The Southern herald., 1916-07-07

which brings them
a face to face with
God. This is the
reason why some men never darken a
church door; they fear that they may
meet God. You know we are told
that Adam tried to hide himself amidst
the trees Of the garden just as If ma
terial things could shut out Gods view
of him, as if Gods eye could not peDe-
trate the trees and see Adam where
he was. "The eyes of the Lord" says
one of old, run to and fro throughout
the whole earth" And the Psalmist
asks, "Whither shall l go from thy
spirit or whittier shall l fee from thy
presence? If l ascend into heaven,
thou art there; If l take the wings OF
the morning and dwell in the utter
most parts of the sea; even there shall
thy hand lead me, and thy right hand
shall hold me. If l say, surely the
darkness shall cover me; even the
night shall be light, about me. Yea,
the darkness hideth not from thee;
but the night shineth as the days; the
darkness and the light are both alike
to thee" How utterly impossible it
is to get away from God. There is no
way for man to escape the Almighty;
neither earth nor heaven nor hell has
in it hiding place from him. Dark
ness cannot shut man from his vision.
1t may hide hellish deeds so that men
may not see them, but the eyes Of the
Almighty not only penetrate through
inky blackness but search the inner
most recesses Of mans being.
God did not ask this question of
Adam because he was ignorant of
Adams place in the garden, but he
asked 1t to bring Adam to a realiza-
tion Of his sinful condition, that
he might reveal himself to Adam as
his savior. This same question he
has been asking men down through
the ages and he has been asking it for
the same reason. Not always in the
same words, but nevertheless the
same question. He asked it Of Cain
when he said, Where is thy brother?"
and Cain knew himself a murderer.
He asked 1t of Elijah, when he said,
What doest thou here, Elijah?" and
Elijah knew he was not trusting God.
He asked it of the woman Of Samaria,
when Jesus said, 60 call thy hus.
band" and the woman knew herself
an adulteress. He has been asking 1t
Of you many times and in many ways
He asked 1t of you when you heard
the first time the story of Calvary
and every time you hear the story the
same question is asked, Where art
thou?" Calvary is the great revela
tion Of mans sinfulness and Gods
grace. There, as nowhere else, one
sees himself sinner and there one
beholds Gods provision to meet his
need.
He asked it Of you when that great
sorrow came into your life. Did you
not hear him say, where art thou?'
Not to condemn you, did he ask it
but to reveal himself unto you as youl
comforter. He asked 1t Of you wher
your loved one left you alone. In the
loneliness of your life he asked II
that you might find in him your com
panion. When that calamity came
and all your hopes seemed blasted Il
was his voice that said, Where ar
thou? Didst thou not hear him, child
say this to thee, that thou mightes
cast all thy care upon him who caretl
Tor thee? Deaf indeed hast thou beer
to the voice of thy God, IL thou has
not heard his loving question. Wher,
art thou? If thou hast heard this cues
ton and in the stiffness Of his pres
ence realized where thou art and founc
IN MIN thy savior, happy art thou in
deed. But If he has spoken to thee IL
ois providences, as we'll as his word
and thou hast-not-heard, to wha
pitch must his voice be raised unit
thou doest hear and heed? Even nov
In these words he asks thee, "Wher,
art thou% Not to condemn thee. bu
to save thee from thyself, thy sorrow
and thy sin.