Norwich bulletin., 1911-08-28
CLOSING UNION SERVICE
HELD AT PARK CHURCH.
Rev. Dr.. Higsons of Philadelphia
Preached Excellent Sermon on Pos
sibilities for Man.

At the union service of the Congre-
gational churches held in the Osgood
Memorial parish house on Sunday
morning there was an excellent sermon
by Rev. John A. Higgins, D. D., of
PHILADELPHIA, upon the possibilities that
created man in his own image Gen.
1-27. There have been many prophc
cies upon the capabilities of the human
race. Our own John F'iske gave a SCI
entif1ca1ly based prophecy of what man
may achieve. But no one has ever
given a promise of so much as God
has given in the words of the text.
All the great truths-salyation itself
are contained in this. These funda-
mental truths are at the basis of all
progress and there must be progress
in salvation. What is eternal life?
Jesus said that it is to know God. Man
has this ability to know God; this is
what differentiates him from the other
animals. Man recognizes Him in the
boundless infinity of space. What is
God? The catechism says that God
is a spirit, etc. Can we know spirit?
Yes. that we are spirit, too, is at last
dawning upon the gross materialists
and even the atheists are compelled t.
admit it. Spirit can know spirit. And
this great spirit wants the companion
ship of our spirit He is continually
| asking for it-continually pleading to
be a father to all his children. He is
a God of love, but also of hate. He is
engry VITA the wicked men and does
not accept with complaisance any kind
of life He said in the day We do
that, We surely die, as many have died
spiritually. As man is made in his
image so he can understand this love
and hate of God and SO revelation and
communication between the two are
possible, The Bible is Gods supreme
revelation. Herein lies its greatest
va1ue-that it is the true communica-
| ton of God to man. He speaks the
same language that we do ourselves
He spoke to Adam and Eve so that
they understood him. and he spoke to
Horace Bushnell at Yale and to Lady
Henry Somerset as truly as he did to
Elijah, and they understood as well.
and went out to do what he asked OF
them.
Prayer is another communication be-
tween God and man. Many people
| have a wrong conception of prayer.
They use it to ask for things not best
| for them. Prayer is simply compan-
ionship with God. God and man talk
ing together. Because they are made
| N the same image. He must hear and
| understand or He is less than man.
All these things provide and result IN
| the growth of man. AS the science of
geometry was followed by it's proof
| and use in the wider scope of aStron-
omy. SO eternity opens up great posi-
| bilites to man-to the man who will
| come out and be separate from those
| who still walk in the slime and mud.
He will be given still greater chance
/ to grow. for this life is not the end.
| Christ came to show US what we may
! be-to be an example of life above the
| world the flesh and the devil. Heaven
| is not simply a place of escape from
! punishment-it is a freer companion
| ship with God. Death is only step in
| the progress-and OPENING of the pris-
| on doors into a wider life. But this
| possibility is not accepted by every
one. Sorrow will come to those who
| do not choose right. There is always
| the consciousness of choice. and even
| in this life there is satisfaction and
ha ppiness in having chosen the right
| things. This is foretaste of heaven.
dwight L. Moody was one who saw
| the possibility and accepted it, and SO
was the little girl who thought that
being a Christian was acting as if
| Christ was little girl and lived in
her house. The world respects Chris :
| tianity and so many men make use OF
| church membership for selfish pur-
| poses. but no man really accepts his
| possibilities who does not grow into
| his image 1t is a mighty difficult
| thing to be a true Christian, but the
| city of God is a glorious one and wei
worth fighting for