River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-02-20


far short of realizing God. He says
God is q proper conception. He Is
more than thinkable, but he is not
real. 1t is with such that we would
like to think for a few minutes, be-
cause the words OF the text are
statement of historical facts-Moses
saw God.
Religion nowadays is realistic, or 1t
is nothing. The difficulty with most lie
that God being spirit, he cannot be
made as real as If he were material
We would note that the thought that
God is spirit does not preclude his
being made manifest in physical form
If he chooses, something which he
has chosen to do in the past, although
we cannot believe that in the text
such physical manifestation was In
mind. Not only has God been realized
in the past, but he is being realized by
vast multitudes today, and only be-
cause of this is the sinful world borne
with a little longer. This manifesto"
ton, however, is spiritual
What is it to realize anything? The
dictionary says: ITO perceive as
reality; to apprehend the meaning,
reality, or real nature of; feel or ap-
preciate fully and wildly; and think
of as real" Can God be thus real
lied? This depends upon whether the
spiritual is as real as the material.
The great pregamatists, many Of the
leading statesmen, and men called to
s~In In Iw 4VS
the lead Of the contention that faith in
a spiritual God, a full realization OF
God, is absolutely essential to the
greatest accomplishments.
How prove reality in spirit? Just
as you prove the reality of electricity,
and the agency that enables men to
send messages across the wide seas
without visible or tangible connec.
tons. There is a realization of the
fact of the subtle thing whatever ii
may be. Why not apply the same prin
ciple to God? Man should realize
spiritual God because he ig himself
spiritual, this term not being used
here in the strict evangelical sense
Moses realized God-he saw him. II
man sees thing it is to him real.
and while that is not absolutely so, it
is so generally accepted as true, that
God in his word uses sight to illus
trate the truth that is here presented,
If we accept the proposition that
Moses in some sense saw God, how
much is that fact worth? Was Moses
a visionary, mere enthusiast or SEN
%h0A
ton of Angelo, as he carved him in
marble? Was that the conception that
lawmakers in all times have had OF
him az the greatest law-giver OF his
tory? Was that the conception that
those who have studied him as a
constructive statesman, making pro-
vision for private and public life, pure
sanitation, and the most practical ed
ucatiCn? Was the writer of the text
carried away. by sentiment and hab-
ltually given to eXaggeration, or was
he considered a great thinker, q
man of religious and spiritual wisdom,
and with an intellect to which refer
ence is made by the enemies of Chris
tianity as the greatest of the Chris
tian era? With these two great men
presenting this truth, should it not
be accepted? So many men and WON
en- testify to the fact that they have
realized God, that if there was any
possibility of showing these that they
were mistaken the wall would be that
Of the lower world. Oliver Crom-
we'll, Gastavus Adolphus, Chinese Cor
don, and others in the clash Of bat
tie have clearly recognized God.
Among modern statesmen Gladstone,
Lincoln, Mckinley, Emperor William
Of Germany, and the Dresident-elect,
Wilson, and multitudes Of others God
is as real as their own existence. II
we could appeal to the little company
Of men and women who have had the
closest communion with the spiritual
God. animated by the life of Christ,
and filled with the Holy Spirit, every
mouth would be stopped.
Man says, II would like to realize
God. I would like to practice his pres
ence. II knew how" We must first
accept that the testimony of the spir-
ltuaI sense in man is just as reliable
as that OF the physical AS God
has recognized that man must have
something objective before him, he
has given his own son to become the
historical manifestation of himself.
what a leading minister in Chicago a
few days gao called the Christmas
manifestation. Study God in the face
Of Jesus Christ, and he becomes real,
and then the spirit Of man yearns to
have communion with him.
II a man realizes God, what re-
suits? OF the many results we may
suggest that he loses fear, in which
there is torment This explains the
joyful singing Of hymns as the mar
tyrs went to the stake. Man gets
power. Did not God use Dwight L.
Moody. man fully surrendered to
him. to revolutionize Christendom in
an important sense? Man az he real
ICES God rises in all those qualities
that God gave him in his creation,
both intellectual and moral.