The Sunday Oregonian., February 14, 1915, SECTION FIVE, Page 9, Image 63

THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX. POETLAND, FEBRUARY 14, 1915.
HARKEN UNTO GOD'S VOICE IN CONSCIENCE, PLEADS PASTOR
Dr. Luther R. Dyott Says Answer That Heals Troubles and Tribulations Is "After Voice" Rather Than Explanation of Man With Logic That Does Not Satisfy.
Dr. Dyott s aermon is the sec
ond in a series of eight contrib
uted to The Sunday Oregonian
by prominent Portland clergy
men, others whose sermons will
be printed and the dales they will
appear follow:
February 21. Rev. W. G. Eliot.
Jr.. pastor First Unitarian
Church.
February 28, Dr. W. B. Hinson,
pastor First Baptist Church
White Temole).
.March 7. Dr. Frank U Loveland,
pastor First ilethodistEpiscopal
Church.
March 1 I. Rev. E. V. O'Hara.
assistant pastor Cathedral of Im
mm'uliiie Conception.
March 21. Rev. II. M. Ramsey.
d!n ft. Stephen's I'ro-Cathedral.
Marrh 2S; l.'r. .lonah B. Wise,
rabbi Temple Beth Inrael.
KY I'K. LUTHKK R. DYOTT,
Pt"r Kirst t'onprepat lonal t.'lidrch.
And Vi;o!'l. Jchovali passed t.y, and a
pr- a: an'l strouc tr.-i -mu ihe mountains.
p ml hpak-- in ;.i"fs tho roek hofore J--hah;
but Jehovah was mt m the wind;
pti'J nftor the wind an earthquake; hut Jc
Jw.mii uus not tn the rartliMal;r: onrt
f l.r th; earthen nko a fir-: but Jehovah
wh.- rt in tne fir.: and after trip lire
Mill small oice. I King's xlv : 1 1-12.
mff TTN."SS1NG the war of elements.
Elijah, tlie prophet of deods,
stood unmoved by fear. He
hrard and saw enough to frighten most
persons. There is something so weird
about the strong winds in the night,
shrieking through the mountain ra
vines. An earthquake $ even more
terrifying, w hen the ground, beneath
one's fece heaves and reels us ihough
jt were convulsed by'pain and travaiL
Then when tongues of fire issue forth
from the uncooled mouth of perdition
there certainly seems to be no time for
ono to utter polished little platitudes
about thinking his way through na
ture to Uod.
But our prophet of deeds, even while
ci u i tc discouraged on account of some
tilings which had happened before this
never-to-be-forgot ten night, was im
pressively imperturbable. There was
n reason. lie was waiting for the
after-voice, it came. Then the main
thing to him was not the theophany;
neither was it natures catastrophe. It
was the after-voice. Sensible man! He
knew the place of God. Thus he found
his own place on God's programme for
him.
-od Sot harttrd With All.
Any philosophy of life, attempting to
help us find our place in the universe,
must include God. When seriously we
undertake to explain things we must
think of him. Otherwise our explana
tions tin not explain.
We daro not. however, charge him
with everything that happens in the
world. On the other hand, we are not
to conclude that omnipotence Is help
less in the fortuitous concourse of
thine j. or that he has started ma-I
rhinrry whieh he cannot control. His
hands are not titd by his own laws.
Wc may theorize about the facts of
life, but our theories have no lasting
value unless they comport with facts.
Farts are facts, no matter what our
theorists may have to spy about them.
But a theory may demonstrate Its
validity, and become regnant over all
observation, when it absorbs that for
which the fact stands, and refuses t
shift its position at the dictates ot
volatile opinions, lacking: the note of
authority.
No synthesis of human induction is
quite adequate until "the still small
voice" speaks within us. Then divine
authority is located in the deepest con
sciousness of human life. Then we
come to give some account of ourselves
in terms which refuse to leave God
out of our estimate.
After-Voice Oft Awaited.
When we locate God, through the
light of our better understanding, we
do not persist in identifying him with
all manner of calamities, just because
be is Uod and just because somebody
desires to blame somebody else. The
divine within us waits for the after
voice and then rises to interpret what
ever comes to pass, not as isolated
phenomenon, here and there at war, but
as "parts of one stupendous whole.
