The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-01-18

Tie teNrlllilS o. UiOlOSt-3 new Uiol-
cSy, so, in the same sense. the accept
auce of certain great convictions Of our
day calls for rewriting Of theology
Il new theology" Gail it a new theol.
ocy # YOU WILL but do not let prejudice
blind You to truth. no matter from
which direction truth may come. 4
thin" is true not because its statement
rs old, nor yet because that statement
is new,.but because it conforms to the
great fact. Or facts, for which that
truth stalds. The great fact. or facts.
back Of tl!e truth and its statemen
GO not change. Theological statements
and systems may change. Some per-
sons may become angry, others fright
ened and still others foolishly and
fiippantly declare that they have 10
theology; but, in the meantime. theo!-
osy remains the greatest science in
the universe even the science Of God
and divine things. based upon reve-
i;tion made OF God, through Jesus
Christ: and that science itself as such,
+ Goes not change.
Gods foundati tons are firm amid Gil
the mutations which mark the history
OF the human race: amid ali the storms
and shocks: amid I'll the disintegrating
agencies: amid the rise AMI fall of
empires; amid the birth, the growth.
maturity. the old age and death of
nations: amid things present and
things to come. life and death, in spite
OF everything that may oppose; or as
SAT-. belief character. hope, love. III
t-orruptiple life al may naT!e perfectly
indesrructible foundations. Ntsat are
some CT these foundations? Religious.
experience: lhat IS an experience OF
God in the soGl OF man is an inde-
s:::uctibIe foundation. Such exper-
ierce IS knowledge derived from fact
and abiding in spiritual consciousness.
: God is 4 spirit" Man is a spirit.
| There is possible contact Ind colnmun-
ion here. There Is the possibility Of
the best knowledge in the world right
! here. Fact. evidence, proofs, know!-
; edge. they are all here. knowledge
) has found the proof: proof implies the
existence of the evidence, evidence
implies the existence and reality OF
the fact, while the primary datum
abides in experience.
When a man has 4 religious expert
eEce then he has an indestructible
foundation. He cannot then be morally
ignorant. He knows something. That
which man sees may deceive him..
That which he hears may not always
be so, but that which he knows. he
knows, and no man can take it from
him. He is upon a foundation which
cannot be destroyed. Then faith finds
her best, function in establishing, the
fact. in zdeal;nS in the great unseen
realities which are always more than
the seen, in giving the assurance OF
things hoped FOR, in proving things not
seem" A man cannot subject sucn an
experience TO the test Of the natural
senses. 1t is too large for such a test
AS that, but he knows lie is right. and
he knows he is upon an indestructlble
foundation. It is not only our knowl-
edge Of God. There is another lnGe-
structible foundation in His knowledge
OF Us. It is written: "HowDclt the
firm foundation Of GcG standeth, Eav-
ing this seal. the Lord knoweth them
that are His" He cannot mistake. We
could not deceive Him. even though We
might deceive Others, OF be deceived Dy
what we might suppose to be expert
ence, even religious experience. even
though we might deceive ourselves.
God knows OF this we are certain.
He knows us perfectly. Il we are His.
He knows it. If We are not His, by
the ragepera tion Of the Holy Spirit, we
may become HIS. He will know. He
viii! cause us td know it. ''Tie secret
Of the lord is with them that fear
Him." He desires it to be there.
Every man has just as much right to
know that he IS alive spiritually as, he
does that he is alive physically. This
knowledge is brought 70. us in the wit
ness Of Gods spirit. Thus it is that
we 20 deeper than religious experience
and find another foundation in that
firm foundation OF GoG-Hs knowledge
Of us. Jesus Christ IS another founde-,
ton. He is our chief cornerstone. The.
ideals He holds. His simplicity. His
grandeur, His humanity, His Deity,
His faith. His love. His life-all COM
bire 70 make Him the perfectly !ncom-
parable one among al religious teach
ers; and while in certain profound
sense Christ and Christianity are one
and inseparahle, there is still another
sense in which Christ. as our founda-
ton. is more than Christianity, even as
the sun is more than the multitudilous
rays which fall upon Our little portion
Of tie earth: Christ is more than Chris
t:snity. as the thinker IS more than lis
thought. as life is more than that
which ellbodies life. We build, as
Christians. not upon this or that creed
about Christ. but upon Christ Himself.
Fe is our indessructible foundation.
Our faith rests at last. not IN creed,
though We should all have creed,
end not in hook. though we can never
DO without the Bible. but in a person.
ard that person, Chris, places our
lives upon God.
Let us resolve to go DEEPER. deeper.
IF we are at ali unsettled in matters
OF religion. We should not despair. We !
can find the solid and the safe. Let
us build there. Let us build according
to the plans of the Supreme Architect
Of the universe. Let all build until
humanity shall become a temple con.
rlete. filled with tine light and music OF |
Heaven. filled with the life of God: and
then. even. though storms may come
and the last night fall about US. it will