The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-06-17


longing Is idol worship. The heathen.
Gods ignorant children ike ours, demand
object lessons that can Je apprehended by
the senses. To make God IN their image
j. the neares, they can get 10 the sublime
consciousness that they are made IN HIS.
Better. II seems 70 US, no God than a
wooden one. A spirit Of negatlon aud IN
di Terenee would save them so much USE
less sacrifice and cruel practices and bar
harous acts of superstition by way Of sup.
posed atonement. But whether better or
worse atheism Is not a constituent charae-
teristic Of man. Strange, Is Il net, that u
is never innate, but always an acquired &C:
comphshment, always the sad result OF
culture else of SIN. BY nature. and that
means by right, God Is always the righttul
occupant OF the throne But as our self
importance grows, as we become con-
sciousy great IN thought and achievement
we become all great IN arrogance, as IL
all science falsely so called, and the klng
Is asked 20 vacate the throne, and God Is
not even bowed out Of the universe, but
heartlessly hanished. Oh, no, denial Is not
better than affirmation Of God. however
superstitiously that affirmation express IT.
self Ii Is evidence OF Gods care much
needed to offset a threatened evidence that
lie has not interest IN the human race.
Notice the two possible results To which
these religious instincts lead. They are
Without them the Gospel OF Jesus has no
appeal. They cry out for God. Chris
tanity introduces God 10 them. They
want an assurance of Gods care. Chris
tianity assures them God cares for men to
the uttermost, even enough 10 die Tor
them. Creation thus prepares for reveia-
tlon. and welcomes Its benehcent approach.
There is another result that shows the
helpfulneSs OF the religious instinct unlvcr-
sal among men. 1t Is the sorrow that pos
sesses us when we are told u Is all delu-
SION The moment YOU convince man there
Is no God, or. II there n, that He is lndlt.
ferent 10 mans welfare, that moment the
face loses its complacency, the heart ITS as.
surance. the spirit its buoyancy, the mind
ITS sense OF satisfaction Doubt, dlsap'
pointment, despair set IN. Little 10 1--we
for, nothing 10 die for Is the cry that Will
not be comforted \ stoiid indifference
results that crushes out the hearts music,
else wild despair that dethrones reason
and inhcts self injury. Let me make
prophecy more dismal in It's outlook than
that one we are considering OF a future
discovery that God does not care. pro-
phecy that If ever that dark day dawns
poor humanity in despair viii IN an hour
fall back from all hopefulness, aspiration,
ioyousness. aud by one despalrng plunge
reverse the life satisiactlons OF a thousand
years.
Greatest Of all these is the presence and
worth of Christianity 10 be accounted Tor
| Christianity Is a very unyieldlng TACT IL
has become too deeply rooted IN the earth
| 10 be waived aside and crowded out 10y any
! discovery, however authentic, that would
| invalidate its claims Ii has been con-
| fronted for centuries with conflicting be-
| lieis and scientific evidence against ITS IN
| tegrity. The more 1t Is opposed the more
fearlessly it asserts itself, comforting the
! heart. lighting the dark mind inspiring
| and reinforcing the spirit. a fact so heip-
! full TO humanity in every conceivable ne
| cessity when shining and needing forgive
ness, when weak and needing strength.
| even when suffering martyrdom az the
| stake in the amphithcatre OF wild beasts,
! i'm heather lands, midst prosecutions too
numerous 10 he mentioned, but not too
manY TO be valantly borne must be con-
! fronted with stronger. surer proof than IS
| at present conceivable that It relnquish
its hold upon mems esteem. Yield II must
! if it were even proven God did not care;
| for Christianity was rooted IN Gods es-
! TEEN before u found place IN man :.
| God not only cared. but so cared that lie
! loved, else Christianity, that superb bios
som and fruitage OF Christs life and teach
| ing and death, had never existed. Chrls-
| tianity not only embodies Gods care. u
| enshrines Gods heart. And the surest
thing about II all Is that we who have
Welded TO Gods word caught the bless
| ings of the revelation through Jesus, have
| all the evidence necessary Tor the realiy
of God and His care. What value Is proof
against Gods interest IN us, however
! scientific. 10 the man who has seen the
! Lord. whose sins are forgiven, upon whom
| God Is each day lifting up the light oi HIS
! face? When once the spiritual life has en-.
tered the human heart, all cold external
| evidence is ignored. and wisely. Then,
| again. the peace OF mind that results from
| belief. that God cares for NJ enough TO
! share His eternal home with rs 10y and 10y
is evidence that will die hard, If II ever
| die at all, before any external evidence
! that this world is all, and that our hrlef,
storm-tossed existence Is forever hushed IN
deaths long sleep. A man said 10 me dur
! ing the week, 1T pays 10 be religious, even
| though IL be discovered at the last that
there is no eternal life" The idea was
that present satsiactions are worth the
having. whatever the future may reveal.
| When the divine spark that we call the
! spiritual life once elcCirihes the heart,
Stimulating new loves, imparting new
! ideals. revealing Gods love and Chrlsts
mastership. all OF which produce blessings
| of satisfaction and JOY unspeakable, all
external evidence to the contrary weighs
little with that mans belief. And that IS
! exactly what Christianity docs. II I'M
parts life As Harnack puts 1t, 1t ~
! eternal life in the midst Of time, under the
very eve and in the very strength Of
! God D." As Jesus puts u, Il am come that
We might have life" lie Is a difficult
| thing TO argue against, and even 20 prove
the fallacy OF when men possess IT and are
reaping manifold blessings from Its pres
snce each day.
This is why we affirmed that God must
/ he discovered through internal revelation,
rather than through external investigation.
! The necessary approach, 10 be successful,
must come from Him 20 MS, instead oi
| from rs 20 Him. God must grapre vitn
| and subdue man before man can reason
| ab.v expect TO grappic with and conquer
| God. Mans attitude is, let me under
| stand and | VIII reverence. let me know
| and | will love Gods attitude -. } on
must reverence that You may understand;
YOU mast love that you may know. Mans
| attitude - az yet IN prospect, oniy the
| dim hope OF the scientific few. God at
| tItude d daily being verified and proven -
| the worlds sin sick, sorrow hlled ma lti-
| ,udes All valid external discovery o. the
future will. | think. be along the hne OF
| and IN harmony with revelation. Even
| now there are scientific evidences in this
| direction Immortality is being sclentih-
! cally proven. not the failacy Oi u. Much
verifcation Of Christianlty's content and
| assertions may be expected from srtenuhc
| research Gods universe ~ one. His crea-
| ton unified and harmonious throughout,
/ an true discovery must confirm this. that
| consistency result Apostolic testimony is
/ good enough and preferable 20 al pro
/ phetic scientific negation. We believe
/ Peter knew whereof he spoke when he
! sa,d "GCd carcs' 20 much dycs lie care
l that YOU can wcll afford to cast al your
care upon Him, for lie careth for you.