Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-10-08

the syndicates and great combinations that
stretch their .iron arms over thousands of
miles and scores of States So we have
nothing to do responsibly with the plans
and purposes of God. They stretch through
time and through eternity.
The footsteps of His march are on the
centuries. Our duty does not depend
upon our comprehension of Gods
purposes. Our responsibility is clearly de-
fined. If we love God and keep His COM
mandments we can leave all the rest with
Him.
But there are one or two important con-
siderations that should always be borne in
mind in the study of this subject: 1.
Gods moral government is government
of law, as His physical or natural govern
ment is one of law. All laws have their
penalties in the nature of things. Moral
laws have their penalties as well as physi-
cal. The law of gravitation has its penalty
in connection with its blessings 1t holds
the ocean in its bed. 1t fastens the noun
tains to their granite bases. 1t binds all
things together, from the least to the great
est. 1t holds the stars in their orbits,
and yet if you violate this law will you incur
its penalty? If you fall from building or
precipice, you will be injured and perhaps
lose your life. And SO it is with all Gods
laws, moral as well as physical; in His
moral government as well as in His physi-
cal government.
Then, too we must take into the account
when judging of Gods ways, mans moral
freedom, which involves the choice of fol-
lowing God will and commandments or
not. Without this power of choice there
can be no moral freedom, and man is only
machine and not man.
And with depraved nature man is more
inclined to choose evil than good, to disobey
rather than to obey Gods laws and com
mandments, and to go astray from Him.
MAN goeth astray from His YOUTH" and
consequently he goeth astray from grace
and happiness. This has been the case in the
history of the world and this accounts
for the ills and woes that have come
upon the human race. 1t is easy to see
that this complicates very greatly the prob
lem of Gods Providence and ways in deal
ing with mankind. Man as moral being
is subject of moral law and capable of be-
ing influenced by motive. God may crush
the rebellious will of man or He may
bear with it and control it by moral infu-
ences and by the exercise of love and mercy
change il and bring it into harmony and re-
Cancellation with himself, and so bring him
back to happiness and peace.
And this Is the course that He has de-
cided to pursue towards sinful man-to
spare kim-to bestow love and mercy upon
him and give him an opportunity to re
pent.
Know ye not says the apostle, that
the goodness and forbearance of God lead
eth the to repentance"
God has opened way, through His love
and mercy, by which the sinner can be par
doned and justified upon repentance, with
out compromising His holiness or destroy
ing His moral government-through the
vivacious suffering and death of His only
son.
And now he pours out His Holy Spirit
upon all flesh, convincing men of sin and
drawing them to himself. We must dis
criminate, therefore, between the works of
God and the works of the devil, between
the works of Christ and the works of man
in his depraved nature. The works of
Christianity are the works of Christ, the
works of charity, benevolence and mercy in
relieving the sutferings of humanity.
These are inspired by Christ, and are the
fruits of His Spirit in the death of men.
But wars and prosecutions, violence, OPP
preston, hatred and wrong of every kind
are not the works of Christ but of de-
PRAYED human nature, often instigated and
assisted by the devil, all of which is to be
overcome and which is overcome in large
degree by those who believe in Christ and
trust in Him. And they have the assuring
promise that by the grace of God they
shall completely overcome all these evils
which alone stand in the way of their per-
feet happiness and peace.
Another consideration to be kept in mind
is the importance of taking broad, and not
narrow and one-sided, views of Gods ways.
Otherwise we shall come to very incorrect
conclusions.
You cannot judge correctly of great build
ing even, by taking only a one-sided view
of it. You can not form correct estimate
of any great object in nature by simply
viewing it from one standpoint If you
would appreciate the grandeur of Niagara
Falls, you must look at them, not from the
American side only, but from the Canada
side also.
Neither can you form correct conclu-
sion with reference 10 any character, OF
question, or great enterprise, by taking on
ly partial and one-sided view.
Especially is this true in reference to the
works and ways of God that are SO vast and
In looking al His benevolence
and goodness His mercy and love, we must
not lose sight of his justice and holiness, for
without these he would not be perfect.
His moral government must be maintain
ed, and justice and holiness
are part of that govern
ment. 3 human government tast was ali
mercy and no justice in its poncy, would
not hold together. 1t would fall to pieces
of its own weakness.
A fourth consideration is the Importance
of exercising faith and patience in refer
ence to the ways and works of God. If we
understood everything in reference to them
there would be little opportunity for its de-
velopment. Faith is an important element
in Christian character The grandest
Christian characters have been those in
which the element of faith was most fully
developed, as in the case of Abraham,
Elijah, Job and Paul Patience is also
Christian virtue, and is especially needful
in making up our judgment of the
ways of God. Patience to wait for
he grand contamination of His plans
and purposes As Bishop Butler says, ''In
judging of the ways of Providence weneces-
sarily look at an incomplete and imperfectly
comprehended scheme"
1t is scarcely fair to judge of mans work
until it is completed, especially if it be an
important and comprehensive one, and even