The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-01
THE GLORIOUS LIGHT OF GOD.
REV. DIR. PALMER's SERMON AT THE
INDEPENDENT CHURCH.

the Entire Universe and the trace
WrOuk=Ia by His Son Applicable TO
the Salvation of Created Beings OF
Every Sphere-R exemption of Men
Not the Only Purpose of the Incar-
nation of Christ, But That God I'M
His True Glory Might BE Made
Manifest to Man.
THE Divine Light" or God as Made
Manifest Through Christ" might be APP
propriately termed the subject of the able
discourse by Rev DR.. B. NJ. Palmer oil
New Orleans at the Independent Presbyie-
rian Church last night. The sermon was
truly a grand one, filed with thoughts
of so lofty a nature and presented in such
profusion that it was with difficulty that
his auditors could grasp all the inspiring
thoughts presented to them.
After Abide In Me" had been beauti-
fully sung by Mrs. T. P. Wickenberg Dr.
Palmer was introduced to the congrega-
ton by DR.. Fair. the pastor who said
that he was one to whom the church mad
turned in many of its experiences OF the
past When the lamented DR.. Preston,
its shepherd for many years, had been
called from the scene of his earthly Ia
bors half a century ago, It was DR.. Pal
mer who was called TO speak consoling
words to the congre CATION and again when
the sainted Dr.. Arson had been taken to
his rest, DR.. Palmer again occupied the
pulpit and paid tribute to his memory.
I'VE welcome him not only because his
voice is sweet and TENDER said Dr. Far,
but because he has been so sacredly as
ISOLATED with our past. We welcome him
as our father in Christ and pray that he
may be spared to his people for many
years"
DIR. Palmer's text was from the 21st
chapter of Revelations, where the Apostle
John in speaking Of the new Jerusalem
says And the city had no need of the
sun, neither of the moon to shine in it;
for the glory of God did Tighten al and the
Lamb is the light thereof"
DR.. Palmer discussed Revelations with
the freedom and ease which the average
Biblical student might display in an OK
position of the simplest chapters of the
Bible in this prophetic book, he said the
apostle had by means of a series OF VISIONS
and revelations presented history of the
church of God from the beginning TO the
end of time. 1t is presented in such
manner that the truths stated therein may
be difficult of Interpretation until the
things foretold have come to pass. In the
concluding chapters of the book he pre-
sents a picture of the return of Christ
to earth in view of the New Jerusalem
In this connection he tells that there will
be neither sun nor moon i'm that city, Tor
| the glory of God will tighten il and the
Lamb will be the light thereof. Neither
| would there be any tabernacle of God in
| that city, because the whole city Will be
the tabernacle of God. Light, he said, is
| there made an emblem of the glory and
| the majesty of the infinite and eternal Je-
hovah as he fills all the heaven with the
| glory of his light.
The glory of God, as it will be shown to
the redeemed through all the coming eter-
nifty, was made manifest in the Son of
| God. The incarnation of Jesus Christ
| through the man Christ Jesus, was de-
signed from the beginning as the perma-
| nent revelation of the invisible God.
DR.. Palmer discussed the apostasy of
man from God in all It's various stages,
beginning with the denial of the doctrine
! of atonement and the existence of sin by
Cain, followed by the arrogant atheism
of the early centuries under which men
| developed into such giants of iniquity that
/ the earth could no longer bear their
crimes, and God was pleased to wipe out
| the stain and remove their infamy by the
deluge. With the increase Of the descend
ants of the sons of Noah the era of idoi-
! airy began and continued for centuries
! to be the prevalent form of apostasy from
God. SO prevalent is this spirit of idola-
| try that it has revived in varied and
| modified form and exists to-day in the
| presence of the church itself in the shape
| of images presented 20 the eye of the
worshipper as representations of Him in
| His various glorified forms
| Idolatry had existed and continued 10
exist, DR.. Palmer said, in the face of two
express commandments from God Thou
shat not make unto me any craven i'm
! age" Thou shalt not bow down to them
nor serve them" We are even forbidden
90 frame mental image of God, he said.
| God is a pure spirit without body. And
yet from the day of the food until to-day
over three-quarters of the people of the
| globe have worshipped images.
1t was the purpose of God from the be-
ginning, he said, to devise some means
/ by which this tendency in man might be
overcome and His divinity made known to
man.
1t was the prevalent idea. DIR. Palmer
| said that the incarnation of God in
Christ was simply for the purpose of the
redemption of man. He held that the pur
| pose was of a broader and more extern
| sive scope. II was part of a still more
| expansive system, he said Briefly sum
med up the idea presented by DR.. Palmer
was that the incarnation of Christ was
not intended simply for the redemption of
man, but that God himself might be made
manifest to man in all His greatness and
| glory This idea was dwelt upon a some
length. A beautiful picture of the New
| Jerusalem with the thousands of the re-
deemed worshpping together with the an
gels around the throne Of God was pre-
| sented. God not only assured those who
were redeemed in Christ that they should
never be separated from Him there. An
| gels had fallen even from Heaven, but
God has given assurances to the redeemed
| even against this.
DR.. Palmer closed with the grand
thought that as this earth is but a part
of a solar system, and this system but
one of thousands Of others all revolving
through illimitable space. and yet all CEN
| tering and revolving around one grand
center Of attraction, that God Himself
| Is the great center of light and power
around which these thousands of suns,
each with it's attendant worlds is re-
volving, and from which their movements
| are controlled and directed. As the sci
entists have shown by their spectral analy-
SEES that these other stars or planets are
| oopov.oead Of similar r1aaferiaI 30 fIo.-