Year: 1879

Nv" @NAA ~~0~~-~


My text, said Mr.. Hepworth, is
the first clause of the sixty-third


psalm. 1t consists of single ex-
clamation 80 God. Thou art my
! God" This was said by one who
held the Almighty by the hand.
These words can be looked at from


two very different stanGpoints. In
the first place, we may consider them
as tie utteranee Of thoughtful
mind whose life occupations led him
to certain theological conclusions,
and which caused him to burst forth
with the other exclamation The
heavens declare the glory of God,
the armament sh0weth His handi.
work day unto day uttereth speech
and night unto night showeth knowl-
edge" David also broke forth into
these earnest utterances because he
had vivid faith, and his thoughts
and faith moved along harmoniously.
In all the trials of his life he looked
unto God and was blessed thereby
despite of adverse circumstances.
These exclamations bring into view
a system of thought and reveal to
us more distinctly that on which
David trusted. 1t gives US vision
of the only two ways of thinking
one is thinking with our faces to.
ward God, with the cross between
you and Him, and the other is think
ing the other way. To-day there is
q great conflict between belief and
unbelief. There are men who are
doubters, who are always on the
fence, who hardly know which way
to go; men who believe altogether
too much, who rely altogether on
their own mental power to make up
their own minds on things of eternal
Importance. It seems to me only
reasonable that God should not let
such important matters be decided
by an imperfect judgment. It would
be very dangerous to leave such
high themes to be determined on by
fanciful thought, for each might
reach different end for himself if
there were no standard by which our
conduct could be tested and all had
right to do as they pleased. If
that were SO the whole world would
fall into chaos. But, thank God |!
We have aresource in the Holy Book
which tells us Of Gods love for man,
aud we know therefrom that God
will be to us righteousness, justice
and truth. l look on the man who
does not believe in this truth as not
being in bis normal condition. !
think atheism is disease-a thing
to be cured. My own opinion is
that if man will judge Of system
of thought by its results, just as we
actually judge of the seed that we
plant in the spring by the blossoms
and fruit that we get in October, and
will apply the same principle to re-
yealed truth and try it by actual ex-
pertinent, he will arrive at con.
clusion without any sort of doubt
that the system of thought that is
contained in the Bible is productive
of a larger manhood, of higher hopes,
of larger aspirations than any other
system that is known to man. Yeu
will find in this Bible all that will
influence you on intellectual, spirit
ual or practical grounds. Would it
not be possible to change the com.
plexion of this country in twenty.
four hours if we went into the church


es, pulled down the pulpits and


closed them to religious services anG


then went into the homes of the lanC


and plucked therefrom the idea o
t God? Yet the same effect is pro
duced if every man and child il


America is led to believe that whel
a man dies he dies as a temple die
when it is pulled down and its ruin


mingle with the dust of the earth
, and we say we look upon everything
that has been and that ever will be


You may call this faith of ours i
( God, in Christ and the Bible, fable
) fictions, old Women's s stories or Wha
you will. but we say that the Crcs


is the only thing that win save tn
world. Brethren, turn to the Cros
! with great joy. | turn to it wit
) David's utterance in the days Of ole


MY God My Godp / say til
| from an intellectual point of vie
4 and have said it for many years.
i say that il brightens my manhoo,
t We need it in our daily life-in oil
7 time Of trouble, when cares foe
!. round US and they are hard to /