Catchinir some foregleam of human
destiny, we see that the underlying
principle everywhere is in the interest
of the development of character, while
man is never approximately man. with
out correct concents of God. Thus, at
length, we regard nothing as coming
from him which does not square with
our deliberate convictions of the best;
and where we do not understand that
"vhtch befalls ourselves and others we
wait for the after-voice.
Our belief in the immanence of the
eternal Fhould not suppress our pow
crs of discrimination. Faith has no
erlorv in the absence of reason. Good
religion and good sense, in their final
analysis, are not at variance.
In worthy Thought Defined.
God is not. however, exiled by life's
startling phenomena. Just here we
cannot get away from the thought of
him, when we do not mean to blame
him. Faith must not be driven far
afield when the reason in faith finds
some things now and again in which it
does not discover the finalities of wise
and benignant purposes. When the
wind, the earthquake and the fire sub
side, we can better hear and under
stand the still small voice the after
voice, which, though it be only a
sound of gentle stillness," Is mightier
than all preceding It, for it js the voice
of God!
When our aptitude, faculties and
powers of receptivity allow the evi
dence of God's fxistence to be carried
into the central consciousness of our
lives, when our God consciousness be
comes indubitable, when our ideas of
God are such as his divine Son. Jesus,
held, then we do not entertain absurd
and unworthy thoughts of God and our
selves and about revelation and com
munion, and all else for which they
stand. Then we cease to think of
human beings as toys of fate. Then
are we quite unwilling to regard the
children of men as the deaf, dumb and
Mind offspring of a Heavenly Father.
Then do we consider it quite unneces
sary to ask the question, "Does God
speak to man?"
;od AVillinff to Aid, la View.
We pass beyond this. and. possessing
the preponderance of evidence, dare to
affirm that it is necessary for God to
speak to man. This necessity lies part
ly in him and partly in us But the
conditions are different. His nature
and responsibility, his love and power.
t. - yyw t
sixes': - w ilA
his interest in us, his desire to do. the
best he can for us all; in fact, all that
he is, would ever make it necessary
for him to utter himself to us through
the very best means. Since God is God
and man is man it Is nece.ssary for him
to communicate his nature and will to
us.
The other part of the necessity, re
siding in us, argues powerftilly for a
continuance and progressive revelation
of God upon the bases of human need
and divine relationship. Left to our
selves, we madly rush to ruin. Failing
to wait for the after-voice, we matte
false conclusion, while storms and
disasters sweep through the dark night.
We make fiendish plots and call them
ood. We saturate the earth with the
blood of our brother man and turn the
rivers red. and ask God to help our
side win. and call this civilization and
patriotism.
Smalt Voice Oft Saves.
We do a thousand other things that
are no more the will of God than sin
is holiness, arffl then we wonder why
the world is not more speedily trans
formed. All this is because we have
either not heard the still small voice,
or hearing, have not obeyed it. Then
self-orphaned humans shudder in the
presence of moral cyclones, earth
quakes and fire, and vainly seek a lov
ing father in these things, while
heathenish souls look on and say.
VWhere is thy God?" We reply. "Wait,
even yet the after-voice wiil speak."
Xow let us consider the might of the
after-voice. Its might is that of God.
In this connection, we use the word in
a different sense from that which is
primarily and chiefly given it. To be
sure, we do noi mean bodily strength,
or physical power, although there are
times when, on account of the intimate
relation between the physiological and
psychological, a voice does impart
strength to the physical being. But, by
might of "the still small voice" we
mean that quality in the character of
almighty God which seeks to convey
Itself to weak mortals on earth, or
those In need of such help as the lord
himself can- give. Most of- us are
weaker than we have any right to be.
There may be times when God is really
not so much pitying our weakness as
he is seeking to evidence our strength
by appealing to it, and calling it forth
for co-operation with him. Be that as
it may; merit or no merit, even when
one- is constrained to say:
T bow my for.head to the dust,
I ,'eii mine eyes for shame,
And ur-;e. hi trt'inblfns self-disgust
A prater without u claim;
even then the voice comes to strengthen
and to intimate the possible greatness
of one's life which may be found be
yond one's failure.
