The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-06
DIR. HAMMoND's SERMON.
Scriptures Promise Wan a Definite
knowledge of God.

The pulpit at the First Presbyterian
church, in Monterey square. was filed at
the morning service yesterday by Rev.
John D. Hammond, president of the Wes-
leyan Female College in Macon. Rev
Arthur J. Smith, presented DR.. Hammond
to the congregation in a few brief words
saying the congregation was fortunate in
having so distinguished divine to preach
for them.
DR.. Hammond took his text from Hosea
vi, first, second and third verses, begin
ming. Come, and let US return unto the
Lord: for He hath torn and He will heal
US; He hath smitten' and he will bind us
up" An eloquent and interesting SER
mon followed.
The passage he said contained a promise
Of definite knowledge for the seeker after
God. Such a knowledge is thing deslr
ed by every earnest spirit Wherever
man is found there can also be found that
striving to understand the nature and pur-
poses of the Great Spirit Curiosity i'm
peis men TO seek after the unknown and
the unknOwable, if there are such things.
1t is true of human nature In whatever
form il may be found that it seeks to &C
certain something of the GreaC Spirit.
There is something higher toward which
man, in whatever state he may be found,
strives to reach. In this is found the or
igin Of sacrifice, the giving up Of things of
value to this invisible being, in the hope
of bringing him nearer.
So while we have a craving for the
knowledge of God. we have here a def
mite promise that it Is not an impossible
end. There are mathematical demonstra-
tons and there are moral demonstra ticns.
Through the aXioms of science which we
know TO be true, ella borate propositions are
demonstrated and scientific facts are Tins
disclosed to the human mind. Infidels
would have us believe that this is the only
source of definite knowledge, but such is
not the case. There are other forms of
knowledge equally conclusive. 1t Is not so
much in the method by which we reach
the conclusion. but in the assurance with
which we hold to the conclusion reached.
In this realm of truth and the conviction
of truth man must place his knowledge of
God.
The man who comes to God must be-
lieVe that God is, must believe him the
Creator. BY diligently seeking him he be
lieyes there is such a being. BY believing
l come to a definite knowledge that there
is such a being. This is the old doctrine
preached by our fathers, the doctrine of
assurance. Thus comes the assurance in
every human mind of the personality and
presence of God.
Dr. Hammond spoke of the personal
manifestation of Gods presence, which
he said came TO every man who sought
God and sought Christ Even the man
whose life was given up to the vilest prac-
tees had this fear in his conscience to
the extent that he feared to seclude him
self and ponder upon his wicked life. A
personal acquaintance with God, he said,
came only through effort. He spoke of
three classes of men, those who have Ii
definite aim toward an indefinite object,
those who have an indefinite aim toward
a definite object, and those who have a
definite aim toward a definite end. In the
latter class only was found those who do
not waVer but who go right for what they
want and attain success. Man must at
test his love of God by his love for the
church. He spoke of redemption through
Christ and said there was never a case
on record where a man sought Christ and
failed to find him.