The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-08-30

The purpose Of the Christian religion has
been and is TO reveal 10 mankind the Supreme
| Ruler of the universe, not only as infinite in
power and wisdom. but also in loving kind
ness and righteousness and Judgment To
us its great purpose is TO establish our right
and title as sons Of God. rs made after his
image and partakers of his nature. And the
Office OF tho Mediator was to show God in
mans nature divine. Tho humanity of Christ
shows him perfect man. His power and wis
| dom shows him one with God.
| He supplied the missing link between the
human and divine and sealed mans title TO
immortality.
Heathenism gave rs the great Jove ruling
the great system Of things by absolute arbi-
trary power but himself controlled by des-
tiny destiny that bore down and controlled
everything. blind and uncomfortable itself,
without origin or character, absolutely with
out humanity And under this philosophy
mankind were hopeless, and the best promise
Of life was death that gave hopeless deliver
ance.
Christianity introduces the reign of;hu-
manity God as infinite man in all that
make manhood honorable and love
able in power. in wisdom, in justice. in gen.
tleness, in love- in tenderness. in pity; to all
mankind most tender, loving Father.
whose very being is love.
Now. if the relation of man to the Almighty
is that of a child to the father shall the child
ask no favors Of tho father? Or shall the
father be like these terrible burlesques Of
paternity. cold, dark. thoughtful, unsym-
pathizing; power and authority and nothing
morei We count such as these monsters on
earth And shall we insult the great and
good God by transferring to him such pic
ture?
All the Scriptures, directly and indirectly,
speak of the Almighty as a prayer-hearing
God and as gentle loving and merciful. iul.
Of pity and sympathy, And what mockery
is il to mako him indifferent TO any Of our
woes or wants? What q mockery Of his power
and wisdom to bind him fast in fate. to man
acle and fetter him with what we call natu-
raj laws? These natural laws are inventions.
or so-called discoveries, of our scientists. We
know some of them tolerably well: some of
them very partially and imperfectly. Does
not the least informed in science know that
no single law operates singly and alone: All
the operations Of nature show these laws in
combination. And our most accurate calcu-
lations fail because of some force that was not
anticipated. that comes in the very nick Of
time to bring about the very reverse Of what
was expected And is it not an approved say
ing that the unexpected always happens?
and our most wisely and deliberately ordered
schemes fail by some little accident interpo-
sition OF something:
1t is not an easy thing for the greatest phi
losopher to command the whole situation and
cover every contingency. nor show all natural
laws pointing to an inevitable result. Dry
spells come unlocked for. and rains and
passing clouds make great and expensive
scientific arrangements come 10 naught
They are heralded sometimes but the herald
ings themselves are often misunderstood
Proximate as well as remote causes often de-
ceive us. There's many a slip between the
cup and the lip-in great and small things
Now who controls the combinations OF
laws? Who orders contingencies and di-
reefs interposing forcesf Who but the Al
mighty. who knows and orders all things?
And what shall move the divine mind 20 make
this combination and interpose this incilcnts
IF no be "Our Father in Heaven. what
power shall prevail with him like the CTS
Of the child, fearful ia darkness, or suffering
with pain or want:
There is no theology like the theology OF
.he nursery Nor can any science explain tho
divine government 10 father who does net
love his children. to child who does not love
and honor his father. nor to a cold, selfish. con-
ceitcd philosopher. It was a loving order that
men ought always 70 pray and not 70 faint.
And all the Scripturesshow that the prayers Of
the righteous avail much Jacob had power
with God But it is the plainest sense that we
should pray that not our notions. but the low
ing wisdom Of Heaven may prevail IN all our
affairs. Thy will be done. The wants and
loving confidence of the child, and the ready
sympathy Of the father, knit the souls of the
one to the other. The words Of the psalnist
reveal a profound truth: Thou hast known
my soul in adversty.'