Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-12-14
NO. g..

ward world, DuJ get DacK OF them all, ana
realize His unseen hand as working through
these means. Here God is accomplishing
His own holy urposes-carrying into eff
feet His good and wise designs in accord
ance with those laws which He has Him
self appointed. He is continually moving
on, and in The sublime language of the
prophet, "doing according to his will in the
armies Of heaven, and among the inhabi-
tants of earth, and none can stay His hand,
or say unto Him, what doest Thou ?" This
is one of the most marked, most benevo-
lent, and at the same time most needful,
and most easily perverted, of all the char
acteristic features Of providence-this 81
lent, regular, omnipotent on-working of
God in every part Of his dominion. We
have the seasons regularly appointed; all
the modes and forces of nature are uni
form; even fire, and food, and pestilence
obey their own infexible laws. Thus man
has full and strong basis for definite cal
culation, and God has virtually put the
times and seasons Of the world into our
hands to stimulate our industry, and guide
our own manly virtuous developement.-
The powers and laws of nature are real
ties. We are to admit and maintain them
as such to their full extent 1t will not do
to disallow them. But we must not stop
at this point, we must look above and be-
yond them all if we would perfect our views
and find a sure foundation to rest upon
They are not in any respect, nor in any
degree, independent Of Gods present work.
ing; but their very efficiency and certainly
every movement springs from Him. "He
worketh all in all ;" "of Him and through
Him are all things"
But still another thought should here be
introduced viz: 4 complete and accurate
riew Of DiUme Providence must embrace it,
great end or design. What is all this pres.
ent activity of Divine power, this constant
on-working of God in the world designed
to accomplish! What is it all for? This i.
legitimate field of inquiry if we assum,
are all important We cannot suppose tina
God is thus working and governing all ar
ound us, and in us without some end il
view, and as He is infinite in wisdom anC
goodness, we must suppose that end to b,
the best end-the one most worthy of him
self The end of God in all His works il
to display His own excellence and glory
in the well being of His universe. Thi
needs no argument. We take it as tn,
dictate Of reason, as well as the revelation
Of the Bible. This was His holy and be
nevolent purpose in creation, and is still
His purpose in carrying out His work 0
preservation and governmental control.
But we have to do practically only witt
His providence in this world and here W
are not with strange anomalies. Yet her
after all is the theatre of Gods creates
works, and we shall find that all centre il
the same end. Man, the glory of this low
er creation, involved himself in sin. Tn
bitter consequences Of physical and mora
evil were entailed upon all the race. Coo
pitied his hopeless state, and devised a wa,
to restore him. The scheme of Redemp
ton by the incarnate Son of God was. il
its designs, a transcendant display of Di
vine excellence and glory. But it mus
be consumated-carried out, PRACTICAL
completed. Christ therefore has by prom
ises kingdom here, and that kingdom
must become universal and triumphant
Humanity must in the end be fully re
deemed. And this consumation of Re
demption will be the greatest display {
Gods glory to the universe.
All his providence, then, in the worl
has this great end in yiew-the overtime,
of sin, and the restoration of man. Fo
man-aH for maa-for you and me-is tn
explanation, as tender as it is true, of ey
erything that God has done upon earth, 0
that He will yet do, from the first founda
ton stone Of its structure till the last toI
stone shall be set upon the finished tempt
of the worlds history with shoutings b
the angel of the covenant to the praise q
the Eternal God. All for mani Oh thin
of this, and see Gods love to u.s. He mad
each one of us in order to love us, and I
be loved by us. He has an indescribabl
tenderness of personal interest in ever
human being. He has opened the larges
channels for the bestowment of His love
lie has set in motion all this vast machine
ry, and guides it all, that men may lear
of Him; yes, has given the kingdom an
the power to His Son, and made Hir
head over all things to the church" fc
us, that we might show forth His glory
While God takes inconceivable pleasur
in all His own acts, there are none i
which He takes such exceeding delight
in those which are directed in pattern;
love toward His dependent, and at tn
same time, loving, humble children. II
delights inconceivably more in givin
than in receiving-in forgiving than the
in being forgiven. How tenderly touchin
are the terms chosen by Himself to EXPIRE,
His infinite sympathy with us, ifw onl
turn at heart to our duty, and to Him +
He is. "the God of patience and of consC
lation," full of "long suffering" "tendC
compassion" "tender mercies," CLOWN
kindness" and "the riches of His forbeal
ance." "He taketh pleasure in His pee
ple"-"His delight is with the sons
men," Thus the vast plan of Providenc,
universal and infinite, embracing all spaC
and all time, all worlds and all their il
habitants, binds the universe in a unity,
harmony! Yea, rather one grand Divin
organism. Each part is related to ever
other. Nothing is isolated in its being
Not only have ali things on earth the me
mentum, like the freight of a moving We
sci, OF Gods continually advancing plar
for mans complete development, but a
are needful formative parts of the one mo
al structure contrived for the highest goc
of all intelligent creatures. Jesus Chri
is the chief corner stone. Everythir
bends towards one centre-the glory
God in Christ through the salvation
man.
small as is our island sphere amidst Il
great system of worlds, still all the lines
prophetic and historic interestin the who
vast system are represented as united
converging here. On this brief period
probation allotted to separate human liy
on earth, following each other like SUI
mer clouds in such rapid succession,
highest moral interest depend; but I
promise is all sufficient. How full of mea
ing, and how unanswerablc is theapostl
argument TO one who really knows how