The age-herald., 1901-05-20
GODS RULE IS KIND
 AND UNIVERSAL Able Sermon by Rev. John G.
 Murray AT CHURCH OF HE ADVENT We Are Children In Gods Household. The Most Unhappy Household Is Where the Children Do
 As They Wish.
AT CHURCH OF HE ADVENT

beV. Jonn G Murray preacneo an elo- quent sermon, his theme being that Gods rule was beneficent as we'll as universal His text was from Psalm 107, verse 4S: ''Whoso is mine, and will observe these things. shall understand the loving kind ness of the Lord"
 We inhabit a universe dominated by the will of Almighty God" said MT. Mur- ray. Theoretically, there are many who do not subscribe to this declaration: but practically, there are few whose experi- ence in life does not impregnate and sat- urate the tenor of their whole existence with unequivocal consciousness of It's truth
 Tn daily recognition of this fact. our petition, in obedience to the divine man. date of the eternal Son is upon earth, as | in heaven. Thy will, our Father, be done. True. in many cases this petition is but the expression of note, and void of that significance of meaning characteristic of the sincere language of the heart. But | this fact in nowise negative the declara- tion that the universality of the petition | Is proof positive of general recognition of the necessity of Gods will obtaining in all the universe of being in order that tho being of that universe shall accomplish it's perfect work. Furthermore 1t Is best for all the creatures of the creator that his omnipotent will should dominate and obtain to perfection in the universe of his creation and their habitaton.
 We Wish for Free Will.
 Here again I make declaration con- | corning which there Is more or less ex- pression of doubt. A superficial view of l life, its problems and issues, Is ever in some degree inseparable from the imper- faction and incompleteness of our finite nature and comprehension. And so we are prone to doubt the expediency of this | proposition, as we'll as dispute its law fulness.
 "Under this illusion, convinced are we that we could so will regarding our own l lives-if the authority to thus will were l ours-that those lives should ever be hap py, boundless and free; and never sorrow | full, circumscribed nor enslaved. The simple authority to will what we shall be, and what shall be ours, seems to us the only lack of our well being the only l bar to our supreme and perfect enjoy ment.
 Responsible Is this illusion for much of earths rebellion against heaven. God, we say, has this authority. His rule is 1 dominant in the unknown no less than in the known. And if his only will were to accomplish our perfect happiness, then In the use of His supreme authority con- | sequent upon the exercise of His domi- nant will, perfect happiness must ob- tain of accomplishment. Our reasoning thus Is good, as far as 1t goes, but is de- fective because insufficient Tn 1t we fail to observe two very important truths, the consideration of which entirely destroys the logic of our conclusion. and robs it of all Its force and effect. I ask you who would be wise regarding the teaching of God, to observe with me these two truths, that we may together understand the loving kindness of the Lord
 We Are Lacking In Wisdom.
 "The first of these generally ignored truths is that, constituted as we are and sustaining to our environment the rela- tions that we do, we lack the necessary wisdom even were we clothed with su- | preme authority-to will effectually our universal happiness! Were action inde- pendent of results, and did results not involve other action, we might in this respect, have solid basis for effective | operation. Or, even, could we always foresee what would be the inevitable re- suit of our present action and what would be the further inevitable action oonse- | quent upon that result, we might make such provision that our every endeavor WOul1 De cOnOuClVe tO our cOHLlHueu nap piness and perpetual peace.
 But such is notsthe case. The separate actions of our daily lives are not in tegral links that occupy distinct and dis severed relations in our existence. They constitute common links of one continu- ous chain, reaching from the cradle to the grave Each consecutive link Is born of its predecessor, being forged of simi- lar metal and, with it, echoing forth har- monious ring. Not one of the seconds of our lives, as it flies, bears upon it's wong ed flight a detached burden. Each and every one carries its action into the mo- | ments, the hours the days, the weeks, [the montfs and the years of our earthly existence: and those years, with every action Of their seconds, merge into that eternity of duration which is to be ours with God. or without Him. according to the combined nature of the actions and results which shall constitute the con sonant, continued measure of the indi- vidual seconds whose separate identity Is lost in the meshes of that eternity's web as 1t takes them captive in their figh..
 We Only See the Present.
 But neither have We the omniscience | to discern the secrets of that future which has not yet become the past of eternity We can see only for the now! l Our actions of today produce results de- termined largely by conditions of to- l morrow. Of those results Is born neces- | sity for further action. The nature of | this further action we cannot determine until we have intelligent comprehension l of the conditions that make it necessary. And while these conditions are ever | pregnant with possibilities eternal in | their significance, we cannot forsee or | make proper provision for them until they are actually upon us, clothed in the revelation of the fulness of time. ''In our views upon this subject, let | us not fail to discriminate between the possession of authority and the possess sion of wisdom to properly exercise that authority.
 ''Why. the most unhappy household in