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The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 3
habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel
after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.”
Thus, in the most impressive manner, with hand outstretched to-
ward the temple crowded with idols, Paul poured out the burden of his
soul, and ably exposed the fallacies of the religion of the Athenians.
The wisest of his hearers were astonished as they listened to his reason-
ing. His words could not be controverted. He showed himself familiar
with their works of art, their literature, and their religion. Pointing
to their statuary and idols, he declared to them that God could not be
likened to forms of man’s device. The works of art could not, in the
faintest sense, represent the glory of the infinite God. He reminded
them that their images had no breath nor life. They were controlled
by human power; they could move only as the hands of men moved
them; and those who worshiped them were in every way superior to
that which they worshiped. Pointing to noble specimens of manhood
about him, he declared, “Forasmuch, then, as we are the offspring of
God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver,
or stone, graven by art and man’s device.”
Man was created in the image of this infinite God, blessed with
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intellectual power and a perfect and symmetrical body. The heavens are
not large enough to contain God; how much less could those temples
made with hands contain him. Paul, under the inspiration of his
subject, soared above the comprehension of the idolatrous assembly,
and sought to draw their minds beyond the limits of their false religion
to correct views of the true Deity, whom they had styled the “Unknown
God.” This Being, whom he now declared unto them, was independent
of man, needing nothing from human hands to add to his power and
glory.
The people were carried away with admiration of Paul’s eloquence.
The Epicureans began to breathe more freely, believing that he was
strengthening their position, that everything had its origin in blind
chance; and that certain ruling principles controlled the universe. But
his next sentence brought a cloud to their brows. He asserted the
creative power of God, and the existence of his overruling providence.
He declared unto them the true God, who is the living center of gov-
ernment.
This divine Ruler had, in the dark ages of the world, passed lightly
over heathen idolatry; but now he had sent them the light of truth,