The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-12-14
CHRISTIANITY AS TAUGHT BY CHRIST
n' OF the Series of Sermons Delivered Bradley and by
The Constitution. Printed Monday

Subject, Chow to Find God. /"
Text: "Bessed are the pure in
heart: for they shall see God" Mat
thew v, g.
Men differ in many respects. hut they
are alike in one. They want to know
something about God. From the day when
JOB raised his voice in w asking. Can
man by searching find out God?" down
TO our own day. when Herbert Spencer
the great philosopher who died few
days ago. declared that, TO the material
istlc scientist. God is the Great Tn
movable men have busted themselves
With questions about Him. The desire
20 know God is an Instinct Of humanity
It is no more confined to ono race or ma
ton than is hunger or thirst.
II there is one who says truly that he
noas not wish to know God. one OF two
things may be said OF him. either he is
an evil man. OF he has q notion OF an
evil God. Some men are already SO self
condemned that they would escape, If
they could. the additional coHdemna ton
~ God. You may spare such your de-
nuncation Their heart knows its own
bitterness. Others have had drawn for
them by relieionists, who do not know
Him, such nlonstrous pictures of God
that they have turned away in horror
and disgust saying. The less know OF
zach a being the better" They are to he
pitie1.
Few things are more pathetic than the
sight OF men and women trying 10 ToI-
ship and love a iiideous caricature OF
Sod. monster that is filed with selfish
ness. pride and love of adulation. and
bioated with hate, revenge and love OF
torture. The man VINO turns away from
such 4 repu1sve thing. refusing 10 wor
chip, Is a drawer and better man than one
who, in cowardiy cringing, bows before
It and lies to placste and 1iatter.
The search for God has met with vary
ing success. For the most part it has
met with failure Some have sought to
escape the pains OF solving the problem
by denying the problem altogether. They
have called themselves atheists. But
e9pp0se there are really no atheists The
very word has God In II. and the use of
II suggests some sort of conception Of
God, even thought 1t DE one so unworthy
and unsatisfactory as to provoke protest
and denial Some good men have been
called atheists by others because their
conception Of God was too big for the
critics creed.
Some have called themselves agnostics.
which means. for the honest ones, thaS
they have looked al the problem In every
light they know and have applied every
rest with which they are familiar. and
he.ve gotten such doubtful results that.
n last. they have TO confess I'VE do not
know"
Some have said, we have found God
and have spoken In such familiar and
ri, -
re have looked to them to tell US OF Him.
but their conduct has so bened their
words that we have said: EITHER they
are deceived themselves, or they are try
ing to deceive us.
Some have really come TO know Him.
and il is they who have made and still
make the world TT to inhabit They have
found Him by a process that Jesus IN this
text recommends.
fhe thousands VINO have failed have
sought in the wrong place, or With thu
wrong instrument. The men of science
have tried to find GOD with the tools of
their craft When or ancestors conceived
rf the earth fiat plain and the
heavens as d solid armament, only "A few
miles away. they scanned with naked
eyes the entire expanse in hope that.
through some CreVice or window. they
might catch q gHmpse of God and the
throne upon which He sat. They mover
ssS- Him Wien the crude telescope was
constructed aud the view was greatly
extended. the search was renewed with
Increased hopes OF success. Again ii fall
Cd. The lenses We're made arger and
rlore perfect. and with each improve nent
2cpe's heart heat with quicker bound but
each time the astronomer, with tired eyes
and detected counte nances. came back
from his post Of sieepless watching say
7g. There is no God, / have sought the
heavens through. / have mapped lis eX-
T9nSe and named the consts liationS.
nave sought through inters:ellar spaces
end Be is not there If there over was
6 God. h has gone away from this
universe. He IS dead or absent"
some OF US have been frightened ~ ali
this We have said. IF 4 great telescope
iike the Lick or YoIises. that makes the
moon appear 20 be within 8 miles or
the earth, does nor reveal Cod there
must not be any God" Others of us nave
shown as doplOrapie Z lack OF faith. for
We have said 10 the astronomer You
ere bad man and your Instrument +
an invention Of the devil We will burn
sou and your telescope TOO lest you really
discover thai there is no Cod
The man who is afraid OF what . scion
t.st may ind ont, lest he deth.onp God
or prove that Tie docs not exist. hetraXs
his own n0uelitX. or n hest. q plinv
faith. for Il IS poor GOD that can ~
ceStroS Ell with a { leScope. There 10 small
Giffercnca in IN notion OF God between
lie scientist who hunts for Him with Gell
glasses and the theolog,au who is afraid
q the result
from the little clod of ar earth. 10 tin0 n
personal God b. neer.ng into Che i'm
tlenSities above him. stands about the
Forget You Ever Had II.