The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-01-10


shows the need there was for God to
reveal Hin self 20 us as our spiritual
illrminator, Redeemer and Saw ior.
1t is true that the devout mind sees
God in the visible universe; for the
heavens declare his glory and the
earth showeth His handiwork, day
untn day uttereth speech and night
unto night showeih knowledge.
But we see Him here in His Infinity
His majesty and His might, we are
over whelmed and lost amid such
manifestations Of His greatness. But
not here do we behold the God that
suited To our spiritual needs. 1t
Is God far of not graciously near
To our souls. Not here do we see
him III any tender and vital rela-
tions to humanity. In all III. beauty
and magniticence of this material
universe i'll the grandure of the ocean,
the lightning or the starlit sky, not
| here do we behold him minist ering To
the souls deepest wants, not here do
we see Him living, laboring, battleing
and suffering fjr us, resisting and
over coming seifishness and every
inherited tendency to evil, working
out glorious redemption for us and
developing the grandest and Divihest
life under adverse conditions. But
i'll the person Of Jesus Christ, God is
revealed i'll form perfectly adapted
to our condition and needs. Here
we behold Him in the most intimate
and vital relation To mankind, clothed
with our frall, finite and perverted
humanlty, Himself man amoung
men, yet rs to His internal, the
supreme and only God. Here we
see him living and acting in our
human conditions and relations God
MANIFEST in flesh, feeling as we feel,
tempted as we are tempted, suffering
as we suffer and triumphing over
death and he'll as it Is now possible,
through His Divine assistance for us
to triumph. We see Him consecraling
His life to deeds of love and mercy
torgetful OF Himself and thoughtful
Oaly of others good; not anxious 10 be
served, but only 10 serve, continually
going about doing good, healing the
sick, befriending, strengthening the
weak enIightning the ignorant, COM
passlonating the poor, sympathising
with the Borrowing, comforting the
mourners and helping all who needed
help and were willing to receive it.
What display of divinity in human
Ity is This. Here we see how He lived
when He subjected Himself to our
human conditions. This is the way
lie felt and thought and spoke and
acted and suffered and forgave here
in this world. 1t was ever the same
benignant spirit. Love speaking,
love acting, love suffering. The
visible embodiment in human form
of the Divine love. God brought
into states Of darkness, suffering and
fierce tempa alton, an experience made
possible only by the assumption of our
sIn-Iaden humanity. Aud here is
precisely where We as poor, weak
erring and sinful creatures need TO
see and know God. We need TO
know what He would do, yea what
He did do when placed in our circum
stances and invested with our finite
nature. Here we see Him minister
ing, weeping, sprrowin., praying,
suffering, struggling like ourselves,
but never SHINING, never yielding
to the tenpter. Here therefore
God is brought graclOusly near and
into closest sympathy with us aud W,
with him. lie is able to be touched
with II feeling of our Infrmities be-
cause, as sayeth the prophet: "He has
bOurn our griefs and carried our sor-
rows" Hence it has we'll been said
that His 0dveDt was the beginning
OF grand and glorious march of
humanity up TO lofLier anu serener
heights thar it had ever reached be-
fore-up from the abyss Of ignorance,
superstition, hatred aud sin towards
universal justice, order, love and
peace, and wherever this gospel has
gone there has been awakened some.
thing ut the Divine Masters Spirit.
And where II has circulated most
widely, been read must freely, its
spirit pest cOmpreheuded and its pre-
cepis most hee,led there do we find
the MIST advanced civilization; there
IS the greatest appreciation Of justice
and the rights Of man; there education
f,f tho rla.-,. a. -..o.t Il.