Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-07-23
A LAY SERMON
by Evangeline.

bN ENanGellnc.
Subject: Nature an Open Book
Of Revelation"
No man whom God has blessed
with common sense and the faculty
OF thought can fail to see God re-
vealed in all the various phases of
His creation. His existence. His
power, beneficence and mercy are
as plainly and forcibly declared as il
is possible for any language 20 por-
tray.
The Pib,e is q blessed and most
wonderful book. but if there were
no Bible we could not fail TO detect
the revelation OF God in the face of
nature. King David. reared amid the
sublimest scenes OF nature and a
student of the same. a lover Of God
and defender Of His word, in one Of
his loftiest flights of poetry exclaims.
The heavens declare the glory of
God: and armament showeth His
handywork! Day unto day uttereth
speech and night unto night show
eth knowledge"
on any clear night. in the alb
sence of the moon. 90 with me into
the open field. cast up your eyes to
heaven. behold the wonders OF ere
alton: and If YOU are a candid man
or woman, see If You can refrain
from breaking forth into praise and
alteration OF that great power who
was not only the author OF the sur
passing glory revealed 20 your
senses. but Of your own existence and
ability 20 perceive and appreciate
such revelation.
The existence of God. His interest
in and care for all the works OF His
creation are plainly shown by the
adaptability OF everything percepti-
BILE
Everything fits: nothing is amiss
or out of place; nothing useless. Air
is necessary 60 our existence. IL is
superabundant I'm every part and Gre
vice OF the earth. Water Is as neces-
sary TO as as air: there arc three
times as much water as land on the
earth. Food and raiment are also
necessary; they or the material out
of which they may lie produced are
as abundant as air and water. for
air. earth and water, TEEN with food
or food material.
As TO the existence and power Of
God. the visible part OF His creation
declares them. His providence de-
Enthusiastically shown by our restora-
ton 20 health after having suffered
as 4 result of violating some OF the
laws OF nature.
ST. Paul MAKES frequent reference
TO the visible creation OF Cod as an
index TO the invisible. In Romans,
1920; says For the invisible things
Of Him from the creation Of the
world are clearly seen, being under
stood by the things that are made.
even His eternal power and God
head. ."
And even our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ, in His reference TO the
lilies Of the field. Gods care for the
sparrow and the forecasting Of the
weather of the next day by scanning
the aspect of the setting sun of the
present day show clearly that We
should take the visible things of God
as indicative of the invisible.
Many of the great poets and philos-
ophers, both ancient and modern
worshipped nature, but they came
short of the glory of God because
they failed TO see and worship ma
lures God through nature. They be
came so dazed by the beauty.
grandeur and sublimity of nature
that they could not see beyond one
more beautiful and sublime than ma
ture itself. and so they fell down
and worshipped nature itself. Let us
beware that we be not guilty of the
same short coming.
When we behold the visible heav-
ens-the sun, moon and stars, and
are fascinated by their grandeur. let
us, with King David exclaim THE
heavens declare the glory of God,
ect." but do not let us fall down and
worship them. And If we be tempted
TO say God dwells beyond that starry
arch: that He is so far away that
He cannot hear and see as; let us
listen at the voice of st. Paul as he
stands on Mars Hill and declares
that 'In Him we live, and move, and
have our being" No matter how vast
the expense which we may conceive.
remember that God is not contained
in the space; but that the space is
contained in God: that God is not
contained in heaven; but heaven is
contained in God.
II we stand on the seashore and
are appalled, by the vastness of the
ocean, let us not fear that II may
leap it's bounds and overwhelm the
JEWELLERS on the land, and therefore
fall down and worship IL. But rather
let us hear the voice of God in his
challenge of Job when He said:
Hitherto shalt thou come. but no
further. and here shall thy proud
waves be stayed"
None OF us are excusable. For after
all. the most simple as we'll as the
most intricate subject for nature
study Is constantly with us in the
person OF our own bodies. to say
nothing OF our soul. Who can COM
prehend his body? We may study II
a life s.me and die ignorant OF a real
comprehension OF one-half OF IL.