The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1917-10-25

/ n Is spoken OF as
law. word, saying.
- m mandments
testimonies, judy
ments, and In our text, as the statutes
Of God.
The Psalmlst declares that these
statutes have been his song In the
house Of his pilgrimage. He pictures
himself as a pilgrim and sojourner, in
q strange land and far from home, but
finding his solace and delight In the
law Of God.
We must confess this Is a different
conception from that Of most men.
Gods law to them Is not the sweet
ener Of life. On the contrary. life
would do well enough II God could be
left out Of 1t. His law is the skeleton
ut the feast and to forget God IL their
daily pursuit.
Some, however, advance from the
place where Gods law In their dread
TO the place where they observe IL as
their duty. We suspect this is the at
titude Of many Christians. Well. the
Lord Is very tender and OF great
mercy; he will not break the bruised
reed nor Quench the smoking fax. But
how disappointed he must bel What
husband would tolerate q wife who
only engaged to do her duty" In re-
turn for his lover We are supposed
to live Ito the praise Of the glory Of
his grace" as EphesIans tells us, and
not merely do our duty" We sing:
Fairest Lord Jesus. Ruler Of all nature!
o Thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
Thee. my souls glory. Joy and crown.
Then we talk, rather dolefully. Of do
Ing our duty"
The Psalmist would show us a more
excellent way, In which dread and
duty give place to delight and the
statutes become songs. A few consid-
erations will show the reasOnableness
Of this attitude.
The Beauty Of the Lord.
First Of all. Gods laws are the ex-
preston Of his lovely nature. Things
are not right because God Wills them.
but God Wills them because they are
right. They express himself. The
sanity Bishop Nlnde Of the Methodist
church was once observed by a friend
with a peculiarly lovely expression on
his face. The friend asked what
thoughts they were which were reflect
ed thus In the Bishops face. 81 was
thinking Of God" was the reply. The
glory OF this God is expressed In his
statutes and II we keep them we shall
be like him and the beauty Of the Lord
our God shall be upon us.
Again. law is after all not such a
harsh thing. We should not desire
lawless country. Every creature finds
liberty In obeying the law of its be-
Ing and so shall we. A fish lives hap
PLY only so long as II stays In the wa
ter, with all its limitations. and we
shall be happy only In the will Of God.
one has said. 1.-THE principles of mathe-
matlcs determine beauty and the laws,
of geometry are at the basis of music;
but Just as the artist transfigures the
stern laws into picture and sonata, so
In knowledge, love, patience and sacri-
fee the austere precepts Of duty pass
into that beauty of holiness OF which
all other beauty is only the shadow"
The statutes have become songs.
Gods Rule Over All.
Once again, Gods statutes are In
agreement with all his laws. He
who upon Sinai uttered his will toward
men, sits upon the throne Of the uni
verse and issues his mandates to all
things animate and inanlmate. 'The
Lord hath prepared his throne In the
heavens and his kingdom ruleth over
all. Bless the Lord, we his angels,
that excel In strength, that do his
commandments, hearkening unto the
voice OF his word. Bless we the Lord.
all We hosts, We ministers of his that
do his pleasure" The angels not
only do his commandments but hearken
for the whispers OF his pleasure. The
starry armies of heaven are marshaled
under his captaincy. Things In earth
and waters under the earth receive the
law at his mouth. Science recognizes
more and more that not from many
sources but from one must come the
laws ruling In the sphere Of physical
things. Well. the statutes for a hui
man life came from him who rules
everywhere. and they must harmonize
with his rule elsewhere. So, we are
lifted TO the blessed vision Of the man
who does the will Of God as dwelling
In such a pivotal place that all things
work together for his good
Just as a mothers love makes a
service delight which to others Is a
dread or a mere duty, so II we love
God. his statutes will become songs.