THE STUDY OF GOD AS REVEALED

IN GOVERNMENT.

LESSON XXXII.

"If any man say, I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst, the Lord will not spare him."-Deut. 29: 19, 20.

1. Government implies three things, viz: laws, subjects and executor. The divine government is unique, giving but little chance for comparison with anything human.

2. Every goverment is founded on some basis, as a leading principle. Monarchies generally rest upon the "divine right of kings."

3. Most of the eastern monarchies, with the Roman government, rested upon brute force. The government of the United States rests upon the equality of roan.

4. The government of God rests upon inherent law, founded in eternal justice. Given, a relation, and a law governs containing its own inhering penalty. The nature of God and law, in a sense, are inseparable.

5. All the natural relations, revealed of God, to the world, are those of equity and justice. Hence, a priori, we should infer that his nature is the embodiment of the grand order of sequence. 6. The executive agents of nature are the elements; such as wind, fire, water, light, electricity and gravitation. They never act without cause, but are implacable in pushing the effect from a given incentive.

7. These are God's sub-agents. What these are to the senses, God must be to the untaught children of nature.

8. Revealed only by nature, or studied only by the light of nature, the great Executor of the universe implacably follows the legitimate tendencies of law,

9. God's voice, in nature, is obey and live, disobey and die. Mercy, having no position with God's sub-agents, is completely out of the ques

tion.

QUESTIONS.

1. What does government imply?

What is said of the divine government?

Can we closely compare it with those which are human?

2. What may be said of all government? What do present monarchies rest on?

Has God given such right in the nature of man's being?*

Under what circumstances did he give Israel a king?* 1 Sam. 12: 19.

3. Upon what did most of the eastern monarchies rest?

What is the foundation of the government of the United States?

When was man's religious equality first stated?* Acts 10: 34.

When was man's political equality first stated ?*

4. Upon what does the government of God rest? Ps. 89: 14.

What accompanies every relation?

Can God violate the law of right?

If not, is it from the lack of power, or does his moral nature forbid ?*

5. In accordance with what law are all the natural relations of God?

What should we infer a priori ?

What is the order of sequence? *

Ans. Effect follows cause.

6. What are the executive agents of nature? What do these follow ?

What do they seem implacable to do?

7. What relation do the elements hold to God? How would the winds do for an illustration of God's mercy, under violated law ?*

How would fire? *

How would water? *

Can any of the elements, acting under unrestrained law, suggest the restoring mercy of God?* 8. Confined to this manner of revelation, what would be our understanding of the great Executor of law?

9. What is God's voice in nature?

Do the sub-agents show mercy?

Could man hope for God's mercy unless farther taught?

*

Does not the proposition to save man, show the necessity of a revealing Saviour?*

THE STUDY OF GOD AS REVEALED

IN GOVERNMENT.

LESSON XXXIII.

"And the government shall be upon his shoulder."-Isa: 9: 6.

1. The principles of salvation through pardon, can never be successfully set forth in the face of God's sub-agents, until one, authorized to speak and act for God, shall show that mercy is a cofactor in the government of God.

He

2. Jesus Christ, returning from the Jordan, was the anointed messenger of the covenant. was sent, not only to set man an authentic example, but, also, to give a new governmental relation of God to man. He succeeded in showing that justice and mercy are co-ordinate factors in