Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-07-23
WHAT is MAN?

SDurCu on ounudS morn Ing on = w NHu
IN ManY' His text was Psalm % l.
lie said:
David is sometimes called the
"sweet singer of Israel" As we CON
slider the beautiful thoughts expressed
In the Psalms, the pastoral simplicity,
the paihoa, the keen poetic intuition
employed, voicing the deepest and sad
dest sentiments of tho human heart, we
believe ne deserves the appellation |
given him. But David was more than
a .'aweet singer" more than shep-
herd, more than poet. He was an |
astronomer. We see the aublimitN of |
Astronomical thought expressed again |
and again in his writings, and / have |
no doubt he was keen discussar of
the meteorological conditions Of the
weather. l have mo- doubt that he
watched in wonder and admonition
the sun rise. Doubtless David watched
with wonder and delight the thunder
storm. David was overcome with
emotion as he exclaimed, "The heavens
declare the glory of God, and the tirma
ment showeth His handiwork. Day
unto day uttersth speech,' &C., &c.
But 1t seems to me that it was in the
early hours Of night when David wrote
the beautiful eighth Psalm, from which
my toxt is taken.
David remembers that the God of
nature is the God of grace! He CON
templates the history of the Children
of Israel, their wonderful wonderings,
their deliyerance from the bondage OF
Egypt. His mind goes back to the
dreadful plaques, especially to the night
of the passover, and the staying of the
first born. He remembers the Red Sea,
and how God divided it that the Israel
ties might pass over! Choking with
emotion. David looks upward to heaven
and says, "Oh, Lord, our Lord, how
excellent is Thy name in all the earth
Who hast set Thy glory above the
heavens! Out Of the mouth of the
babes and aucklings hast thou ordained
strength because of Thine enemies,
that Thou mightest still the enemy
and the avenger. When | consider
Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers,
the moon and the stars, which Thou
hast ordained, What is Mani! 1t
seems to me that David intuitively
implies that God, so great and mighty
as to control the host of the heavens,
might forget a creature 80 weak and
insignificant as man, but it is sweet
thought to every Christian heart that
this Same God Of nature is indeed the
God of grace, and whilo He sitteth
upon the circle Of the earth and com
mands all creation to do His bidding,
He also condescendeth to dwell with the
Iowly In heart. What is man?
What Thoughtful mind but what has
asked these questions: "Who am I?''
..What am II" whence came l?''
"Whither am I going?'' "What does
and conflicting. The philosopher. the
scientist talks glibly of evolution. They
tell US that man started with the Jelly,
fish, that he came from the monkey
and other such nonsense, but the
Christian finds the solution to his prob
lens In the Book of Books, Gods Reye
lation to man. Whoever wrote thai
book made man! Man is a mystery
beyond doubt! He is a puzzle tt
himself. He is compound creature
complex creation, and in this so
called advanced age in which we live,
where people want to know everything
by weight, measure, length and height
1t Is proper question to ask, and t.
answer is mani" Briefly
man is the highest earthly creation o
God, the Creator of all things.
Ri!' u first speak of man as an animal
from physical standpoint. Secondly
what is man intellectually? Thirdly
what is man spiritually? From ply
sical standpoint man is the highest o
ali animal creation! All animals lool
down, but man, his upright carriag
gives him the pre-eminence over al
the animal creation. His peculia
structure and grace Of form, give hin
the undisputed right to have charge q
and be the superior in the animal crea
tion. In Genesis we find some won
derful language regarding the creation
In the beginning God created tn
heaven and the earth. t" A little furthe
on it says; God said let there b
light, "let there be armament
''let tho earth bring forth the livin
creature, 4" .Sc., land ID was so" Bu
it does not say 'Let there be man.
No! Mo- When the earth had bee
fitted up suitable for dwelling plac
for such creature as man, the Create
Himself, the infinite Jehovah, is dc
ecrlhed as coming forth from Ills hiC
ing place, and with great deliberatior
aelf-consultation, wonderful eSactnes
and precision, denoting the superic
nature and high destiny of the creatuI
about TO be formed, God said "Let |
make man In our Image after our likt
ness.n "And the Lord Go
formed man OF the dust of the grount
and hreathed into his nOstrlls I'll
breath of life, and man became livin
soul ~ This, dear friende settles Il
monkey theory forever with M
Enough for me TO know that God is n
Creator! The Christian has goriul
ancestry in that his family troe reat
"Jesus Christ, the Son Of David, II
Son OF Abraham, the Son Of Adam, ii
Son of Godt' CHOW arc we the SOL
of Cod" saith the scriptures.
The image of God in man has BET
fearFully SCARED and shattered. Ths
has been wreck along the line som
whero, and the tracks are blocked l.
us note the language of scripture
littls closer. 1t says: "And God ga
let US make man in our image" Do
not this Indicate a plurality of God
There is great controversy on til
poiEt, but | uannut help but thir
that God was in consultation wi
himself. Our creed teaches us to b
lieve in One God, and yet that On
God is composed of three distinct pc
soralities the Father, Son and lilo
Ghost. Ono and yet three. Three al
yet one. Mystery" you say, why
course mystery There is mystery
everything and have | not just sa
nan is a mystery to himself physiol
gists agree that man differs from al
,urpasses the highest and most perfe
of all terrestrial animals. What