The record-union., 1899-05-29

believe that more light and truth will
break forth from Gods holy word. The
spirit of truth will be continually guild
ing men into clearer and fuller truth
concerning God and Jesus Christ our
Savior. AS the ages roll on God will
be better known. The golden age of the
church is in the future, not in the past.
The true Eden is before US, not behind
US. We are not to look back to Ephesus
and Rome and Jerusalem. They are
the church in it's infancy. The full
grown church is in the future. The di-
vine spirit will lead the church to
higher levels of knowledge and expert
erce and achievement. The church will
grow in the grace and in the know
ledge of Christ. The church of
the future will have better and truer
theology than the church of the past
has had AS the growing tree throws
off dead bark, so the growing church
will throw off effete creeds and form
ulas.
Over the roofs of the pioneers
Gathers the moss of a hundred years,
The living faith of the settlers old
/ But fresh and green from the rotting
roots
OF primal forests the young growth
shoots
From the death of the old the new pro-
CeedS.
And the life of truth from the rot of
creedS.
Jesus has yet many things to say to
His church. AS man has made pro-
gress in his knowledge of geology, in
his knowledge of astronomy, in his
knowledge of electricity, in his know
ledge of medicine, SO he will make pro-
gress in theology and will have a truer
conception of God than has prevailed
in the past. As God becomes better
known, as the old theologies that have
caricatured and misrepresented Him
pass away, and men know Him as Jesus
revealed Him, then will mems hearts
go out toward Him in reverent love, in
adoring worship and loyal service.
We need not be afraid of evolution.
We need not be afraid of progress in
theology. We have made progress in
geology, in chemistry, in medicine. We
have thrown aside many old theories
and beliefs on these subjects, and are
the better for it. So it will be in the
ology.
Let US show large hospitality to new
truth as it is revealed by the Spirit as
Jesus promised. Paul had fuller rev.
elation and a clearer understanding of
divine truth than had the prophets be-
fore Him. Some of the many things
that Jesus could not make clear to the
twelve He told to Paul. But Paurs
knowledge was limited. Inspired
though he was, there were depths he
had not fathomed. There were highths
he had not scaled. There We're breadths
he had not conpassed. After the fullest
and most profound disclosure of divine
truth ever made, he had to fall back
on that confession of limitation, 20, the
depth of the riches, both of the wisdom
and knowledge of God, how unsearch-
able are His judgments and His ways
past finding out. For who hath known
the mind of the Lord?" In vision he
was lifted to the third heaven and heard
truth it was impossible to utter. The
revelation transcended the powers of
human expression. But bright and full
as the vision was there were brightness
ard fullness beyond, upon which he was
not able to gaze. Thus you hear him
say that he knew only in part and
prophesied only in part. He saw
through a glass darkly.
Did you ever think of the magnificent
passage where Paul speaks of God
being rich in mercy, and has raised us
up, that in the ages to come He might
show the exceeding riches of His grace
in His kindness toward us in Christ
Jesus?" It will require the ages to
ccme, it VIII require eternity itself to
reveal to man the exceeding riches of
Gods love What we know of Gods
love compared with what we shall
know, is like the Pickering light of
street lamp, compared with the sun
shining in noontide splendor. For now
We see in a mirror darkly, but then
face to face; now I know in part; but
then shall I know even as also I have
been known. We shall see Him as He
Is and be like Him.