It is not my province to discuss the question as to whether God is, but rather to say something of what he is. Nearly all men believe in God. At least they believe in a being, or power, or force, which they call God. But who God is, or what he is, or where he is, or how he creates and governs all things, or whether he is personal, or impersonal, corporeal, or incorporeal, seem to be questions upon which there is a great diversity of opinion, and but little clear understanding.
Probably the majority of religious people would say that God is personal, without any definite opinion as to what personality, as applied to God means. The great want of the world to-day is, as it has ever been, "to know him whom to know aright, is life eternal." Without this knowledge we know nothing aright. Without this knowledge we walk in darkness, and see no light. Without this knowledge the whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint. Man knows nothing of himself without this knowledge, for he is made in the image and likeness of God, and if he does not know him, how can he know his image and likeness?
"Who by searching can find out God"? Many think that man is finite, and upon the earth, while God is infinite, and in Heaven, and that man can know nothing of the Infinite One. Is this so? Is God our Father, and are we commanded to be "perfect as our Father which is in heaven is perfect," and are we so made that we cannot know him? Then are we in a pitiable condition indeed. Then must we continue to walk in darkness, and see no light. But no eye hath seen him, no hand hath handled him, no material sense has ever, or can ever, give us any intimation of the character, or attributes, or substance, of the Infinite One. The material senses tell us nothing of natural science, so-called, except the material phenomena. If we are confined to these senses, we are as ignorant of true science, as we are of God. Natural science tells us that the sun gives light, and heat, and that it will rise at such an hour, and minute, to-morrow. This knowledge is obtained by material observation only. Light and heat and the movement of the sun obey a certain law. Law is formed by, and manifests intelligence. The sun as matter, can make no law to govern its action. Matter as matter, can make no law. Matter is dead, lifeless, senseless, inert. We are told that attraction of gravitation, and cohesion, are properties of matter. Metal has no power, or property, by which it can cause one particle to adhere to another particle, and one atom to adhere to another atom, giving it form, consistency, and strength. That such a law exists no one will deny, though we cannot see it, nor take cognizance of it, by any material sense.
