The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-06-04
Mr.. .ROWLAND'S SERMON
ABLEDISCOURSE ON MYSTERY
OF CHRISTIANITY"
Shows That Atheism Is Ignorance
and That Biblical Revelations
Compel Belief.

Rev. u. r. Rowland. at the MethO-
list church last Sunday morning. took
for his theme THE Mystery Of Chris
tlanity" He spoke from the text, Now
We see through glaas darkly; but
then face 10 face; Now know in part.
but then shall know even az also ]
am known" And he said In part.
The very nature and object OF reveal
ed and experimental religion make
them mysterious. The mind f man
cannot grasp ChriBt's explanation. THE
wind bloweth where Il listeth and thou
nearest the sound thereof but cans't
not tell whence H. cometh or whittier II
goeth 80 is every one that Is born Of
the spirit" The happiness II impartg
may fash along the fbers of the splr-
itual nature like electric fire. thrilling
the heart with the sweetest music bur
lts nature and mode Of communication
remains unexplanable. We cannot faith
ON the future We walk upon hs verge
knowing but little OF It's mysteries o.
great future What are your revela-
lions? We cannot ccise 10 be or do not
want TO b. annlhllatcd. God has kind
led In our hearts hope ~ future glory
that llghienB up our Journey through
this life. But what Hes beyOnd2 We
do not know. Our little knowledge Is
but drop IN the great ocean ~ truth
The teNt Includes two antitheses. the
first part ~ each refers TO the myster-
ies found IN eX9 srlmental religion. Be-
cause religion has the uneXplana5le In
u iniidrll.y prOnouncea II false. The
argument is that mystery II fatal 10
the very idea ~ revelation Thc two
being contra iicrory. Now II hat which
religion reveals Is shrouded In mystery
50 tha. man f1r whom the revelation IL
made cannot possibly understand II
then the objection of lnhiclity Is valid.
Bur such Is not the case for what II
claims 10 reveal is clear 10 every Intel
ligent mind. True Il reveals ficts
whose relation to the Infinite makes the
mode ~ their existence incomprehens-
bic 10 ~. for we are capable only OF
entertaining finite ideas
The mysteries Of religion are the
mysteries of modes not of facts. while
the revelations are revelations of facts
not OF modes. There is a difference
between mystery az 10 mode. and mystery
terry as 20 fact. The fact Of Gods ex-
lstence may be clear but the mode must
remain forever uneXplanable.
Revelation IL sufficient 20 promote the
ends for which IL was intended and that
Is enough. To require more Is as un-
reasonable as 10 require history TO teach
chemistry or chemistry mathematics OF
anv one ~ these To teach all the others
and falling 50 to do 10 condemn them
as false.
Are the explanable facts OF revela-
tlon sufficient for life and salvation?
Ask the apostles and martyrs and
saints Of all ages. Ask those splendid
examples of Christian characters form
ed amid the fires OF persecution. Ask
the expiring saint az he dies with a
smile Of triumph and a shout Of VIC
tory. II the unexplanable In religion
proves he entire system false then ma
ture which has mysteries as profound
as revelation must be false too VINO
will undertake TO explain the laws OF
organic life and growth? Why does one
seed produce wheat. another corn? Who
can explain the philosophy Of color. or
OF motion and how the latter Is COM
munica.sd from one body 10 another.
II YOU profess ignorance Of the laws
Of organic life what must be the sum
Of your knowledge Of the higher laws
of animal life? Can YOU explain your
own body? Where is your soul? How
do You grow How do YOU live? How
do you think? Yourself is the greatest
mystery in the universe.
But me objec.or says every fact Of re-
velation ought to be as plain as pure
mathematics. Again we say. apply the
same test to nature. But suppose we
admit the objection for the sake of the
argument. Then We ask is all intelligt-
bic In mathematics? Express the third
OF one declmally adding a cipher to
the remainder and continue the divis-
ion. II Is three into ten three times and
one over world without end. Here iS
a number eterrally divided by three and
losing two-thirds Of itself forward with
out the possibility OF ever being ex-
hausted. This can be demonstrated but
Is 1t Ineligible God asks nothing Of
man in religion that he does not demand
in all other things and We ought to act