The might of the after-voice is in
its gentleness. Our father deals with
us so gently when we need gentleness,
and he does not despise the irreducible
minimum of religion In the common
heart of humanity. "A bruised reed
will he not break, and a dimly burning
wick will he not quench." some day
vindicated man may stand forth and
say: "Thy gentleness hath made me
great." The might.of the after-voice Is
expressive of God's faith In us. He nev
er ceases to believe in us. Wonder sur
passing all others! It is not so re
markable that we should believe in
him. We have never had any reason
to doubt him. The wonder is that, in
spite of all, he never ceases to believe
in us. This is the might of the after
voice. It is the voice of love. ,the mightiest
thing of God, directing all his other
attributes perfect love casting out our
fea-. The love which expels, impels,
compels. It expels sin; impels us to
do good: compels obedience to the one
who speaks as the best proof of our
reciprocal affection and loyalty. The
mission of the after-voice is to recover
and restore the dislocated lives of men.
Many forces at work in the world
confuse men's thoughts, prevent their
poise and throw human hearts from
their center of rest.
Age Lacks In Morals Is Assertion.
Our age lacks depth, thoroughness
and experience, in religion, itself. Many
persons do not weigh enough, morally.
Lacking moral avoirdupois, they are
tossed hither and thither by any wind
that blows, and they rather enjoy,
superficially, the sensation. The novel
and the spectacular appeal to the shal
low parts of persons who do not live
in the depths of their lives.
Then we have noisy souls, with pas
sions for movements, and then the
iconoclasts who seem to feel that the
chief business of their religion is to
rend mountains, and break in pieces the
rocks.
Our transitional era is just what they
are looking for. but their cheap, showy
performances make wrong use of It,
and misuse is abuse. The supreme de
light of some is to start a movement.
Its new phenomena appeal to their
mercurial and temperamental nature.
Movements arc good, not because they
are movements, but when they are of
God. We should test them all accord
ingly. Subjected to this test, there is
probably not a religious sect born in
the last hundred years that Is essential,
as a sect, to the real spirit of religion.
But men go on. They swing to ex
tremes. Some mistake the wind, the
earthquake and the fire for the real
things. Opposites produce oppositcs.
Mnuy Trample Opportunities.
Hence others are saying, "we will
have none of these things." and they
rush to the opposite extreme and be
come "faultily faultless, icily cold and
snlcndidly nU"; while many good per
sons hold themselves aloof, and seem
to think that they have met their
responsibilities by encouraging their
relatives to be religious. Still others
wholly abandon faith and thus abandon
themselves. And, yet, others feed on
sin, surfeit amid a satiety of what
they call pleasures, and throw away
their God-proffered crowns for the
possibilities of developed character. All
of these mentioned, and many more,
need to hear and heed the after-voice
whose mission it Is to restore dis
located lives. Startling phenomena ar6
impotent in attempts to work perma
nent reforms. Umotionaiity. at tne ex
pense of poise, shoots tongues of tire
upon the palpitating bosom of the
night, but when the morning comes we
find ashes instead of fire.
Nothing but the after-voice can bring
order out of our moral chaos. The
meaning of the after-voice Is this: God
is near. He Is ready to do his part. He
realizes the necessity of his presence,
and the magnitude of his opportunity.
Wind, earthquake and rire do not ap
pall, defeat or discourage him. He is
abroad on a mission of recovery, and to
give interpretatons of incidents and
events which otherwise would confuse,
confound and overwhelm even the
deepest thoughts of our best thinkers.
He has something to say to the tired
souls t men in this age of unrest, in
these times of turbulence, strife and
war. But his voice is still and small.
Why Because he Is so near.
There is no salistactory explanation
of the profoundest problems and per
plexities of human life, save through
the after-voice. In our own personal
experiences, that which seems to work
havoc does not explain itself. Sorrow
does not explain sorrow. Tsin does
not explain pain. Suffering does not
explain suffering. The Inequalities of
life do not explain the inequalities of
life. Death does not explain death.
And, oh, so often we turn away from
the explanations which men, of them
selves, offer, however plausible, with
feplings of distinct disappointment.
Their logic is, all too often, but thin
ice; and we are trying to get back to
the shore. Belief is seeking to put Its
foet on terra firma that it may lift its
head in the higher realm of life. Tired
of beliefs, we dare not live without be
lief. God is near. Rest in him while
storms rage, earthquakes rock and
fires flame through the night. They
cannot last forever. The after-voice
will come with the meaning we need
to know. Neither unbelief nor misbe
lief can do for us that which needs to
be done when we meet the great trials
of life.
