The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-11-24


| Rhode Island and Providence plantations.
II our text means that all things work
! together for good to them that love God
| and only those can love God who have
been chosen by Him. then on the basis
| of any consistent human Interpretation
| this Is just as immoral as the act of the
legislature To favor the Standard oil com
| pany at the expense OF the multitude.
Two-sIDED MORALITY.
| A two-sided morality is born OF the
\ temptation Of satan To ascribe good
ness To God for an act that we condemn
| I'm our public life and do IL under the
| guise OF not being able to understa nd
! Gods ways is religionst hypocrisy and
cant. John Stewart MIL was right when
4, he said: II will call no being good who
| Is not what | mean when ! apply that
] eplthet TO my fellow creatures. aud if
1 such a being can sentence me To he'll
for not calling him so TO hell Will go.
IL may CRATE on our finer sensibllities
| this strong oppression but IL had enough
/, virtue I'm II to live and be quoted by the
wisest and best OF men.
But we must never forget that all legis-
| lation,- whether of God or man. however
universal IL may be In principle. only
| benefits certain class or men. The OBJ
| ject OF our laws is TO insure the largest
amount OF personal liberty consistent
law your liberty is insured But II you
violate IL the law that before protected
your liberty now destroys IL. The re-
sponsiblity has shifted.
IL God has made you for righteousness
and me for sin then God Is responsible
not only for your righteousness. but for
my sin. But II God has given law that
every man can obey and some men don't.
the responsibility for violated law IL on
the heads OF the sinners All things do
not work together for good for all men be-
cause all men do not love God.
OUTSIDE THE PROVISION.
They stand outside OF the provision.
what matters II TO you that the New
York. New Haven g. Hartford Railroad
has declared y dividend. Ii matters moth
ing. You have no stock. But II is Of In
finite concern to your neshbor. who
has all his money invested there. II Is
exactly the same principle I'm connection
with our text.
Instead OF the evil and misfortune of
many men being proof that there Is no
God, It's the strongest proof not only that
4 there is but that our text is literal truth.
But let us make no mistake. With our
| broadening conceptions we ofttimes
| credit some men with the love Of God
who do not profess IL. Ne are. less likely
to err here than In our assumption that
make the profession.
| Love to God is not weak sentiment
"sfcklied DER with the pale cast OF
| thought" IL is the most vigorous prin-
] ciple q life. What has not been accom-
/ plished In the roar and din of battle has
| been silently wrought out In the recesses
| OF the heart Love involves all things II
engulfs the individual soul. seems 20
swallow up the two individualitles and
then In It's mpatience creates a third
! TO LIVE HIS LIFE
To love God Is to live in His life. To
| trust in Ills goodness. TO obey His will
| and TO let Him work In us both TO Will
and TO do OF His good pleasure Our will
becomes Identified with His and we no
longer live but God liveth in us That
Is the meaning OF love.
! To say that all things work together
! Tor good 10 them that love God means
| nothing more nor less than that this is
a moral universe. that God is still Great
Ing II and with purpose. and that every
! thing serves that end and that II YOU
have stock In the kingdom OF God you
share In the dividends
That which seems only :he shallow
ness OF sentiment is after all only the
surface OF the profoundest meta physics
that concerns itself with no less a prob
lem than the fundamental nature and
| htdiink VI the universe.
Ethics and philosophy confirm IL and
| every law OF nature and OF health teach
| It's sweet reasona hleness."
why then do We doubt IL? The facts
| or experience seem 10 contradict IT, But
the facts OF experience contradict not
what tho text SAYS, but what we think
| N says
Even to those who love God all things
| DO not bring JOY. The text doesn't saw
so. All things to the saint do not bring
pleasure or even happiness The text
! doeSn say so. There are a great MANY
l timSs when happiness or pleasure are NOT
for our good The text emphasizes good
All things work together for our good
aad our good may he wet with tears
anguish.
! THINGS THAT BENEFITED
f, As one looks back over past years the
! things that have benefited one most have
| not always worn "A smile or the things
| that nave been our curse have NOT al
ways been clothed In sack cloth and
| ashes ""u
We must ne, forget here or v. shan
miss ur vital meaning Of the text tho
idea conveyed by the expression good
Go0dnesf n always a relative term
tang 10 good not In 80 far as II - right
or wrong but In so far as a. serves the
END for which II was intended A man
GOOD business man as he serves and
fulnlls the Ideal OF business Goodness is
htness for some end horse NAV ,e
perfectly gentle and docile In every way.
yet IL we have purchased him for speed
and he T. unable 60 move faster than a
walk he 10 not good horse.
Let us note then our text I'm the light
or this To them who love God IL 4.
prOmife ed that all things will work TO-
fCr A..