Is man specially constituted to embody in a small degree that

which is great in the Lord?

Does the Scripture warrant the use of human terms in explanation

of the divine?

What do we mean by personality?  Is God a person?

Let us take first the question of personality.

What is a person?

'A person is a self -conscious and self -determining individual, the

source from which thought and conduct radiate' (Author unknown).

Kant's definition, although it has been modified and improved, remains

the basis of all modern philosophy of personality, and is true.  An animal

may be conscious, but not self -conscious, and so has no personality.

'Persons, as opposed to things, are individual, conscious, intelligent and

free'.  Personality is conscious of its own existence, can reflect upon

itself, and can speak of 'I'.  Personality may be expressed in the phrase: 'I

think, therefore I am'.  Everything in life and experience is open to

question and doubt, except the individual personality of the questioner:

'Our being with its faculties, mind and body, is a fact not admitting

of question' (Dr. Newman).

'Personality is the only thing that is real, not related or derived'

(Prof. Green).

'Perfect personality is in God only: to all finite minds there is

allotted but a pale copy thereof' (Lotze).

It comes to this, therefore, that man, being a person, can say 'I am'.

We are immediately reminded that when God revealed Himself to Moses, it was

this special emphasis upon personality that was prominent.  No attributes

such as goodness, righteousness, holiness are introduced; but simply

unlimited individuality -- 'I Am':

'And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou

say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you' (Exod.

Analogy in natural science suggests a personality.  The evidence of

design suggests a designer; the evidence of a plan suggests an intelligence.

And the Scriptures fully endorse this approach to truth:

'Yet they say, the Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob

regard it.  Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when

will ye be wise?  He that planted the ear, shall He not hear?  He that

formed the eye, shall He not see?' (Psa 94:7 -9).

To fail to see the force of this argument is to lack understanding, and

to be like a 'brute' beast.  This analogy is at the bottom of all right

reasoning, and, as we have seen from Romans 1:19,20, it left the heathen

without excuse.

In the moral realm, analogy brings us nearer.  Everything points to the

Person, although it does not actually bring us into living contact with Him.

This final living contact demands more than nature or morals can supply.  Not

only should we appreciate the place of anthropomorphic teaching concerning

God, but we should also realize something of what may be termed the