The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-03-25

Following is synopsis of an able
sermon preached at the Baptist
Church in Columbia, by the pastor,
Rev. j. H. Thompson, two weeks
ago; which, through the kindness
of friend, the HERALD is per-
mitted to publish. To-wit:
TEXT: No man hath seen God at any time;
the only begOtten Son. which is in the
bosom of the Father. He hath declared
him.-John II, Is.
God is invisible, incomprehensible.
H is the Eternal Omnipresent Spirit of
Life. 1t is impossible for the human
mind to conceive of what is everywhere
at all times, having no local habita
ton, and no material form. God has
manifested himself to man by types
and shadows, so that his nature and
attributes may be known. His works
show his power, and the harmony of
the creation his wisdom. The capacity
for pleasure in his creatures and the
abundant means Of producing it ex-
press his love. The Bible is the verbal
expression of his attitude toward man
kind, and his providential dealings with
men illustrate both his mercy and his
justice. But in Christ alone is God
manifested so simply that the mind of
man can understand him.
| IAN Is SLOW 10 learn lOlby GIuJUs. ne
demands illustrations and dilutions of
great facts and thoughts so much above
him. He has attempted to represent to
himself by familiar objects the charac-
ter of the Incomprehensible God
This effort to reduce the Most High to
a level with mans ideas is the philoso-
ply of idolatry. Since God could not
be seen, man early in his history chose
visible objects to represent the pres
ence of his God to him. The sun (which
is but the shadow of the true God" was
considered fit representation of the
lIfe-giving, light-dispensing Deity.
When the sun disappeared at night the
moon was made to do duty as a sub
stitute. The moon does not always APP
. pear at night, so the stars and all the
hosts of heaven stood for the absent
lights. When clouds obscured the sky,
and sun, moon ana stars all disap-
peared, resourceful man kindled fires
npon the high mountains that they
might be seen from afar and thus repre-
sent the everpresent God. In this way
originated the fireworshippers of an
cient times. AS families increased and
were dispersed abroad, they took with
them brands from their sacred fires that
they might have the presence of their
God with them.
When the fire was extinguished, as
/ often happened, the brands, to beautify
( them, were carved into images of man
and animals, birds and insects as taste
1 or imagination suggested, and thus by
= easy stages man "changed the glory OF
the incorruptible God into an image
made like corruptible man, and to birds
and fOurfooted beasts and creeping
things" 1t is safe to say that no idol
alter worships his idol as his divinity
but only as the representation Of hi
divinity.
The Catholic does not worship tn,
crucifx nor the host nor the image o
the Virgin Mary, but by these thing
attempts to make God visible and hi
presence real. To worship these images
as Gods would be to do reverence t.
= mere wood, stone and metal, which
would degrade mans soul into in
feriority to material things: but t
make these images represent God is t
III attempt to reduce the Most High Co
lie to the level of his lowest creatures
as The worship of images not only dc
ne bases the soul of man, but it attempt
to prostitute the Creator to lower leve
as than man, his creature.
1t is evident that if God and man ar
e. ever reunited, either man must rise u
re to God, or God must come down to man
e, and the Father granted the universe
d sire of man, when he "veiled himse
n in flesh" in the person of Christ an
Sc reduced himself to mans cOmpreher
c. sion, and gave man God in huma
form, that he might worship his Go
We without the need of an image to reprt
err sent him. Christ is the great illustri
ne ton of God, or in the words of the tex
"He hath declared him" And he alon
ce can declare him. Divinity is essenti;
re to the declaration of divinity and ma
nd can understand man, so the Goldman
the revelation of God to the cOmpr
hensiOn of man.
We ca" love man because man is or
# of us and God is now given to us in II
~ image of man, as man was first create
II in the image of God.
Gods will is translated into the rams
of our thought by the words and worl
of the Goldman. Through the huma
eyes of Christ we are enabled to 81
the nature of God.
h., Blythe human lips of the Son of Ma
,aS we are made capable of understands
DO the great doctrines of the Eternal.
on In the human life of our Lord we 81
49,, the illustration of what God is.
%,SS BY his dual nature he becomes tn
i"' connecting link between the humS
80. and the divine, hence it is pure
'ei philosophical truth that "there is MOI
,or other name under heaven given amor
o. men whereby we must be saved
W There was no egotism in Christ's decl
or ration, 81 am the way" 1t is the simp
W. statement of natural fact. In &
VIZ very nature of the case it can not
,rv otherwise than true. Christ is "in &
toSr bosom of the Father that is, he
va identical with God. He is "God ma
,or flesh" Emmanuel" "God with u
iG r His works while in "the likeness
0N man" interpret to us the attributes al
,,os perfection of the Divine Nature. Il
vas power as Creator is shown in the mil
ast Giles of the loaves and fishes, by givi
az sight to one born blin6 and by MAXI
i'i' a perfect hand of one that was withert
ood His control over the elements is demo
Crot strated by the obedience of the wi
81, and the sea to his command.
' t His ability to give life is fully
,iiyh forth in the raising Of Lazarus, the gi
n ,'A ing life to the son of the widow of Ma
and the restoration of the dead daug
49, ter Of the nobleman. His SUPERIOR
in'' over Satan is impressed by his co
ais handing the evil spirits and thu
uel obedience tn him, and is emphasized
mn the voluntary declaration of the
,iv- mons that tive know thee, who TIN
rch art, the Son of the Living God" Divi
no love can have no fuller expression tn
10 that mode in ChriSts sacrifice for