, 1874-05-18

| a-,a.is -" .tuy ielelu'l pHlo5h ~ sn.
In Hn who il IN Ill nn ovnr n '"' "'o p''''''
is houorcd by toIt Iootinaa l ororriso In In.
planted thon. Thov an tI,n sv,nia n Hia 1ova
to think tint IIo boeruIocs 1Tia oi,ltlron tl1o
Joy Of earthly fr,en1slinn.-tllo folioities Of
fathorhood lis Smllcn 8m tha ejaJnnas @ 81 eyory
heart m lin nn11rnr,nnrt. ~ IN 1,nunn,,nfH fin
lolinht Of Tia Iov"r lin ,,ora,t's tou,npnnas thc
ypontaneouB galoty Of the Child. II thoro Is any
tLiuu on earti, ihnt il 1oninti acnniv In lin m
turo tllat God himself IMPLANTED il il ills III M sacrot
fooilng for kiuiretl. md homc md frio,,,la anG
county, and tho rront lTnthorhooil OF mnn.
But the blosscd G9spel Laa Loou 60 mlsintor-
protcd as to loud mon tn tlunk TINT tlloy did
God seryioo by cr,cifying those natral affections,
by trying to extirpato them Tlo Wilderness
aid inonsstory boar nwful Witness to tic mon.
Htrous follios Tint havo followed tho PRACTICE Of
| a.gloomy and insane ascetclam, tho effort to
plauso dol by tllbdla,,so or poryorsfon Of what ho
| has given for human good, Truo religion eIYos
play to all tho natural eonsbtiea mud affections
OF the hehrt. It consccrates thom to thoir logii-
inate souroc but loos not toploas or d1tri1'ato.
God would have every pnro emotion, every gift
for friendship, oyory carabiiity fdt admiration,
aud honor aud reyereuco enp!oyed II, tho re}a-
tions Of society, and tho household and tho
State: Christ came not 10 destroy, but to sayo,
mud there IL no creator perversiou of Ills Gospoi
shan tho Wow Tint Godis plcasod at tho unnat-
ural notifications OF human affections, anl
Tint tho happiness Of hs children IL not welcome
IN his sight.
All et,oh mistakes erow out Of wrong vlowa NJ
our Father IN Heayom A reliuinn S,ri1l uof h. h.
joyous QUO With dark md forbiddiug yiows Of
God. Picture God ns an arbitrary soyeroign
doing what is UNJUST and recurring what Ia ri,-
ara ali aton ont M Of rolixion. 30 were ann Ia Gs y
taught us frowniu8 upon Tho innooont ploasuros
Of mankind, whore IIe is represented aa foroor
daining vast numbers Of immortal beings 10
everlasting misory, delivering to future woo tic
light. where Ho is described ag matinr
himself glorious III tho aeonIes Of tIo dn,nnni
and executing an arbitrary oloico iu SOLICITING tic
candidates for Heaven. tlion tho humun MUD in-
cannot DO obeyedt except through The foar of
tornent,-canlot 10 ouioycd, sayo through nono
strange religious haluc{uation. lie haB boon
described, oven in Christian tincg, by so,ne, WHO
makes Him appear to cas,diu, sincoro, and aiYoc-
tionate souls aB MI infinite tyraut Adhere rin
orously to tho absolute truth OF such doctrines
aa have indicated, and human ]ifo ID shrouilod
iu gloom. Tho briEltucas of tho matoriol worhl
becomeg d litleouS mocliory, There In I'M mo-
tive for noble enterprise, no inspiration to gra-
cious charitios. Tho groatnoss dies out Of OK
istence. The blossoms Of the heart wither away.
Now wo can mover fathom the fullnesB Of God,
or formulate all His truth. But boholdiug His
glory in the face Of jesus Christ, no can goE such
jnBt conception OF His character and will nB
ehall mako our service blessing and joy. Wo
know, indeed. that His Will Is everlasting good
will that His juntice is not another kind OF Jus
ticc from tint which We cau understand; that
His love Is not another kind Of love from tint
which Ho puts into our hearts; that His
wisdoln Ia not another kind Of wisdom
from that which ia displayed in HIS wonderful
works, that day unto day uttoreth speech Of
Him: There are not two kinds Of goodness, ono
for God and another for man. Thoro aro not
two kinds Of juBtfco, ono for God aud another
for man. There arc not two kinds of righteous
HOSE, one for God and another for man. In
goodness, aud Justice, and righteousness, tho
quality Is tue same in both God aud man,-the
dl1lerence ~ u tl!o quantity and rotations. III
God tho good is absolute ana rneasuroleHs: in
man 1t lB limited. and Infected by Ills intirmties,
mud imporfections. God il tho fountain Of all
tgoodness, aB tue sun Is the fountain OF evory ray
OF light that reaches the eartli. 30 we know
that while we reject What ID unjust, what III inl-
puro, What Is untrue, while We love aud pursue
what ia holy, and good, lVo arc doing His will.
We eco that In the way Of holiness III tho way OF
aalyation:: And here for our rescue, and guild
ance, and comfort, and refuge, Is the Divine
disclosure Of the Son Of God. Els joy was per-
toot because Ho was perfect Son. and as,
through tile cleansing Spirit, we become like
Him. We have portion Of Ills joy. o, behold
ing Him, in our low estate, full Of grace and
truth, illustrating every virtue, pouring out His
sYmpathies to souls hungry and thirsty for God
teaching, consong, giving lifo and the light