Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-10-02

world that we have their history recorded
and hold 1T sacred. But the
large conception of perfect kingdom of
righteousness and love to be consummated
in the future, was too great for men to
grasp, or once reached was too difficult for
their faith, and SO the hand of Providence
was clearly pointed out once that all ma
lions might know that he was with them
to rebuke sin and to work peace; and his
dealings with Abraham and David, Isaiah
and Paul, were written down that we might
know that God is forever with the weakest
and humblest of his children.
The love of God seems ftfully revealed
to US amid the light and shadow, the Joy
and pain, of this world, hence the gospel
with its Bethlehem and Olivet, its Hebron
and Calvary, as broad and sufficient reve-
lation of the heart of God.
Let me try to give some rational basis
for this doctrine of Providence which ap-
peals so powerfully to our sympathies, by
attempting to show that it is involved in
the nature of things.
God is primal. Before any star shone,
Or matter had being, God was. Not only
is he first cause, but he is first substance.
He must be conceived as an absolute and
primal being.
Creation IS ectern0lised rolition. The
possibilities of creation subsisted in him
who is the fulness of all things. Creation
was not out of nothing, but out of God.
Every exercise of force which we can at all
exhaustively trace, we pursue backward to
the will. By the widest possible intuition
and by survey of all the facts, we see in
the universe the product of personal will.
So the author of the first chapter of Gene
sis exhibits no material or machinery of
creation, but only the putting forth of di-
vine .volition. ''God said light be, and
light was.'
Reality is the portaking Of the divine be-
ing. The apostle declares our moral glory
in affirming us to be "partakers of the
divine nature" The eternal word" of the
philosophic John is the utterance of the
divine into things as well as into thought.
HE is before all things and by him all
things consist"
Hetpfutness IN man is the la,u of huppi-
ness and p0aUer. We may conclude, therefore.
that benefcence is spiritual necessity
even in the Divine personality. And hence
through all the DISCUSSES of life we may
confidently penetrate. We may light up
its gloom with radiant faith. God is
by necessity present in every thing, but
lest this be too awful truth, let us be com
forted in that as the gospel reveals He is
present in blessing.
But let US consider the collation. of man
to this great fact of Providence. We
might easily expect, a ,priori, that man
would be moved upon by the Divine power,
and compelled to conform to the Divine
order. So the ethnic religions follow NO
suggestions of the physical and inexorable
law, out of the tempest element in nature
and life forged thunder bolts for the
hand of Jesus, and out of the darkness be-
hind His throne there glared the snake
tressed furies. But the gospel reveals
gracious God in the highest
possible exercise of creative
power imaged his own will, and establish
ed an order in which this child of his must
forever be reverenced. The victory of
goodness in such theatre is the problem
Of human destiny. We are led to believe
that the world and life is SO ordered that
this problem is conducted at its best.
But more. This text reveals to US a suf-
fsring Providence. I'm all their Affections
He was afflicted" This fact logically fol-
lows from the reality of Gods presence in
his works. It reveals also q need for the
atonement in the divine nature, perhaps
no less serious than sinfulness in man.
What conception is here, 70. all those
Who sorrow! There is no load Of pain
from which he is absent. There
is no heart thrilled with anguish which
he does not feel He is present
in the grooming of that creation which
waits for its redemption. But, you say, do
you mean all this in a real or in f9ura-
tive sense? In real sense. Then, is God
q serrowing and an incomplete Being, or
can this thought be reconciled with the
idea of divine blessedness? Were God an
Incomplete time and sense bound Being,
then would he be also q sorrowing Being.
Have you entered into the meaning of that
statement about Jesus, "Who for the joy
set before him endured the cross, despising
the shane?" The gloom of Gethsemane
was lighted by the presence of an angel
which strengthened him. sThe JOY set be-
fore him." not the pain of body or soul,
was triumphant. Not the populace or
soldiery, or death, or sin, or hell
at any moment had the vic
tory. Though he cried out to
his Father for more of his presence, ssMy
God, my God why hast thou forsaken mev'
that cry was not unanswered, and legions
of angels thronged about him. There was
darkness on the earth; there was sunlight
on his soul. The slamor of the mob was
at his feet, but it could not pierce the har-
monies of heaven about his heart. The
cry, ut is finished" was note of triumph;
for in his vision there came the multitudes
from east and west, and north and south,
redeemed by his own blood and neither pain
nor death could blight his peace Now tho
Divine Being sharing our pains, helping ~
bear our crosses, redeeming Us from our
sins and realizes already the outcome of
this moral order, and sxults in the triumph
Of his accomplished purpose. So sure as
God is good, He is With rs, and sharing our
pains and working in all things for US. So
sure as God is strong his eympathy adds to