The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1900-12-27
Tho Motherhood Of God.

'sHe that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God,
and God In him. ."-1. John tv.. Is.
The use of the word motherhood
in this connection may strike you as
somewhat odd at first, bat ON refiec-
ton you will sec that it is peculiarly
appropriate. The qualities Of char
acter which are suggested by the
word smother" are those on which
we specially depend in our relations
with God and those which have
specially opened our hearts to him.
If we look upward through the
word ''father" our conception of God
is not complete, for in the last analy-
sis it is our home life which colors
our religious aspirations, and how
ever dear the father may be there is
a certain range of attributes in the
mind aud heart of the mother which
are absolutely necessary to a perfect
spiritual education.
1t is for that reason that God es-
tablished the home rs the nursery of
every soul, as it makes its entrance
into this earthly life. The mothers
influence is based OH some elements
which are not conspicuous in the
father, and SO what the father
may not be able to do because he
worke along different lines the mother
easily accomplishes because she is
by nature more tender, more appeal
ing and more loving.
Under the watchful care of a wise
father and sympathetic mother, the
youth i,nbibes q dual life, on one
side strong and manly, on the other
pure, kindly aud womanly. No man,
tberfore, is perfect unless he combines
in himself the rugged force of the fa-
ther, his power TO do brave battle
with circumstance, and the gentleness,
the kindliness, the sensitiveness
which only mother can impsrt.
One difficulty with the theology Of
the past is that it has been too mascu-
line. God was regarded by former
generations as al omnipotent auto
crat. The argument ran that He not
only could do as he pleased, but that
lie had a right 20 10 as He pleased
without reference to His creatures,
aud the idea embodied in the popu-
lar creed made religion cold. rigid
and unattractivc. A mans concep-
ton of omDipotence includes q kind
of selfishness, the exercise Of power
with entire disregard Of the happi-
ness Of those over whom the power
is used. The dogmas which make US
tremble as we read them had their
origin in that conception, which, ii
the New Testament is true, is curl
Gus and unwarranted misconception.
The God of our fathers was q being
to be afraid Of. not one to whose
arms you would fly for protection
as a frightened child seeks its
mothers embrace. There was an
imperial authority in His voice which
meant either implicit obedience OF
al appalling condemnation; not obedi.
ence through love OF Him who gave
the command, but through fear ol
consequences il the command wat
unheeded.
We have happily learned TO reaC
tho Scriptures in better way. We
now know that the laws of naturs
are our friends, and if we breai
them there is no anger in their re-
tribulivc justice, but only sorrow
More than that. they are pitiful and
sy mpathetic, aud the moment we SCI
our error and try to amend it they
will help us to recover our lost es
tate. In these very laws OF nature
there is not only q sternness whicl
will brook no willful neglect, bu
also q motherliness which binds ul
our wounds, watches over US will
tender solicitude, and with bonndles
love draws US away from the wron.
and leads us toward the right.
The whole nnivere is on the eide o
the repentant sinner. You canno
regret your downward course, can
not aspire to higher and better life
hut certain natura! forces are there