The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-09-13
SATISFIED
WITH GOD

III
Sunday morning. He read for the les
SON the 18th Psalm, and took for the
subject of his discourse a part OF the
18th verse OF the nth Psalm shall
be satisfied when | awake with thy
likeness"
DIR. Dlnwiddie spoke in part, as fol-
lows:
THE true meaning Of this passage
is very different from the interpreta-
ton commonly given it. 1t is general
ly thought that the Psalmist meant TO
teach by this scripture that when the
souI awakes with the divine likeness
II will be satisfied. 1t is passing
strange how universal this inteprets-
tion has become, and how 1t has held
its place unchallenged, even among
Bible scholars One OF our popular
gospel hymns is based upon this false
Interpretation of the passage. 1 shall
be satisfied, when awake with thy
likeness. The error arises very nat
urally from the peculiar, and might
say. awkward construction OF the
clauses in our common rendition OF
the Bible. Let us transpose the
clauses. Instead of reading i shall
be satisfied, when awake with tiny
likeness" let us read, When awake
thy likeness shall satisfy me- 1t is
not the divine likeness reproduced In
me, for that would imply self salts
faction. That | shall be satisfied with
myself, because l have become ike
God.
| may be wrong in my interpreta'
ton of the passage, but | will stake
my reputation on the statement that
the author never meant to teach that
any true child of God would ever be-
come satisfied with himself, or with
his attainments. Sad indeed, viii be
the day to any man when he becomes
satisfied with himself, with the life
he is iiving, with the thoughts ne is
thinking, or with the deeds he Is 40
ing. Who does not forever feel beat
ing at the doors of his soul, a yearnlng
desire to do something large, TOT
which he was meant and made, to do,
because he is a child of God. The
Psalmist must have meant that When
we awake and come to know God and
see him as he is, we shall be satisned'
When | shall have been sufficiently
taught by the Holy Spirit, whose spe-
cial mission it is to take the things OF
God and show them unto US; and 10
guide us into all truth-to see Coo
in the true light--see him as he is,
then shall | be satisfied with God and
all his ways. In other words, ! snall
he satisfied with God and all His prov
licences toward me, however mysteri-
GUS and inexplicable they may seem.
When know Thee as thou art
shall love Thee as | ought.
There are three clauses in the
sage-each contains a distinct
thought, and each is deeply significant,
and the clauses follow each other con-
secutively and logically When
awake'-'Thy likeness'-'Shall satisfy
me. The first is the awakening.
when / awake. Our normal condition
spiritually is drowsy and stupid. Sin
acts upon our spiritual nature as the
narcotic poison acts upon our physical
nature. It's first effect is drowsiness;
its second effect is stupor and the
third effect is death.
when seated upon Phoebus' wheeled
and rolling throne, the god OF day
throws his first shafts OF light upon
the eastern sky, we say 1t is the
dawn, and ere long the sun will climb
the sleeps of heaven and food the
world with light and beauty. So re-
generation is the dawn Of the soufs
spiritual day. 1t is the awakening OF
the soul to the realities and glories OF
the spiritual realm. Now the Son OF
Righteousness is rising upon the moral
sky and with His rays divine Will
dissipate all spiritual darkness with
this light comes the true vision OF
Gods likeness and with this vision OF
Gods likeness, comes the first sense
of soul satisfaction. This divine light
increases in the obedient, seeking soul,
until every faculty, yea, every EVIL
dence of his being is illuminated.
Then shall he see God as He Is and
be satisfied.
I'VE live much of the time as If we
we're but partially AWAKEN a kind
of dreaming delirium. We see
that are Transporting
around us, but not all and but few
in their true light We fail to see the
relation of things. We oftener fail TO
read the significance and catch the
full import OF passing events than