Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-11-12
||57Sl5 q 6)YYgQ1A[s2I
YflNlIg 81 -[P(yZ1[PD1T !!

W
the form in which the inquiry is made
that we use. l would not, If 1 could,
lead you into speculative realms sug-
gested by this ancient agnostic. This
inquiry strongly indicates that the
spokesman did not believe in God, and
the history of the times would verify
that conclusion.
There is no doubt that we have to-
day risen far above that spiritual des-
that there is a God. We do not at
tempt to prove what the Bible every
where takes for granted, that God is.
God is the most certain fact of objec-
tive knowledge. This is everywhere
true. The idea of God is innate. The
existence Of God and of a future life
is everywhere recognized.
An unwavering faith in God is not
superstition, but is a characteristic
Of the highest intelligence and of
well-balanced mind. 1t is an exponent
of large and deep spiritual nature.
Religion and God are infinite concep-
lions. Dwarfed souls have no satisfac-
ton in them. One must be spiritually
minded to investigate spiritual things.
TO the spiritually minded belief makes
no greater demands in many respects
than the facts of science There are
facts in the physical universe relative
to space, time, matter, motion and
light that finite minds cannot conceive.
Marvellous beyond expression are the
statements of science, and yet they are
not too great for the faith of men. But
do you not think it a marvel that men
can accept these things without ques-
ton, and on the other hand their -atti-
tude toward God or Christianity is
that Of wavering skepticism?
But we brush aside all these ques-
lions and make inquiry, not as to the
existence or power of God, but how is
he related to me? How is he affected
toward me? To Christians there is
one word that answers the questions,
and that is father. God is our father.
This word of profound significance and
OF surprising tenderness belongs to
man alone. When we have said that
God created the heavens, the earth and
all material things we have given most
Of which the subject admits. But it
is not simply true that he created spir-
its, but he is the father Of them. And
this is most sure, God loves infinitely
more his offspring.
Paternal love is the element in which
God lives and reigns. Recognizing
this fact we must be awakened to the
correlated truth with all its reciprocal
obligations, and that is, we are chill
dren of the heavenly Father. We are
made partakers of the divine nature.
The subject opens a large field for in
, vestigation. The dewdrop on the rose
, reflects perfectly the whole sky above.
Ii we are partakers of the divine ma
, ture, there will be something about our
: spirit, speech, walk and life which
will reflect the divine AS children we
have faculties by which our service
may be most natural and blessed.
l These faculties are the highest proof
that God is our father. Nature does
t not perpetuate faculties that have no
J work to do. They are gradually en-
l feebled and finally taken away. If our
E faculties for recognizing and commun-
: ing with God were needless, they
1 would soon disappear. There, is a
d? passage of scripture of special tender
= ness upon this point. You have been
f heart-broken, it may be, through the
: exercise of pity upon your child. God
/. speaks to you in all the tenderness OF
!. his nature: Like as a father pitieth
o his children, so the Lord pitch them
i that fear him." What would we do il
t we did not know that the Affections OF
/, this life were working for the peaceful
il fruit of eternal righteousness? All
k my soul, thou needest the divine Faith
o er. Thou modest to feel that the issue
o of every dark thing is going to be fol
v his glory and for thy perfection.