Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-01-23


ton, but on this very account It IL
all the more important to definite
information regarding the ground OF
belief and to show the ele-
ment that distinguishes It from
common conviction. It is some
times suggested In the press and ev-
en- in the pulpit that the age does
not want theology. that In fact It Is
an incumbrance to the church. HUI
man culture, ethics so-called, as il
theology did not carry with it the
true and highest ethics, and other
vague terms are commended as de-
scribing the wants Of the time. OF
this, two things may be said. In
the first place whatever God reveal
ed to man in ages past for his spirit
ual good must still be for that good
unless some important element has
undergone a radical change. What
radical change has taken place In the
nature of God? or Of man, or In the
nature OF moral evil or OF
moral good? Or OF their
influence on mankind? And in the
second place 1t Is generally conced-
ed that In order to have practical
efficiency In the various departments
OF human effort exact intelligence
must be kept within practical reach
OF the laborers Discountenance tho
teaching OF spelling and grammar
and the influence will soon appear
in human speech and writing. Drop
the study OF mathematics, chemistry
and allied sciences and the influence
will soon be felt in the related arts.
So the abandonment Of exact theo-
logical teaching will be soon follow
ed by loose thinking. but as man
thinketh in his heart so is he. Let
sin for example be IAN unhappy In
cident," slight misfortune, "a
piece OF bad form simply in mans
mind and he will not be SO watch
full against 1t or as sorry for it as
will one who has learned to count
1t transgression OF Gods law, OF
which the wages is death.
There is needed just now a pros
found theological Consciousness that
Is a sense OF God. q feeling Of awe
and reverence, a high conception OF
the divine Creator in order to give
tone to our views OF the divine at
tributes. Then devotional spirit
that will make secular habit and
the merely intellectual to be an Inn
possibility. The end Of all truth and
life is worship. The chief end Of
man Is to enjoy God and to glcrify
Him forever. CalvinSstic version OF
God: God is a spirit. infinite. eter-
nal, and Interchangeable in His be-
ing, holiness, goodness. wisdom, JUS
tice and truth. Armenianism says.
God Is love" the God Of grace, the
God OF mercy. Ask fifty men their
Of God and you will set
fifty answers each bearing on some
or attribute Of the Crea-
tor Of the universe. God has not LETT
man In darkness as to his plan Of
purpose Of redemption.
and the ultimate glorification. He
has revealed Himself to man in the
second person OF the trinity. In
Jesus Christ, in whom all fulne8
dwells. He taught men the princi-
pies Of holy living and lived and
practiced them in his daily convoca-
lions and proof Of this we read IN
Johns gospel, II am In the Father
and the Father in me-" The attri-
butes Of God as being: first His
absolute perfection, His immutabii- Z
lty, His omnipresence, omnipotencs.
He Is irresistible, incom-
parable, eternal. The attributes OF
God as a person are His justice. His
mercy, and patience, wisdom, grace
and holiness. Saint Paul says, The
world by wisdom knew not God. II
pleased God by the foolishness OF
preaching to save them that be-
lieve." And again, things are hid
den from the wise and prudent but
He has revealed them unto US by
His spirit, for the spirit searcheth
Ill things. yea. the deep things OF
Sod" / Cor. 2:10.
It IL said that Egypt always has
the river Nile but 1t is the overflow
II the Mile to which men attribute
he products Of Egypt. Likewise
nan may possess knowledge q
Gods providence and sovereign ma
esty. but 1t Is the receiving and the
Of the divine attributes in
,ur fallen human nature that brings
salvation through faith and obedi-
,nce in the divine and inspired word
II God.
Salvation produces fruits Of
righteousness and holiness. Here