"God is his own interpreter, and lie
will make It plain." You can afford
to wait for the after-voice. It is al
ways on time to do the very thing for
us which most needs to be done.
In the affairs of everyday life, where
there is so much noise, conscience is
the "still small voice" of Gid. In the
affairs of religion, where men differ
sometimes about non-essentials, con
science is the "still, small voice" of
God. On all difficult questions which
must be settled, especially many of
those which perplex 'young people, con
science is. the "still, small voice" of
God. But it is so only when it really
is of God himself. It is Important that
one's conscience be of God, rather than
a flexible, adjustable thing, rendered
more or less convenient for our crude
notions of right and wrong. Onco be
ing suro that it Is of him, and we are
sur of this when It is the expression
of divine nature, then our husine.s Iti
to obey its dictates.
What conac'nc dtetaleH to bo Jnc,
Or warns mr nit to :o;
Tlit teac'.i m more than hHl lo atiun.
That mora than hfaven puvsu.
Obey the "still, small voice!"
In the evolution of religion Jesus is
the after-voice, following the period,
of sacrod history and stirrltiK prihs t
and following that whtch sinful men
visited upon him while he was on earth,
we hear hts still, small volte sNing.
"It is finished." There was night In
the garden, and the wind rsger, sobbed
and sighed. There was a moral earth
quake when the day hegnn to dawn for
his triumph. tlis wholn life was the
after-voice explaining that which had
gone before, and intiniatitig the beat
which is yet to bo for us all.
Facing our tomorrow, while living In
the realities of today, there is borne
In upon our religious consciousness th
fact that still the spirit of God Is per
vasive, and this voiie Is our comforter,
guide and stay along the path of ni
terlous life. When perils perplcxit le
and doubts are ours; when we tremble
-in darkness, or walk in the I'aht; in
adversity or prosperity; In sorrow or
In joy; wherever wo are, and whatever
we do, be sure of this, we are all going
somewhere amd we shall come to th
end of our journey sometime. Wo aro
safe when we obey tho voice.
Kv.r present, truest Friend.
i:-cr neur Thine atd to Irn.l,
l.eiv ti not to itouht mil tout,
(Groping en in tlarknAKs ilrrm
VVhen lie slonns are mains sore,
ttoails icrow fnlnt. and liora alt. t' r.
Whlsnenna "ftlv, wnmirrer rmnr:
r'nllou me, I'll Biilde the. home.
Obey tho voice. It means life, love,
sacrifice, service, triumph and a two
fold Immortality, one which we shall
leave on earth as an immortal Influ
ence for good: the other found In per
fect service nnd perfect enjoyment in
the great beyond. Nothing less tlinti
fullness of life can satl.fy the demands
of our deepest nature, and this can bo
found only through obedience to ttio
voice of God.
WILSON HAS OWN NEWSIE
VoungMor Whom Taft .rcctetl 1
Still on White Hoiim' Job.
WASHINGTON'. -Yn. . Hammy
April describe himself as tho "olfleUl
rrePidtMitiul new eboy." He col lefts
month ly for eervlng p pi-i to I Ito
White House.
"ir sid.mt Taft shook luitids w(t li
me whenever w nitt,'' Uv eays. "Tim
first time 1 taw him warn about h
mont h f tor I stti rted to nerve ppr
at the White House. A man took "
into a Rieut. blr room ami rH Id. 'Mi.
p-.-esident, this is your ofiicitil iiuh
boy.
"'Is that soT the J'residpiit km id.
'"Yes: he's the younir man lm
bring the p;iper3.' the tnttn nid.
"There were a lot of ( 'on ir rename n
o nd ot hers In the room, but .'resident
Taft knew my time wnh it lti;i bl. nnd
he made t hni watt whllo he a Iked
with me. He told me he wnk Rind to
nee me and that ho hoped 1 would
tfmne dH- sit in the chair ho whs f.llitii:.
He id he t bought 1 oitld make a
yood !'reirlcnt.
"I haven t met President Vllnon et.
He knows me, though, mid nonie tiin
I'm going in and Hiuke handg with
him."'
Sammy's fnthop i h I.Hsrdan and Ills
moth or h Roumanian. He to
m i, out every day, is up at i A. M.. fell
papers until K. jio n to M hool and in
tint at 3. KOllinK paper until 1 I. M.
and in bed at ! I. M.. Ho dors not
aw in r. ehow or nmoke.
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