The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-11-29


~ independent of the Almighty, filialr
We gard for Him will cease to have
st place n our minds, and instead of
'e will spring up the "Pride that goe
be before destruction"
n 1t is conceivable that a minute
> sect might have its home within Il
Z watch which 1 hold in my hand, al
Is that it might be endowed with -eas,
): with power to think. Shul I
Is within this case, it knows nothing
q the great world outside. The watch
d It's world. To it, the watch seems
o great world. Its machinery and M
10 tions are wonders and life studies =
>; That which to my ear is only a fail
d tick, tick, tick, is to my insect friend
delicate hearing, swe-inspiring thu
e der The slight noise and jar prt
Is duced by the winding OF the watc
is to this supposed inhabitant, th
g roar, and crash, and catastrophe of q
$ earthquake. And my reasoning il
}, sect studies, and PHILOSOPHERS, an
e racks its little brain, and grows wis
t in its own conceit, and proudly de
? clares: "Great is this world i
;, which live, and there is no Other
3 Great am |, and there is no lntelli
gence above minei'
E o foolish insect! your world is q mer,
atom OF the greater world without, o
: which you know nothing, but withou
which your world would have no or
der, motion or existence. And an
other insect, little larger than your
self, and not much wiser, carries you
world in bis smallest vest pocket
And when that larger insect, man
becomes so lost in the study of the
: natural universe that he forgets OF
denies the Supernatural; when he
says the material universe is self.
existent and self governing, when be
claims for himself the highest place in
the domain, may not some nobler in
telligcnce look down from q higher
sphere, and say: 40 man, the mate
nal universe, which seems so vast to
to you, is only little time-piece held
in the hollow of Gods hand. Separa
ted from God, it could have no order
no law, no being.'
Now, suppose that if we could
form just conception ofGod's great
ness in power and mans relative lit
tleness, we would be utterly over
Whe. med. We would appear to our
selves as simply-nothing. Indeed,
there are mertal and spiritual moods
in which q man sys within himself,
81 am so little, so weak, so worthless,
so far beneath God, that surely the
Almighty will not stoop to notice
mer' From such a state of despair
we may he saved by taking refuge in
this truth--thst God is as great in
Love as He is In Power.
2. The Love OF God may be defined
as the principle OF Benevolence in
the Deity, the IDfinite Goodwill of
God towards man. Our sentiments
of grstitude and praise must be great
ly affected by the ideas we form of
this attribute Of the divine character.
What, then, is the Christian idea of
the Love OF God7 The question is
one which never can be satisfactorily
answered in the lean speech of earth.
No man has ever yet adequately de-
scribed Christian love-the "chsrity'
Of the New Testament-in the heart
Of man. And il drop is indeserib-
able, who shall attempt to give a
sufficient conception OF the ocean
itself? Nevertheless, 1t has pleased
our Father to declare His love for as.
He teaches rs to mediate upon it
He gives us helps in the study Of it;
He instructs US to seek peace, and
comfort and joy in it. If inspiration
fails to impart to US the most ex alted
and satisfying views of divine benev-
olence, it is because human language
is inadequate, and our receptivity is
limited.
Gods word teaches Us to take the
highest and purest examples OF hu-
man love and look upon them as faint
Of love divine:
Like as father pitisth his children, so the
Lord pitieth them that fear him.
Nothing in human nature can be
truer. tenderer, sweeter, than the
affection of human rsrents for their
children. And the trueness, the
the sweetness OF parental
love are most manifest when touched
by the weakness and suffering OF
children. So, the Lord is represent
ed IS being moved to pity by the
weakness and helplessness Of those
who fear Him:
For he knoweth our frame he remember
eth that we arc dust.
The Lord Jesus, encouraging Us
to pray, asks, What man, when his
son wants bread, will give him stone,
DR. IL he asks for 8 fab, will give him
, serpent and proceeds to say:
Ifye then, being evil, know how 10 give
rood gifts unto your children, how much more
hall your Father which Is In heaven give
rood things to them that ask hjms
In this the argument is, that il
,yI men are sffectionate and kind, our
Father in the Heavens, bessg infinitely (
,ood, must be infinitely more loving
and compassionate thsn men can be.
But the most refined snd exalted
owe in man can only family and in
represent to US the love
of God. II was Deedful, therefore,
hat perfect man should be crested,
hat in him the divine nature should
dwell, and that be, the perfection OF
and the perfection o. Day,
should make known Gods l. TO
man In such large measure, ane ith
such glorious power, that a resrons-
i've love might be kindled in every
enlightened soul. God so loced the
world that He gave him.
In the light OF the example and
of him who was God msni-
fest in human form, We learn that
love is the atmosphere Of the Super
natural universe that it is the chief
OF the divine attibutes; that divine
Justice Is ever under its inspiration
and control; ths. it is the soul of
power. II this statement
shall seem TO any Of you an attempt
TO exaggerste or overdrsw, / beg you
to remember that the beloved desciple,
who leaned on Jesus bosom, and
who came into completest harmony
with his spirit, WAS 30 filed with q
sense OF the divine good will, that,
all other attributes, he de-
clsred with q simplicity, AID force,
and sublimity that uninspired speech
can never attsin: ''GoD Is LOVE
and he that dwelleta in love dwelleth
in God, and God in him -
Here then, my brethren, in the
New Tes .sment declaration Of the
divine character, do we find pro |
foundest resson for faith, and JOY,
and thanksgiving This 10 the rue
conception of the Divine GoodI ess-
that all Gods tecrees concerning Us
are made in love, and that almighty
power ie exercised to accomplish
Loves purposesi In God are united
Infinite Goodwill 70 devise bless
ings, and Infinite Ability TO bestoH
them.
And now, If we are conscious of
ouly q few blcssings, it is because our
ability to receive them is so limited.
Too often We are in the relation to
wards God which q sick child in in