Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-08-09

Man must have a God but he forms his own God
and makes it a God after his own image. Instead Of
forming his own character after tho likeness of God,
he would fashion a God after his own likeness of his
character. The Revelation idea is that God is in the
man. making business; the human idea is that man is
in the God making business and withal, fashiOning a
God to suit his own habits in life. The whole differ
ence of the human religions and the religion of Rev.
citation is based upon this fact.
At a very early age in the history of the world
there was a tendency to carnalize the Divine eharac.
ter by representing it in brute symbol, as among the
ancient Egyptians; in the more glorious of the mani
mate works of God, as among the Persians and in
images of mans own construction, as among the ma
iority of nations. The very beauty of the works OF
God stole mans mind away from the author and they
lifted up an eye, first of reverence, then of worship
to the sun and moon aud hosts Of heaven, considered
by the philosophers as ematiOns of Deity and by the
populace as deities themselves.
Others were the more impressed with the heroic
and ancient, and deifed the heroes of bygone ages,
the renowned warriors of their country, the promot-
ers of the arts and sciences. So strong was this de
sire to bring Town the celestial to the dead level of
The terrestrial, that in the Egyptian mythology heav
en- was merely a celestial Egyptian sun. divided into
the same number of gnOmes as the earthly Egypt and
each of these the peculiar residence of the god wOr-
shipped in the corresponding district of the teIes-
tal country.
SO Vinct has said "Man has never failed to make
a God of his own imagine and his various religions
have never surpassed himself. Hence his religion
does not change the principles of his inner life."
McCosh has further observed that tour ideas of
God can never be made to rise higher than the foun-
tain from which they have flowed" Hence the need
ola revelation from a higher source to make known
God, a God not after the image of man, but a God
after whose image man may remodel his character,
and thereby exalt it to a heavenly dignity and glory.
Mans nature is such that he assimilates the char
acter of the God he worships. Man becomes, like
that about which he thinks. 1t has been said of
Landseer, the famous artist, that he must himself
have been a dog once, for he not only painted his
canine friends perfectly, but in some expressions of
his face and points of his character resembled a dog
most strikingly. A likeness has also been detected
by astute physiognomists on the part of Chas. Oar
win to a certain species of ape. Certain it is that
we never rise above our idea of our God.
So God reveals himself to us. A God pure, amia-
BILE, transccndently glorious! A God omnipresent,
omniscient, omni loving, perfect in his holiness, inf
mite in his mcrcies, eternal in his purposes. This
God claims our attention, asks for our homage, de-
mands our devotion, enjoins our obedience, sues for
our love. "
God does not selfshly seek our worship and ado
ration. | have little patience with the theology OF
the catechist who teaches children of the church that
GOOD made us for His glory God was not think
ing about His glory when He made man. God is not
Jealous for His glory in His redemption of man. He
is not self ccntered. He is thinking of man, of his
needs, his possibilities, his potentialities, his impo-
tentialitics. Gods thoughts, instead of running in
ward the Divine Ego, is running outward toward
man. In all his movements He is thinking of poor
lost man and not about Himself. When He estab,
Ichnl this lnnnlnu,,n IT. wac 4b;rly;,,r ,bout ma opl
you-about every lost man looking for a new guide
in a new ideal and a new hope in a new revelation.
God has revealed himself to you because you can
not be a man without God. He has demanded the
supreme homage and worship of your heart because
only 10y your recognition of this Divine ownership in
you can You realize your kinship to heaven.
This D~ecalogue then begins by giving us a right
view of God. This is the first thing God presents to
us. And this is not only not theologically first but
officially and pyscologically first. The right view of
God is essential to the right view of labor and rest,
the right view of home and society. The great move.
ment of the heart first be Godward. We cannot work
until the soul is brought into the right mood and
proper quality 10y a full perception of the sovereignty
and righteous claim and tendon grace of God. We
cannot break in upon the ten commandments at the
point we please and obey the law in parts and par
cells. Every succeeding commandment will be dumb
to us unless we have entered into the mystery of the
first. W hat is God to us? What are His claims upon
us! What is there in us that responds to His pres.
encc and that reveal him before he comes with any
obvious manifestations of his personality upon us
Are we akin! Are We His children! That is our first
study. We shall be mere moralists if we begin at
the secodd commandment. We must 0 from the
divine point, from the spiritual communion of the
soul with God and then the commandments will
come upon our souls as appeals to our power, and as
SWEEP heccsSltles' not us arbitrary imposition and
tyranicS.
Pride makes a god of self, covetousness makes q
goo OF money, s~ensuality makes a god of the body;
worldlneSS makes a god of sentiment. Men and wo.
men go to the temples in which their gods are en-
thloned to offer their worship. Pride goes to the
throne OF self hood and bows before the mirrowed cod
OF the ego, The money w~orShiper with his greed for
golu gus 70 ms templeo OF toll and trade and thcre Of