The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-06-30

We are to consider for a short time this morning the
Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Now, as soon as | men
ton this term, there, perhaps, arises IN your minds the
thought of something hard to be understood, something
mysterious and incomprehensible. 1t, perhaps, appears to
you as a dry dogma, without meaning and without applica-
cation to our present day life. You think OF it as some
thing strange and contradictory-thls doctrine OF three
persons in one God-without any message and truth for us
in our daily life with its needs and wants. And so you are
disposed to turn away, hopeless of grasping this doctrine,
perhaps impatient, disposed to ask:
What is the good CT it? Why consider it at all Now,
my friends, l shall strive to show you that this doctrine of
the Trinity has its lesson and its message for US, today, that
we would do we'll to heed. | shall try to show you that 1T
is not merely speculation and theory, but that It's to us the
expression of a great truth of life, of our life, and Of what
our life ought to be. Now, let it be admitted that we can
not grasp the doctrine of the Trinity fully. Our human
powers are limited; we cannot comprehend infinite truth.
And yet it does not therefore follow that this part of Chris
tan revelation is unreasonable. So far as we can under
stand it, it does commend itself to us as reasonable. So
far as it is not to be grasped by our intelligence, so far as it
is beyond our comprehension, we have no right to say it isl
unreasonable. Upon that which is beyond our powers and
capacities we are not competent to express an opinion. 80
far as we understand it, comprehend it, there is nothing IN
it irrational or contradictory. Beyond this, so far as con-
Germs that which our powers cannot comprehend, IN the
nature of the case we can have no opinion; 1t can be to us
neither rational nor irrational. Let it be admitted, then,
that we cannot know this doctrine fully we cannot sound
it's depths we cannot encompass its widely extended
boundaries. So far from this being any objection to the
acceptance of the doctrine OF the Trinity, 1t is, perhaps,
something that will commend it to the religious sense OF
men. 1t is, perhaps, well that we cannot understand fully
the Trinity. 1t is perhaps we'll that there should be some
thing that the human mind cannot wholly grasp. 1t IS
perhaps we'll that some mystery should be left us that the
restless mind of man cannot penetrate and dlsclose-some
mystery ever beyond us, in whose presence we shall stand
uncovered, to worship and to adore. A good thing that
we should have something that we cannot comprehend
fully. Human thought, treless and ~unsatished, is daily
penetrating and laying bare the unknown and hidden things
Of nature. Our knowledge is advancing with gigantic
bounds and leaps. The spectacle presented by the progress
of discovery and all science is magnificent and inspiring.
We are dazed and oppressed by the victories and achieve
ments of the human mind. But is it not true that knowl-
edge, as does familiarity, breeds contempt? knowledge
penetrates unknown things, drags them out into the llghtot
common day and thus makes them commonplace and Or
binary. Is it not we'll then that there should be some
things that we cannot a%pprehend fully? Well that some
mysteries should remain in the presence of which we can
vet fall down and worship? Is it not well that Gods ex-I
istence as adorable and ever blessed Trinity should in part
be bevond our mental comprehension? 1t is no objection
then to the Christian doctrine OF the Trinity that 1t should
be in part beyond our grasp and understanding. /
Now the Trinity means that God is always, in all
ages and times, and before all time, that God is Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost. Now in the Old Testament we
look upon God as One, as a Unity only. But IN the New
Testament as we come near to God, or tie reveals Him
self to us, we learn that He exists as Trinity. The differ
ence in this teaching has been illustrated thus: In climb
ing mountains, a surface of rock, which at a distance looks
fiat and uniform, seems broken up aud complicated When
YOU approach nearer. seen from a distance lleL, d III
the Old Testament, God appeared one and single. But
seen near at hand in the New Testament, we learn that
God manifold as we'll as one, we learn the distinction mi
His nature. We learn that there is a Father sending, and
Ia Son sent to reveal the Father, and a Spirit proceeding to
give grace and life. We learn then that God is eternal
Father, dwelling in contemplation and love upon His BON
we learn that God is eternal Son rejecting back the love
and glorv of the Father; and we learn that God is eternal
Spirit, binding together Father and Son in one unchanged
BILE unity. Gods existence then is not a barren unity, shut
in upon itself without the possibility of love and commun-
ion and relation with anything. But while One, God is al
so Three, and between these three there have ever been
love and ntercommurion. The life of God then IN all
time. before the creation of the universe, was a social and
fruitful one it was full of the joy and blessedness that
come, and can come only, from association and relatlon-l
ship. ,,.
Now nv friends what is the truth and meaning OF this
to us, what application has it to our lite? Simply this,
that existence, true and real, consists in relationship.
Gods being, His existence, which is perfect, and infinitely
blessed and happy, is one of relationship-of communion
and interchange between Father, Son and Holy Ghost
And so our lives, if they are to be true, II they are tol
be what they should, if they are to be like the lite OIL
God, they must have relation and association with that
which is outside of us. The one word then that expresses
the teaching and meaning to us in our lite OF the Trinity
as we shall consider it this morning is the term relation
ship. And l will ask that you bear this in mind, tor 1T
lis the keynote of the truth that | am striving to convey
to you. Life is relationship so the Trinity teaches the
life of God is so it teaches US must every true lie be-
Relationship. First, then, you must be in close touch
and sympathy with your fenowmen. And this, not with
those only who are pleasant and agreeable to you, but
with all men-wth men as men. These you ought to|