Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-03-23
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to see how often and constantly fam
lily terms are made use of in the Chris
tan system? Such an examination is
surely worthy Of your careful study
and will prove to be a revelation Of
lasting profit as well as pleasure.
First Of all, God is spoken Of as
Father, which necessarily implies that
we are brethren, heirs to a common
Inheritance in life and eternity. Gods
love Is ikened to that Of a mother
| by the Prophet Isaiah. The home is
recognized as the center around which
| all other things cluster that are desir-
able in this life. Infant character is
one Of the most marked in earthly
homes, and one Of the most attractive.
In Gods spiritual family the character
Of the babe in Christ is honored and
highly esteemed by all.
What lively emotions are kindled
in the human breast at the incoming Of
an infant into the family circle. In
Gods family angels are said to be re-
| joicing at the repentance of sinner
or the birth of "a newborn soul into
the kingdom. Then childhood, as it be.
gins to act it's part in the family, be-
comes character of marked import
ance; so in Gods family.
Witness the rudy checked David
tending his few sheep Timothy was
complimented for his knowledge of the
| Scriptures from childhood. Christ, as
he talked with the doctors of the law,
attracted the attention of the wise and
gifted ones.
The marriage relation is one Of the
prominent acts in family history God
uses that relationship to describe the
tender tie that binds him to his peo-
pie. Sickness, with it's wasting hand,
is spoken Of as the misfortune of the
home circle So estrangement from
Gods household is spoken of as being
faintness of head and sickness Of
heart. AS a mother cares for the sick
Of her family, so God cares for the
suffering ones in his.
Almost every relationship known
among men in family relationship is
type of a similar one in the household
of God. If these are so sweet and i'm
portant in this preparatory world,
where flesh at best is weak, what must
they be in the heavenly family, where
all weakness is gone and only perfect
character remains?
If we poor mortals could only love
the family relationship as we should,
draw the pure streams of blessing in
tended by it's organization, then we
could not but be greatly blessed in be-
ing members Of Gods family circle in
| this life preparatory to an eternal en-
| trance into the family circle above.
How happy it would be for the
world if it could only recognize the
fact that Gods family Of earth and
heaven is one, and that we are breth-
rem! Then jars would cease, strife
would vanish away, riches would Tot
be SO narrow in their blessings, race,
or tribal relationships would not be
of such paramount Importance. These
apparent differences could all be in the
care of our loving Father. We could
all very cheerfully abide the time
when He should bring His entire fam
| lily into one grand and glorious circle,
where we should be one in Christ.
May the spirit of Gods family pos
sess each Of our hearts this Sabbath
morning and send us to our new earth
ly homes with greater love for them
and desire to shape them like to the
section Of the family now in the sun
bright cline
The family implies various persons
having different talents, tastes and
capabilities. 1t would be we'll for us
| to recognize the fact that other persons
as we'll as ourselves may belong to the
family of God Christ said that who
soever shall do the will of my Father
which is in heaven, the same is my
brother, sister and mother" There
may be very useful members of Gods
family that differ much from us in
action and manner Of thought, yet in
heart are as pure as we, and as accept
able to the Father.