The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-06-17
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
~ ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
"ccES COD ckRE7'
The Rev. Robert Macdonald Declares
Tha; the Greatest Discovery OF the
Twentieth Century VIII Be the Dis
aoNerY of God.

morning
past.r OF the Washington Avenue Baptist
Church. He took his text from !. Peter
VI: Casting ali your care upon Him, Tor
he careth for YOU Mr.. Macdonald said;
The greatest discovery Of the TWEEN
tieth century viii be the discovery OF God.
and then II will be seen that God does not
care" Such Is the latest assumption OF
science, If certain learned professor OF
one of our largest universities is deemed
Trustworthy interpreter He wisely drew
the line between Christianity and lnhdel-
ity as between believing that God cared
for Us and that He did not care, and
stated that the leading scientists were IN
tideis.
Lest such statements upset or weaken
the faith OF some OF US, let US see what the
weight OF probability is for tho realizing
OF these presumptive prophecies. Let II at
the very start be remembered that any
more definite scientific discovery OF God
than we now have Is unlikely. And this
is said, not because we now possess so
much, but that we are possessed OF so lr-
tie Science will doubtless discover more
about God. Shame upon our developing
intelligence ii 1t does not. Every. dlseov-
cry is that. But that is a very different
thing from discovery OF God. HIS handl-
work Will be more clearly traced, the
working of His purposes more definitely
realized; but l think we can trust the IN
finite One 10 as successfully outwlt the
scientific inqulsltiyeness OF the twentieth
century "a OF any that has soul. | am
confident that 1900 years hence the eScla-
nation of the human mind Will be about
as Il is now--"Who can by searching out
find Godi' One OF infinite retreats Is not
going 10 be taken by surprise. The secret
OF His presence Will ever elude the dIscov-
cries Of man. The mystery OF HIS person
shall still remain invloate.
~ hv 10 | ep4ak a fhourl tod were an.
tagonstIc 10 human discovery Because,
friends, this learned prophet whose state
ments we are considering sees the only
lack 10 the discovery OF God 10 be the
present incompleteness OF human knowl
edge and the present paucity OF scientific
means, both OF which will be remeded, he
Is sure, before the present century closes
/ speak as | do because | do not like to
have Him whom we honor as Creator and
Father stripped OF His mystery and robbed
OF His vohtional power and referred TO as
you would 10 an Impersonal, objective fact
of creation. We discover stars and contl-
nents and seas and laws and a good many
other things. but IL does seem 10 me that
God Himself will have something TO say
about the discovery OF Himself. More
over, / have no right TO believe that God
/ will ever be discovered by any man save
by Him whom God has discovered. He
only finds God whom God has found. /
am striving to maintain the integrity OF
the divine revelation as over against that
of human investigation. We must take
God on His own terms, rather than on
ours Therefore, he only discovers God 10
whom God has revealed Himself, TO whom
God permits such discovery. We need not
fear that any future discovery OF God wlil
negative the revelation we now have
through Jesus Christ. Science Is mighty,
but not almighty. Not more mighty than
U 4 . - a..IN
defined data, IN the realm OF demonstra-
tion and proof But it's advocates need 10
| learn that the Eternal transcends It's scru-
/ tiny and the Supernatural bends not to ITS
| demands. Reassure your heart that II you
| are 50 fortunate as TO be a habitant OF the
/ realm bounded by the Christian religion
/ the essence of your faith cannot be
/ harmed. Faiths form, as also the form OF
| revelation, viii be scientifically questioned
and repaired. Faiths content examined
and modified perchance, but ITS essence,
| that spiritual thing we call the divine
grace, that precious consciousness OF HIS
care for you. and that you are living IN the
! light of His face Is too sacred 10 ever bend
TO scientific formula, and too mystical 20
be expressed in the cold accuracy OF scien'
tlhc terms.
We are told that when this improb-
able, TO our thinking impossible, dis.
. Covery occurs il Will be found that God
| does not care. All present evidences OF
| His care are ignored Facts, upon which
are stamped indelibiy Gods kindly I'M
print, are swept aside, facts as stubborn
as the immortality of the mountains, and
the existence OF the ocean and the shining
OF the sun.
There is. for instance, that stubborn
thing called conscience TO be dealt with
That stands out as a very Gibraltar OF
protest against the assertion that God does
I not care. In all the history OF mortais
conscience has been regarded a God :
/ handwriting on the wall, telling man he
must do the right and must not do the
| wrong. True, IL does not tell him what rs
right and what d wrong. That Is a thing
OF fuctuating standard. Always dltier.
euce of opinion about that. LIcause de.
pendent upon the mans intelligence that
/ owns the conscience. And any certain
type Of intelligence depends upon the age
/ and civilization in which he lives, crcum
stances, moral and religious ideals. Thus
il Is that the truest standard for the en-
. lightenment of conscience l. Christianity
/ Christian ethics, springlng from the Ser
mon on the Mount. is universally recog.
| nized mans truest and highest standard
| OF enlightenment.
But on what higher authority rests this
/ sense OF "oughtness' az 10 the dong Of
right and wrong; God demands IT, we
/ say The Creator has a right to impose
terms upon His creation We recognize
on. obligation TO Him. Yes, but tecaus'
. the moral sense rests upon an intuition ol
I Gods perfect morality. We could not fee
any obligation 20 God unless we fe.t Him
. worthy of that obligation. We believe
/ HIM TO embody the ideal and perfect NOR
/ atty. His sense OF obligation 10 Us. then
. j. the sanction Of our sense OF obligation "a
/ Him. IL IL precious 10 read that we love
| Him because He first loved us IL - as
| true that we are under obligation 20 Him
. because He IL under obligation 10 ". We
/ never speak OF II that way. We seldom, II
ever, think OF 1t that way. The more ex'
| pressive side OF the divine nature occupies
I our thought God u 20 pleased 10 do for
. u. HIS blessings are 30 much more truly
/ the manifestation of His love than OF any
other characteristic But the divine "a.
. tOnaiIty expresses ltsei IN justice and
morality a. truly as IN love. We are con.
scious ever OF our demerit, insignhcance
I dependence. see all divine favor 20 be an
e-nanation Of His love. The Creator must
/ make provision for His created. The ne.
] cessity OF His own nature demands ~. The
I divine Father, as well as the human father
! must SUPPORT His child. Conscience IN n.
/ j. evidence 81 Gods care. And % j. eyi.
I dence that can never be explained away
/ So long as humanity tndures conscience
T viii advocate right and denounce wrong
\ and Just so long must man believe IN God .
care. Docs Gcd carey Our very c0nstitu.
I ton thurdc-s Yes No valid discovery Oi
I God in the future can be expected % over.
throw the overwhelming weight q this ev.
3 ideuce. Verify, God hath not left Himself
/ without a witness We need not fear any
I future discovery. however supposedly scien-
I tire 90 Offset this constitutional evidence
I Whatever the evidence that God does not
D. -. - - . J.