The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-05-22

'COfr BOVINE 400 Pearl street. New York
covenant name? Exodus 3: IA
gives the answer. ~ am that
am, the eternal sell.existent,
selt-acting. ever-acting Jehovah.
There is much in name. TO every
nation God was God; to only one
nation was he Jehovah. He might
be spoken Of as the God, but never
as the Jehovah. There was but
one. lie might be called the living
God, but not the living, Jehovah, Tor
as Jehovah he could not be thought
OF in any other way than as living.
A few might say "My God,' but
never "My Jehovah, for the term
itself implied that close relation
ship which existed between Him
and no other nation. God might
be called the God Of Israel but never
the Jehovah of Israel.
This covenant name is but the
earnest OF the covenant relation.
am Jehovah thy God, sounds not
strange in our ears when we re-
member the meaning of the term
Jehovah, Israel is frequently
spoken of as my son." "Out Of
Egypt have | called my son" ex-
presses both the relation in which
the chosen nation was held by Je-
hovah, also the great deliverance
from the slavery oil Egypt to the
freedom Of Canaan.
This then is Gods part of the
covenant; He is Jehovah, they are
his people, he has delivered them.
Consider now lsrael's part OF the
covenant. The nation needed Just
such commandment. They need
ed to get "a right view OF God. "
They have come from polyth
Egypt aud are journeying toward
poly theistic Canaan. There were
gods many ID either land. Jeho-
yah command is not that he is
to be worshipped, but that he is to
be worshlpped exclusively. Thou
sh alt have no other gods before me
Il. c. beside me).
See then whatthis first command
mend for bids in Isrsel.
1t lorbids apostacy. That no
other gods are to be worshIpped,
liners that Jehovah must be. God
is not only jealous OF other gods, but
is Jealous for himself.
It forbids polytheism. A house
divided Against itself cannot stand
and worshlper with divided heart
cannot covenant with Jehovah. lie
must have the whole heart, or he
can have none.
1t lorblds pantheism seeing God
in everything aud in nothing in
particular God and his works are
not identical lie is as much great
er than anything he has ever made
than is the jeweler with watch OF
his making in his hand.
1t lorblds delsm, which acknow.
lodges Gods existence, but denies
God $ revelation and insists that
God can be apprehendcd only by
the light OF nature and Of reason.
Deism finds no warrant for an IN
splred tBlble, aud this first COM
mandment finds no warrant for de-
ism.
1t forbids materialism, which de-
mands tangible (and perhaps ne
gotiablc) evidence of Gods eXis.
tence, and with the scales and seal
pei OF Its own criticism, would
weigh the very claim OF Jehovah
himself.
1t (orbids sentimentalism. The
god Of fashion would crowd out the
god not fashioned with human
hands. and against it Jehov all
thunders "Thou shalt have no 9TH
er gods before me Except me-
1t forbids dualism, which sees in
God, two gods, in the world, two
principles, (good and evil which it
personi6es) and in mans destiny
two lates, with either Of which man
has nothing to do
1t for5ids agnosticism. A man
cannet say II donot know God" for
this commandment introduces Him.
and IN such a way as to leave no
room for doubt
1t forbids atheism. Aonostcism
says | do not know; atheism says l
will not. Agnostlcism discredits,
atheism denies. Agnosticism is ig-
, norance, atheiem, insolence. Ag-
Mysticism smiles and looks incredu-
lous; atheism frowns and looks de.
tiance.
This first commandment forbids
all oil this and in their place oilers
one thing -monotheism, grander
far than any one of them and sub
liner than them all.
Jesus IS our Jehovah, the 81 am"
Of the New Testament. Let lis in
true gratitude to Him for our de-
liverance from the Egypt Of sin to
the Canaan OF forgiveness, give to
Him the undivided worship OF undi-
v!dcd hearts, since there is saliva
ton in no other name, let us try to
seek it in no other way.