The Portland daily press., 1873-06-19
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in this life-considering how much belongs
to us by reason of our material culture-con-
sidering how much that is false that is in us
of our way of life by reason of our weak
ness-considering all this, have we the
right to determine the divine nature OF any
such figure as the fatherhoOd of man? That
there is a great deal that must be thrown out
from the material life of man that is incon-
sistent with a symbolizing of the divine
nature all will admit. But the substantial
nature which is the affectionate nature and
the moral nature, are alphabetic elements,
from which we can spell some thing of the
divine nature always. The moral elements
OF man are not like Gods i'm kind They
diiier In this respect, that truth in man is not
me same as truth in God. 1t differs not in
its executive power only, but i'm its nature
itself. When this is not accepted IL goes to
show that man has been deceived. The es-
sential quality of truth is the same that man
has with God, and the efore man can arnue
from his own personal Inspiration and from
the family government. Let us look at what
a rue government includes, leaving out all
the feebleness and imperection and looking
at the only true and familiar government.
Mr. Beecher from this poil PROCEEDED to
sketch the form of family government and to
trace its analogy to that of the divine. He
said, first, that children are connected to the
parent by true and distinct ties in nature;
second. that the family was made up of
parents and children who are essentially con-
nected by its own ecor omy. 1t is a little
separate kingdom of its own: its object the
rule of the children. Its interests subordi-
mated so as to bring the greatest amount of
Of happiness to its position. Thus it was or
ganized as commonwealth seeking a COM
mon eud and a co nmon good. In such a
commonwealth there must be obedience,
and ii obedience, the means # enforcing it.
Every fami government has in its physical
coercion. The distinct popularity of the
family government is its personal relations
ployed by visible lather and mother.
Every true father and mother gov
erns for the sake of the children
and n ut for the sake of the family. This is
the paternal government. This is the gov
ernment that is personal. The fact that a
government by law exists is entirely conss-
tent with patena and personal character
of divine and moral government. just
now the tide of discovery sets strongly to-
ward the methods by which God governs the
world, M al are thus driven into the idea
that there is no other government in the
world than one of law. Our whole duty is
said to be in f, ding out, as fast as we can,
what are the la VS. of our condition. Men
are beginning to sco,~ the idea OF a personal
government. 1t seems 10 me that law may
be quite in accordance W. ,'th personal gov
ernment. Everthihg in native may be under
the personal cogniton of the ma tural and AMI
mai kingdom. 1t is providence that seeks
through law to show to us personal God,
and which maintain our relations 20 us
through the organization OF nature, but l.Sat
can overflow this law TO reach His creatures
that is my belief A personal God includes
p ysical, magisteriai and personal relation.
Love is the government that man is ruled by,
out of which comes justice and kindness. A
personal government explains the difficulties
which have been introduced by theology in
the scriptnral use OF the terms of law and
sovereignty. Men have thought that, as God
is sovereign, he must do as sovcreigns do
God seeks nothing but the welfare Of men;
that is the supreme desire. 1t is in this that
is found the true expl lnation of the paternal
character OF Gods government. God is spo-
ken OF as consuming fire; but what is more
consuming than true love. Love, therefore,
is the true conception of the sovereignty Of
God. He is our Father, therefore. by ply
sical law, by magsterial law, but above all
by that law of the soul that would make all
men happy, and which has for its design and
aim the final happiness and blesseduess of all
mankind. NetC York Herald.