Evening journal., 1917-06-11
Invisible God Made
Visible IN sermon
Or. Dole Says Personal Love
Cannot Come From lm-
personal God
SERMON IS REPLY
TO AUTHORS QUESTION

In the New Church yesterday the
Rev. George Henry Dole discussed
he subject. "Is God Visible or In.
visible?' The sermon was from the
text. "This is life eternal that they
might know Thee. the only true God
and Jesus Christ"-JOhn xviii 9
The sermon was in answer TO a new
book by a wcll-knOwn writer.
Briefly condensed. Dr. Dole said
The essence Of the book Is that
God is not Jehovah nor Jesus. That
He is invisible. finite and personal
That He, as far as we can know, Isl
the power IN human hearts which
makes for the worlds hotterment.
ITO bring the vital point before us,
let us ask, If God iss neither Jehovah
nor Jesus Christ. who is He? I'm
that case, He has left the world in
ignorance OF Him until this day
"To conceive God as finite and
personal is impossible for the finite
is created. limited Such a c0ncep-
ion Of God leaves the mind I'm be-
wilderment On this underlined back
ground of dark I want TO paint some
thing OF the bright and well-dedned
picture Of the God we worship. Je-
hovah incarnate, Jesus Christ our
King
I'VE do not sufficiently appreciate
the greatest blessing that can come
from God to man. namely: a clear
and rational idea OF the true God and
Saviour. our Father In heaven. o
the uncertainty, the wandering the
hollowness Of being spiritual orphans
-incomparably more forlorn than the
loss Of parents 10 a dependent child!
"The first commandment enioins
the acknowledgment and love OF the
one God OF the Bible And it is the
first commandment because there
cen be no spiritual progress before
there is something to approach.
Translate the Gospel story into
plain narrative When Jehovah be-
came unknown through mankind fall
ing away from Him, through eXter
Mailing and sin, God still loved them
He would not let His children go. A
tender parent writes of his child
Dear heartl
"Near heart,
Long is the journey;
Hard is the tourney;
Would I could be by your side II
you fall.
Would that my own heart could
suffer it all"
"1n this very spirit Jehovah became
incarnate I'm Jesus Crist, and through
life and death revealed the tender
abiding love Of the heavenly Father
And now today we worship the vis
ible God and King. Jesus Christ, II
whom. as Paul says. 'dwelleth tn
fullness Of tho Godhead bodily NJ
longer do our thoughts wander NJ
longer is thought dinused. nor blow
out like a candle. I'm the effort @
comprehend the infinite and the IL
visible For we Worship the inyisihl
God made visible in the Saviour q
the world
'"This acknowledgment OF God
practical. helpful When the burden
OF life grow heavy. we learn NOR
OF His sympathy When we fall an
grieve. we understand better His con
passion When we cannot turn thos
we love to the service of our Kinl
we understand how Jesus wept CvC
uurepentent Jerusalem. Surely Go
is the Spirit THAT moves the world o
to the better; but what is that powe
I'm trial and grief if we do not ui
derstand the Person from whom
comes? II is the personal help Of Go
that we need And what is more ev
dent than this. namely. that God car
not be a personal help 20 us, nor ca
we love Him with human and pc
sonal love. II we do not love Hi
as a Divinely Human Person?
1--WE cannot make too much OF q
Person o. God nor can we make
too real. How parents deny themseiv'
for their childreni How their though
follow them and dwell upon the
when they go away How the pa
ents heart continually prays IN
the Lord will enlighten. srengthe
bless and keep them Think likewi
OF God For this tender love of pa
ent for child. is naught but the 7
Election Of Gods love for you pc
sonal love cannot come from an II
personal God. And TO show the ]
vineiy Personal love Of God,
clothed Himself I'm flesh. and
brought that infinite, Incompetent
bic love down 10 our finite minds
"A father SAYS 20 his child. / a
going to a distant land 20 prepare
beautiful home for YOU, and W
come back 20 take YOU TO 10 that \
may enjoy &c together And then q
father goes. The child looks iorwa
TO the time of the returning and {
reunion. Not otherwise should
think Of the visible God and ki
whom we worship. He came to {
world. declared His love proved
inhnitv eternity and omnipotopl
He gave the assurance that He We
away to prepare a place for us, a
that II He went 20 prepare rla
for us He would come again 20
ceive us into the mansions prepar'
Then let MS think Of our God as
personal father. but infinite a
Divine Then. He will be with
lead, guide and bless us; and VIII
we lay down the last Of earthly hop
He will come. lie viii come as
resurrection and the life TO raise