Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1920-12-31
Seeking and Finding
the Perfect Man

sermon preached by the Rev. J. A.
Hoffman, at the local Methodist
church Sunday morning. December
10. 1t is reproduced here in con-
densed form for the benefit of those
who were unable to hear it first
hand.
For unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given and the govern
ment shall be upon his shoulder and
his name shall be called Wonderful.
Councillor, Mighty God. Everlasting
Father. Prince of Peace.-Isa. 9:6.
Man is constantly seeking the per-
feet product. In everything that Is
produced by the hand of God and
of man, men are on the lookout for
the article that is without spot or
blemish. Is there such thing or
such a being? II so. where? 1t
is useless effort to search for it
among the products that come from
the hand of man. for that which is
itself corruptible cannot produce the
incorruptible. The accumulated wis
dom of the ages has not produced
the perfect article. and 1t never WILL
because back OF the perfect product
there must be the perfect heart and
mind.
Perfection is possible only with
God. His wisdom never faileth. All
his handiwork is perfect. The plan
cts. though millions of miles apart,
move in their respective orbits with
exact precision. Astronomers can
calculate their movements without
fail. both as to the past and as to
thefuture. This truth has been re-
cognized ever since men began to
study the stars. That Is why men
have devoted so much of their time
to, a systematic study of the planet
airy system. Astronomy" as some
one has said, was the religion of
the worlds youth" Science was on
~ another name for religion. As
?. W. Robertson SO aptly expresses
it: God has SO made US that the
very act of looking up produces in
us perceptions Of the sublime"
To the Wise Men of old, the stars
were the habitation of God 1t was
there that wisdom was sought. Hence
astronomy and religion were linked
together in the minds of philoso-
piers. Such were the Magicians. 1t
is believed that they were Persian
priests, or students of astronomy.
To them, astronomy was the very
pathway to the Savior.
They were right in assuming that
God was worshipped truly in the
temple of the armament They be-
lieved that the Lord of the universe
is light The Magian system was
called the system of light about the
seventh century B. c. 1t was about
that time that Zoroaster appeared,
who either restored the system to its
purity, or created out of it new
system. He affirmed that light is
eternal. But. because there was an
eternal light there was also an
eternal possibility of the absence or
light. Light and darkness thus be-
came the eternal principles of the
universe Zoroaster t-IgA- mar the
soul of man needs light--a light
external TO itself. TIL. eye is useless
in the dark. Sight mes from the
77'tsi5e. The Wise Men perceived
that Tight must come from above.
Many men had appeared among then
f1ho had brought gnf but the
feeble light that they brought was
insufficient for the needs of men
The combined light of them all
could not penetrate sins dark night
None could save then,sc,ves from the
lust of the flesh. How could they
save others?
The true light. az these Maaians
clearly saw. was yet TO CORE They
recognized the truth expressed by
John that this Light NUT come from
above. God is light. and In him
is no darkness at al. &. in. 1:5)
The Maaiars looked TO heaven for the /
true Light, and heaven did not dis /
appoint them. The soul that looks /
10 heaven will always find fts
heart desire Jehovah led The Wise
Men by a star to the birth place of
the 'oas-sought Light. who caEae "a
a light shining in the darkness.
Isiah hal described him seven hun
d"ea years before as the perfect man
For unto us child is. born, unto
Us sen is given: and the govern
ment shall be upon his shoulder:
and his rame shall he called Won
derful, Councillor, Mighty God. Ey-
erl-s ~ Father. Prince of Peace"
This Perfect Man. who Is TO re-
deera the void from sins dark /
nieht, is described by Isiah in awe
insni~ing terms. First of all he is !
Wonderful. OF all the great men
" AZ HasG ever lived. our savior Is T
The Only one If whom it was ever
said that he Is wonderful
Nanalear. mon his return from
captivity, made q profound impress
sion mon his countryaen. Ills
fist sten on the wharf shook all thu !.
kingdorcs IF Eurone. To hundred
and fifty thousand men imme diateiy
joined his ranks. This wonderful
reception was due 70 Napoleon,
personal magnetism. But near ire
while | tell you of poor Young
man who came up from Nazareth to
produce thrill such as has never
heen excited by any other man.
Napoleon had around him the mem
cries of Austerlitz. Jena. ard Bada-
jos. But here was man who had
fought no battles; who wore no ep-
auleftes: who swung no sword No
degree from the schools called at
tention to his great attainments.
Fe had no acquaintance among
noblemen and princes. The only
extraordinary companion he had
ever had was his mother. and she
was so poor that in the most SOL
emn hour that comes to the soul of
a woman. she was Obliged tn lie