To be near unto God - pagina 548

voices of nature. "In his temple," says the Psalmist, after having described the power of God in nature, "in his temple doth everj'one speak of his glory" (Psalm 29:9). And in the Hallelujah song of Psalm 147 it is said that Israel is highly exalted above primitive peoples, because the Lord hath made known his word unto Jacob. And in closing it declares: "He hath not dealt so with any nation: Neither have the heathen knowledge of his laws." In the congregation of believers, where the word is rightly proclaimed, there is a spiritual beauty which far outshines the beauty of nature.

But shall we be onesided on this account and allow the half to be lost? According to our confession God is known in two ways. Surely from his Word, but also from the creatures, which are letters in the book of creation, to make us know the might and majesty of God. Christian confer nces, devotional meetings, devotional books, are all very excellent, but must on this account the great book of creation remain closed to the eye of the soul? It all goes for the sake of impressions, impressions oq the collodion-plate of the heart. For the sake of impressions which far excel the impressions of daily life, and those which

we

receive from men.

We may

not, and will not, live under the impression that the Divine can ever be reduced to the measure of the human. We will not lower and lessen God after our dimensions, but lift up ourselves to the measure of the majesty of God. Not 544

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