Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-02-19

us Jesus christ In the uSSn. lie came
as revelation of God. He came SO
that our finite minds might grasp the
infinite. He came TO show us that God
could suffer as we suffer and be tempt
ed as we are tempted. yet be without
sin. He came as n God OF never end
ing love. Mystery! Mystery! The
Trinity Is an inexplainable mystery.
Yet ii is mystery we ali need. mys-
terry we should all accept. 1t is n mys-
terry essential to our peace.
Mystery OF the Trinity.
Thus the mystery of the Trinity
means simply this: God the Father
comes to us and says: ITO explain to
you all things my child, would be to
set before you what you could not COM
prehend. Your mind is too weak to
grasp il, any more than little child In
his fathers laboratory can understand
or grasp the chemical principle or the
adhesion of the basic elements. But IL
you see the Godhead yelled by a hu-
man form, IL you see the Spirit OF God
animating being like yourself, IL you
come in contact with the divine perfec-
lions, active i'm human environment,
you will then have n glimpse of the
thing of the supernal mystery of Fa-
Their, Son and Holy Spirit. All this
will show to prove that I am God, the
Loving Father, and ye are my chill
dren." Today we find the Trinity a
mystery. But. though n mystery, deep
and high and overpowering, il is a
mystery SO simple that little child
can reverence the majesty of the FTa-
Their, can realize the love Of the Son and
can yield to the influence OF the Holy
Spirit. Great and yet beautiful and
simple Is the mystery of godllness In
Jesus Christ.
The conflicting doctrines OF Gods
omnipotence and mans free agency are
an inexplainable mystery. Yes, we
know that God is infinitely greater than
man. We know that the Creator, who
holds the seas in the palm OF his hand
and at whose touch the volcanoes
smoke and the earth trembles and
whose voice Is the voice of the storm,
has supreme control over the creatures
he has made. He can say to man, Go.
and he goeth; come, and he coneth; do
this, and he doeth IT." But, though
God the Omnipotent is truly ali pow
erful, know 1 can resist his will.
know, as free agent, l can raise my
hand or lower 1T. / know that can
ciinch my ffst with bate or have the
open palm OF love. Snow I can walk
across this pulpit TO the right or to the
left 1 know 1 can choose between
right and wrong. Free, freel Frcs
am 1. gloriousiy. freei A mystery-a
great unfathomable mysteryi With
(l<NH h. NJ, an
free agent.
Harmonising Creeds.
These two conflicting facts are true,
but who can reconcile them7 There
fore, after we have once accepted this
mystery we can harmonize oil Chris
tian creeds at the foot OF the cross
With it we can take down the bars OF
sectarianism and call all members OF
the different Protestant churches our
brothers and our sisters. How can
you do that?" says some one to me.
Simply enough. After this mystery
this great fundamental mystery-is
once granted the question OF the man.
ner OF your service and tho church In
which you viii worship is determined
by the aspect from which you view
your relation TO God. II 1 begin to
argue from God down to man, I be-
come n Calvinist- II say to myself.
81 know God Is omnipotent; know he
can foresee all things; he can save
me IL he VIII, I know" then i natu-
rally go into the Presbyterian church.
But II I say to myself, 'I know am a
free agent; 1 know i can accept or re-
ject my Heavenly Father" / go into
the Methodist church. Then, instead OF
arguing from God down to man,
argue from man up to God. 1t is sim
ply the difference of putting the en-
phasis of my creed upon Gods om-
impotence or mans free agency. Yet,
though / was born n Calvinist and
have been baptized In a Calrinistic
church and have received my theo-
logical education In a Calvinistic semi
nary, yet today feel just as much at
home In the Methodist church as do
in the Presbyterian. l could Just as
logically be member OF n Methodist
conference as am now a member OF q
Calvinistic presbytery.
A DimcuIt Task.
The harmonizing OF the two doctrines
Gods omnipotence and mans free
tempted In vain. But II is a glorious
mystery that should make OF believers
or the different Protestant churches
brothers and sisters ut the foot Of the
cross. Therefore, my Christian broth |
er, IL you are living In a small country
town do not make the mistake of try
Ing to run In that village five or six
different churches when there are only
enough inhabitants to support one. Do
not try to run a Congrega tional church
and a Methodist church and Luz
theran church and a Baptist church
and an Episcopalian church and Unit
ed Presbyterian church. Do not keep
on continually talking about my
church." All Christian churches ought
to belong to you and you to them. The
dinerence OF Protestant creeds Is mere
ly that OF extra emphasis upon some
one or Gods great attributes Rernem-
Der hereafter that you ought to be able
to worship God Just as devoutiy and
earnestly before a Methodist altar a.
at an Episcopaiian ehancoi or n In a
Presbyterian pew. God Aas many COS
pei shsepfolds. These sheep ara ali fed
by the same Divine Shepherd, although
- eAAA.eD hhACJ uEC wSP0Iut&0 trOzQ eftCxl |
other by the sectarian fences built by |
mans creed and by INFINITE ignorance |
Other sheep have / which are not OF |
this fold" applies as much to the |
Protestant church across the street az
to yeur own chapel.
The mystery Of why God ever Let sin |
come into the world: 1t Is an mex |
plieable mystery. 1t is a mystery the |
more inexplicable because. from hui |
man standpoint. II there had been NO |
sin then there would have been no |
need OF place Of future Punishment. |
But, after we have once accepted the |
belief that loving God has allowed |
sin to come into this world for pur- |
pose which we cannot fathom or ana
lyze. then we find that some OF the /
most beautiful sacrifices OF Christian
heroes and heroines Aays been inspired /
from this source to overcome the aw- /