Morning journal and courier., 1891-06-22

in some sense, in this child-relationship to
him even to the end; and you will rejoice
in it as the glory of life in the last days,
even more than You knew how to do In
the first days.
But what of the divine fatherl He takes
us, as it were, in q peculiar sense and
measure, under his own care, and into IN
innate relation to himself, when the earth
ly father, by reason of the necessities and
separations of the world, is compelled to
leave us to ourselves. The work of the
years Is now more far-reaching work.
The conflict and labor which attend upon
it, are to be beyond any thought of the
former time. Life is to become continu-
ally larger in every way, and we are to be-
come larger in 1t and with it. The need,
accordingly, widens for us; and while our
independence rises above the old things, and
we are Tree, our dependence reaches out to
the larger sphere and towards the greater
help. Through the revelation of God we
nave the blessing of the early life renewed
according to the measure of our growth,
and when we understand the revelation
arlght, the blessing is the same delightful
thing, only far more delightful than we
knew before
Paul thought of God-as every true man
with the love of God in his heart may
think of him-as very near himself. in the
fatherly relation. This thought is the
privilege of our many years, from begin
ming to end. We do not bear il in our
minds in half the measure that we may.
The divine father, my friend, is not SO far
away from your individual life. 1t is an
inglorious conception of him-belittling
him according to the standard of our little
ness-to conceive of him as making the
great machine and then leaving it wholly
and only to itself; or to think of him as
having thought and care for the universe
alone, and not for the individual lives and
persons within it. When we know God in
his greatness, we know him as near to
ourselves. The Christian message con-
corning him as the father of each loving
soul-in all the fullness of the idea which
that word presents-is the message which
alone reveals to us the grandeur of his be-
ing. The all-seeing and all-khowing one
who abides with each one of us-interested
in all that is of interest to our best life-is
the great and almighty God. 1t is to the
birth-right of his children that we are
called by the Christian message. 1t is,
rather, the revelation of this birth-right as
truly ours, that this message brings to us.
And what greatness enters our lives with
the revelation. The apostle himself makes
it known to US in his personal history
What larger, more widely out-reaching,
more nobly developed, more heroic life
than his, has the world seen-heroic on
every side, full of true consideration to
duty and ever-fresh enthusiasm for the
highest things. What loftier independ-
ence as a manly man, or sublimer courage
in the darkest and brightest hours alike,
do we discover as realized anywhere in
human experienced And yet with all that
was so admirable in his victorious energy,
he was always conscious and always ready
to testify that he knew but in part and saw
as but in a mirror and not face to face,
that it was only as the divine strength was
impaired to him that he could do all
things; that his whole life moved in the
sphere of Christ and rested everywhere
upon God; that he was only growing into
the freedom and fullness of the truth
as son of the heavenly father-not
yet having attained what he might
hope for, but pressing after and reaching
towards it under the fathers guidance and
| inspiration. And so God was always with
| him. Gods thoughts were meeting his
| thoughts. Gods spirit was bearing con-
| tinual witness to his spirit He had per
sonal communion with God, as he might
have with friend. He was one of the be-
| loved children of the divine household
| independent, through the development of
the manly powers in the human sense and
relations, but still and joyfully, dependent
| because of his limitations and because of
\ the greatness of God.
Such is the privilege of the many years,
| upon which you are Just entering, my
friends-the privilege of knowing God as
near you and with you; of having, as
constant and living experience the passing
of the divine thoughts toward your
thoughts, and OF your thoughts toward the
divine; of possessing sonship in the larg-
L act htfrhnct frrr "a
| the word, the sonship of Gods children.
Truly the apostles exhortation has an in
spring force, as it takes into itself the
words as children of God, and moves on
with them into the central life of all tc
whom it makes its appeal.
But there is yet more important WORD
in the sentence, as related to the exhorta
ton, and one which assumes for itself {
greater emphasis than the others. 1t i:
the word imitators. The thoughts and
suggestions on which we have been dwell
ing thus far have presented to us the
whole of life, and not merely its beginning
period, as season of education-and no
only this, but of education, in the manly
years, as connected with certain inter
mingling of dependence with independ
ence. The expression, 'imitators of God,
which is not found elsewhere in the apos
tolic writings, is peculiarly suggestive o
just this education-the education of tn
manly years. 1t is one of the impressiv
things, and, as cannot but think, one o
the happiest things, in the plan and move
ment of our life that we change in tn
method or process of our education-in tn
aspect in which we now view it-as W
pass on from childhood to manhood
!, The child's education, as ii comes from
the father, is by precept, and prescription
, and positive teaching, and the authorit,
of love, largely. What the child gains h
gains as from teacher, who must rul
while he teaches, because he is dealin,
with one whose development is yet in it
earliest stages. But as time passes for
: ward all this becomes gradually less ant
3 less, and something quite different come
, in to take it's place, which increases Will
3 it diminishes. The child reaching his ma
turity initiates the life of the father rathe
) than yields obedience to the fathers pre-
8 | cepts. He takes all that there is of noble
D ness and goodness-all that there is worth,
8 of receiving into the soul-in the father
D life and gives it place, as seed, in his in
most self As he suffers the seed to grow
| or carefully cultivates it, he uncor
l | sc1ousIy or consciously initiate
8 what has been manifested to him. Fl
8 grows into the likeness of the one whol
8 he has learned in the long years deeply I
i love. He becomes better, perchance, c
q larger in the souls life, or more fully d.
/. veloped in the highest manhood, as he &C
Q vances toward the close of his career, tha
8 his father was-well he may become So
n But the sonship is manifest even mol
: fully at the end than it was at the begir
a ming, and he is recognized by all who kne
the father of the one family-an inhe
n itor of mind and heart and soul from Ii
s one who went before him and walked fe
n a season with him. The delightfulness {
9 intercourse and of life itself is known whe
= we come together, not for command an
i obedience, but for imitation in characte
9 The education of the mind and soul whic
8 rises out of imitation is a peculiar blessin
8 of the manly and mature years.
8 And SO with a wonderful tenderness
: feeling and richness of thought and SUI
q gestion, the apostle says to his reader
Q "Be We imitators of God.n Regard You
a selves as having reached the position {
% thoughtful, mature, independent men, 1
# you are indeed; you are no longer your
l. children half developed, but are movir
Is into and in the freedom of your manhood
h But bear in mind that you have, and a
It ever near to, divine father. Your Ii
n reaches ont on every side far beyond VIII
n you now realize. Herein lies its gres
10 ness. 1t reaches out far beyond the sphe
q of your independence and takes hold upc
It what, in its grandeur and fullness, Is,
4, yet unknown. You are, therefore, eat