Evening journal., 1913-08-13
Christian Endeavor


Christian Endeavor topic for August
II, Rev. Thomas p. Holloway. Lessons
from the Forests and Fields;" Psalms,
l04; 1876.
"To him, who in the love of nature
Holds communion with her visible
forms,
She speaks a various language"
The best interpreter of this various
language" of nature is he, who best
knows God. Since this is unquestion-
ably true the Bible is natures best
text book The Bible is the key that
unlocks the messages that God has writ
ten in the rock, painted in the flowers,
and hung in the heavens. Looking up
from a spiritual study of the Book we
verify read the Creators signature
stamped on the mountain side. and
listen to His solemn mandates in the
roar of the sea. "lhe heavens declare
the glory of God and the armament
showeth His handiwork Day unto day
uttereth speech. and night unto night
showeth knowledge There is no speech
nor language; their voice is not heard.
lAmer. Revisionl. That is, the great
movements of nature give in the elo-
quence of voiceful silence, unfailing tes-
timony TO the creative power of Cod
The Bible so teaches natural phenom-
ena that the student of nature is saved
from Grass materialism on the one hand,
and soul benumbing pentheism on the
other For everywhere in the Sacred
Scriptures the living personal Creator is
discovered in, behind and above material
life and material things In the begin
ming God created the heavens and the
earth Study this l04th Psalm with
this thought in view, and how eloquent
ly it is portrayed. The psalmist begins
this superbly fascinating description OF
natures revelation of the creative
power, benellcent provision orderly ad-
iustment Of all things for mans su-
preme good by majestic Inscriptions of
praise TO God, the personal creator.
BLESS the Lord, o my soul. 0 Lord.
my God. thot art very great; thou art
clothed with honor and majesty"
Nature teaches the infinite wisdom,
and measureless power of the Creator
IN the successive ages of the unfoldngs
OF the material universe since the morn
ing stars sang together the anthem of
creation. Verses 2-l0, also Isaiah 40;
25-2s Illustrate from geological ages,
the wonderful formation Of vegetable
and animal life on the earth and the
marvels of astronomy.
Nature proves that our benevolent
Creator, Who Is our Divine Parent. has
shone His unspeakable love for MS in the
provisions for our every need. verses
Ills. Thousands of years before this
world was fitted to be mans dwelling
place the great God had placed in the
pockets Of the earth the coal, the gold
and all the treasures of mineral and
vegetable and the mysterious force of
electricity, awaited harnessing by the
ingenuity of the human intellect.
The things of field and forest. of
river and cloud, of planet. suns and
spiral nebulae, all gloriously prove
that God is God Of order and there
iore' utterly dependable in all his ad-
lustments for the welfare of man.
Verses 1881. The scientific study of
nature has vindicated the Bibles
declaration that God is holy and ever
true. His laws are unfailins. and
when obeyed work out mans eternal
good. God has so wondrously co-ordi-
mated the forces of mind and matter
that the laws by which the stars circle
IN their courses, and the human mind
operates in mathematical precision
work together in absolute harmony
that an astronomer can calculate Ia
the very minute an eclipse Of the sun
or the appearance of a comet In
what dignified but lovable holiness
does nature clothe our Father Who
is in Heavenl
The natural world displays in para
Die What Christ proved in person, the
immanence of God in His created
works and in men. God in Jesus is
the energizing power in the world
that lie has made. The second verse
Of this psalm beautifully states that
God covers Himself with light as
with q garment. So to be in physical
light is to be in the folds of the robe
Jehovah. In Him we live, and move.
and have our being" The doors of
this material world open inward on
the things of the spirit. This world
CT matter is to the spiritual world
what the Welsbach mantle is TO the
lamp; the medium through which the
| light glows and radiates. God pro-
Jects Himself into our consciousness
while we are in the flesh. through the
agency of the things that now are
visible. Romans 1920. God. though
tanscending His created world. tents
IN 1t. or tabernacles i'm it as Christ
tented or tabernacled in the flesh. Tt
study nature with this thought In
mind is to touch the hem Of His gar.
ment and experience the heaiina
grace Of holy contact with the
Infinite. Father Verses 32,33.
Suggestions.
Take into the fields and forests tho
Bird Guide and Flower Guide serie,
Of small books published by Double.
day Page and Company Read "ThC
Song of the Cardinal" by Gene Strat
ton Porter, Bird Neighbors.7 b,
Neltze Blancham. National Geographic
Magazine, Wordsworth's, Longfellow',
and Lucy Larcoms poems. and above
all Christs parallels drawn from ma,
/ ture.
J