Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1909-03-11
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a SERMON. Cd
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Subjects: The Nearness of God.

Acts 1927: Though He be not far
from every one of u.s."
The consciousness Of the reality OF
a power outside ourselves is a funda-
mental in the religious experience of
the race. The understanding that
the inexplicable and universal exter-
nal potency is Deity marks an adj
vanced step IN the spiritual intelli-
gence of humanity. The of the
proximity Of divinity is characteristic
of the most advanced explanations of
the religious experiences Of men. That
religion offers the most satisfactory
probabilities and theology which is
possessed Of the %clearest comprehen-
sion of the reality and presence Of
the God in whom we live, as Paul
says. and move and have being.
A mighty reason for asserting the
supremacy of that religious system
that we call Christian lies in the fact
the thought that our God is not an
absentee but near. The God and
Father of us and of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ is not far from
any n of us who knows Him and
endeavors to keep His command
ments, neither DO we p%ostulate Him
as far from those who, out in the far
country Of %iniquity and folly and de-
c~eitfulness, are feeding their souls
on food unfit for swine.
The God of Christ is as near as
ever. His Spirit is with us and with
in us. His presence is a feature and
a force, and may be if we will q con-
sciously accepted fact and power in
our lives.
In the consciousness of the near
ness of God there is to be found the
power, the peace and the inspiration
beyond compare. And in the sense
of the all presence OF Jehovah there
lies the alone hope for the spiritual
regeneration and the moral reforma-
ton of the race. For the sense of
the nearness of God, moulding force
in the moral life OF man and intensi-
fer of spiritual vigor as it is, is pre-
requisite that we ma have hat re-
vival of religion for which we hope
and pray. 1t is impossible to teach
a man anything about the supernal
God or to make him understand his
hottest obligations to God and the
children Of God until he has a lively
consciousness Of the reality and near
ness of God.
The sense Of the nearness of God
makes for power. It strengthens the
arm OF man and stoutens the heart
of mar for Christian service. It am
plifies the moral faculties Of men.
Just in proportion that a man is con-
=scious Of t~hesnearness of God is he
doughty in the service of God and
careful Of the moral integrity OF hts
life. The man who has little sense
of the proximity Of God does little for
Him and lives little like Him. The
man who habitually practices the
presence of God, having an ever pres
ent measure Of and incentive to right
eousness, endeavors constantly to be
well-pleasing to God and worthy of
His appreciation. The man who
doesn't have thought of the nearness
of God never feels the need to live
as God would desire him to live.
The sense Of the nearness of God
makes for power not only in the or
dering of the internal moral life of
man, but it makes for valor in the
warfare against sin. No careful stu
dent OF history can be cheerful as he
cOntemplates the morality Of the
world to-day from the standpoint OF
one VINO would transform morals By
the power Of the will of men. Not
more can we hope to transform the
world by the energies of man than we
are able to rid ourselves unaided Of
the grace and empowering Of God
from sin. But when a man under
stands that the God Of the world is
in the world, and that the God who
has commanded that we shall rebuke
sin stands with us and abides within
us then the mass of sin loses its in.
surmountable aspect and the. on.
slaught of Satan becomes correspond.
ingly less terrific.
The sense of the nearness of Goo
makes for peace. It ministers ro1