Page:The Corner-Stone of the New Jerusalem.djvu/6

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the corner-stone of

possibly can be, more plainly taught in the Sacred Scripture than this. And on this point all professing Christians are agreed.

But who is this one God? Who is this only Divine Being or Person? Who is Jehovah? Is He known or unknown?—revealed or unrevealed? Has He ever manifested Himself personally unto men? These are plain and simple questions.

We apprehend that the great majority of christians have seldom considered how extremely vague, shadowy, and indefinite, is their idea of the Being whom they worship. Probably there are multitudes who never think of God as existing in any form, but who regard Him as a subtle and invisible ether—a kind of atmosphere or vital principle pervading all space. And we doubt whether, upon careful examination, this idea would be found to differ much from the atheist's idea of nature. Do such persons worship or think of a God, of whom personality can with any propriety be predicated? Does the eye of their mind rest upon any distinct Object when they pray? Does it not rather gaze upon infinite space, without seeing any thing?

And what shall we say of the prevalent belief in God as existing in three persons, who are three, and yet one, at the same time? What idea of the personality of God can there be in the minds of those who profess such a faith? Is there any defi-