: Thou
God seest me-" He said in part: These
are the words of a slave woman who
had been driven from her masters house
because of the jealousy of her mistress.
She was wandering in a desert without
food or water. when an angel appeared
to her and comforted her. She was told
to return to her mistress and that she
should bear a son. whose descendants
should become mighty nation. At the
close of the interview she called the
name Of him who talked to her: Thou
God seest me-" She had found out that
God saw her even when all men forsoox
her. This suggests to us that Gods re-
lations to men are personal. Anciently
individual responsibility to God was
not emphasized. God was be-
lieved to be a God of nations and not of
individuals. The priest stood between
God and the people The Greeks be-
lieved they were favored of the gods be-
cause they were Greeks, and the Jews
claimed the favor of Jehovah because
they were Jews, and the priests of both
nations and religions stood before the
altars as the representatives of the peo-
Pile. But when Christ came the per-
sonal idea in salvation was fully de-
veloped. 1t had been true all the time
if the people had but known 1t. The
tendency of mankind is to shift personal
responsibility. Christians drift towards
large organization for the work of the
spread of the gospel. Organized ef-
fort is well enough, and almost neces-
sary, but after all it Is question be-
tween men as individuals and God.
God deals with us personally, and no
one can be our representative.
First, Gods knowledge is personal.
-, Il 1AIr II
thinks of things as belonging to classes,
kinds of grasses or herbs, species of
animals, birds or fishes, classes or races
of men. But God sees every sparrow
when it falls and numbers even the
hairs of our heads. God knows even the
thoughts and purposes of mems hearts.
No one can escape Gods knowledge.
heaven thou are there; if I make my bed
in hell, thou art there"
Second, Gods requirements are per-
sonal.
1. He makes personal requirements
of Christians. There is an element of
depending on the priest in all of us.
We think that the preacher, or at least
the church leaders, must do everything.
I have been upbraided for not doing
things that others did not feel it their
duty to do. Men forget that all of
Gods commandments are personal The
ten commandments begin in every
case with the second person 'Thou."
"Thou" shalt, or shalt not. Elisha
sent his servant to raise the dead child
of his friend, but the child was not raised
until he himself had made personal eff
fort.
2. God makes personal requirements
of sinners. Friends, money, social po-
sition, priestcraft cannot save one sin
ner. Every sinner must come to the
e., liz N.,v~ Co.
the proud Pharisees and Sadducees:
Except We repent ye shall all perish"
Personal repentance and faith alone
brings salvation.
3. Gods love is personal Blessed
truth is this! God sees persons, sinful
persons and loves them. God loves per-
sons even when he knows their personal
sins A parent loves a child with all It's
faults. and dutifall child will do nothing
to wound a parents tender love. When
n0h look into the face of God they see,
Him who is infinite in love and COMPASS
sion.
L. Gods redemption is personal The
apostle says: "He tasted death for
every man." Not for humanity en- masse
but for every individual man. A sin
ner might feel that Christ died for the
world and continue in sin, but when he
learns that Christ died for him as per-
sonal sinner he stops in his course ard
considers MS condition. The speaker
was once in an art gallery where there
was llfe-szed painting of the Cruel
flxion. 1t was a direct front view face
Any position one might take IN that
room those eyes seemed turned on him
1T was a suggestion of the fact that when
the Savior died He saw the sins and sur
fered for the sins of every man. The
hands. feet, and side were pierced for
you. my friend Those dying eyes look
Mt you. It was your sins that made
dark the day and hid the sun. That
same Savior comes to every one person.
ally today and asks him to be saved.