The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1922-01-12


~ The quest Of
origins Is exceed.
ingly fascinating. Many have fol-
lowed its tempting lure. Strange and
labyrinthian its trails. Fanciful and
mystic the discoveries announced.
Atom" ''protoplasm," "electron" are
scientific terms of accommodation.
"Sentient slime" spontaneous gener-
alton the survival of the fittest" are
human attempts to describe the phe-
nomena ~ history. How much more
simple the opening sentence Of Gre
atoms story. "In the beginning-God."
Would you prefer any other begin
ningf How unappealng the origins
Of mythology. How incredible the
"fortuitOus concurrence" Of evolution.
the spontaneity Of species. Clothed
with scientific vocabulary, these fine
spun theories daze youthful inquirers
Ike the glare Of light does the
moth. How majestic and sublime
these four words God told Moses to
write. This Is the first authentic word
Of Science-it will be the last. All In
tervening postulates will appear as
kindergarten fables In the school Of
time Oh. that we might believe God
rather than men. 'In the beginning.
God"
Where else would you put Him? II
He is not at the beginning lie Is no
where. There are human minds so
constructed that they can say, God
Is In evolution Of human thought and
| desire"-simply IA mental creation OF
superior traits and powers. Others
say There Is no God IN the begin
ming, in the now, nor at the end" But
the worlds greatest scholars. philan-
thropists, benefactors. through all the
| years Of time, have accentuated life
with this truth: God In the beginning.
They bear eloquent testimony that
such a conception is the fountain-head
OF character, the judging star Of ca
reer, the arching bow Of destiny.
without such beglnning-"thew world
Is without cause, the universe with
out system. We are In the midst Of
deam Of insanity, II colossal cruelty.
Give us God at the beginning and the
world falls into n plan with meaning
and purpose around central throne.
All things become the outworking OF
an eternal plan" Oh how restful and
beneath the reign Of the law" to
know-"ln the beginning was God"
II makes al the difference what kind
Of God we place at the beginning.
| TO define our God. We are being robbed
| OF the God Of the Bible and Of his
tory-the God Of Israel and of the
church. not by blasphemous denials Of
His existence but by denatured def
nitions of Deity. God is principle, "
God is all and all is God" No longer
the Infinite aud the Eternal Spirit
whose personality was made visible
J In the man Jesus Christ, but the First
/ Cause.-The Impersonal Law"
God? II were as well to worship as
tronomy, To sing praises to physics, to
offer sacrifices Ia chemistry. The God
of the beginning is the Word made
flesh In the Babe of Bethlehem. The
God Of the beginning Is the Jesus Of
Nazareth. the Christ of Calvary. the
ord of ResurrcctiH. The God of the
beginning is the one who laid aside
heavens robe of glory. put on the
| sable garb of mortal flesh. was de-
spised, neglected of men, done 10
| death Oh cross. sealed up In tomb
But death could not kill God. lie was
not dead PIE abolished death and
brought life and immortality TO light
The same God who commanded light
to shine out of darkness at creations
dawn, flooded the starless night OF
death with radiance Of golden glory
This set the JOY bells ringing-"In the
beginning. God"
Without Him there Is no beginning
II he is not In your life you are YET
unbegun. Existence Is earthly. Life
is heavenly. Existence is to know
| man. Life Is 10 know God. What q
difference when God is In the begin
ming. Every morning, every week
every month, every year, God in every
beginning This means God NJ the
end: the New Jerusalem, the Holy
City-the fellowship Of heaven and tn,
JOY Eternal God Alpha and Omega
the Beginning and the End. Have you
begun with God? VIII you begin to
day? This month shall be unto you
the beginning Of months: II shall b,
the first month Of the year To you"
AL..I.L