Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-02-06
CalnaQe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talrnaee, D. D.

has purpose and q design in permit
ting trouble and sorrow to continue in
. the world IS claimed by the preacher in
this sermon on the mysteries of life;
text Genesis xviii. IA, rs anything too
hard for the Lordf'
God is a spirit infinite, eternal and
Interchangeable in his being, wisdom,
power, holiness, justice, goodness and
truth" This is the definition of God
found in the Westminster Shorter Cate
chsm. No man or body of men could
give a complete definition of all that
God is. His nature transcends all hui
man conception. Language fails in
the attempt to describe his infinite per-
lection. Strive as we may. we realize
that he is far beyond all that we can
think or imagine. Probably no one has
framed an utterance that comes so near
to the truth as this of the Westmin-
ster divines. and, though it is confess
eddy inadequate it stands unparalleled
in the struggle to reach the unattain-
able
1t is a strange story that is told of
its origin. The cOnvOcatiOn of the West
minsterdivines was drawing to its close.
For nearly six long years, since July
l, 1913 they had been meeting almost
daily in the famous hall of Westmin-
ster which now bears their name
They had organized for the church
directory of public worship" and had
almost finished the larger and the
shorter catechisms. Their work was
practically finished with but one excep-
ton. They could not frame defini-
ton which would clearly, comprehen-
sively and completely answer the Ques-
ton. What is God?' At last, in the
midst of a heated debate, young man
who was comparatively an obscure
member arose and said, Let us pray"
Then he commenced his prayer in these
simple words: 20 God, thou who art
a spirit. infinite, eternal and unchange-
able in thy being, wisdom, power, holt
ness, justice, goodness and truth, teach
us what thou artr with that" so
says tradition, "all the members of the
Westminster cOnvocatiOn leaped to
their feet, crying: That is our definition
of what is God. 1t is an inspiration
from his throne" So it was inserted
In the catechism as the best and fullest
definition that could be made Of the
Being whose attributes are beyond
human knowledge
Hard to Comprehend.
Many profess to believe that God is
Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omnis
cient. yet it is awfully hard for us in
truth to comprehend this. We say,
He can do all things" But when
some one begins to pin our faith down
to a practical illustration of Can God
do this?" we say, like NicOdemus,
How can these things be-" We need
constantly to remember that there are
no limita tons to the divine power and
that al that he has promised he is
abundantly able to perform. When
we see some gigantic evil that needs
to be removed; when we think of some
benefit that seems necessary to the
world. our hearts often sink in despair
as we regard it as impossible. Then
new courage and new hope ought to fill
our minds as we reflect on the omnipo-
tence of the God in whom we trust and
to say with the angel who talked with
Abraham's wife, lis anything too hard
for the Lord?' A great food of in
BpiTed light now fills your soul. You
answer: No. no: nothing is impossible
for God. God is a spirit, infinite, eter
nal and Interchangeable in his being
wisdom power, holiness, justice. good
ness and truth
God is all powerful. all present ant
all seeing. You grant it. Then
would invite you to consider the natu
raj influences of your belief. We asl
ourselves why God of unlimited pow
er does not remove some of the evil
that cause so much misery in tn
world. We know not
Easy would it be if God wished t
take all poverty out of the world. Wit
a mere word he could create for ever
man a palace in which to live. Wit
mere word he could place that palac
In the midst of garden. With a mer
word he could have rainbows playin
hide and seek among the falling. spring
ing. tumbling waters of the fountain
of that garden. With a mere word b
could have every mans table grOanin
under the richest treasures OF oFcharu
and gardens and fields. He could ful
nish 20 each home the finest of ward
robes and the most Respondent of jew
els and the costliest of earthly treas
ures. The sheep upon thousand hill
all belong to God. The gold buried i
the darkest OF mines is his. The pearl
Klistening in the opened shells of tn
oysters lying by the coral reefs anon
the entangled gardens of the seas
are all his. Yet this abundant wealt
is to be obtained by men only by har
labor 1t is his law that man sha
work for the riches that are provide
for him. God practically gives l
nothing unless we are ready to wor
Dor it,
Ear Reaching Commandment.