INTELLIGENCER. Vol. xlii.-No. 19.

BY SUNDERLAND P. GARDNER.

"He that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting." This expresses to us my friends that man cannot possibly dispense or receive that which is good so far as he himself is concerned. Man is constituted like other animal beings, he has a nature like them, passions and propensities like them, yet he did not form any of these himself, the great All Wise Father created them, and placed

them in him. When we awaken to consciousness, after we come into this world we find ourselves in the possession of these passions, propensities and powers, we find them in us, and know of a certainty that we did not create one of them; that they were not placed there by our own choice or election, and

* Delivered at an appointed meeting at Race Street Meetinghouse, on Third-day evening, the 12th of Fifth month, 1885. Reported by Henry T. Child.

if these animal bodies were all there is that goes to make up the compound nature of man, there could be no more responsibility on the part of man than there is in the animal creation below him. Paul said "the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." It is only the spirit that can discern spiritual things.

Therefore in the human economy there must be something placed that can discern spiritual things, or he still would not be accountable. That which enlightens and instructs man is that which is placed by our Heavenly Father, in his wisdom, over the natural man. God hath given to man reason or understanding and thus placed him in a condition to receive instruction from that which is higher than himself.

For this purpose it was designed that reason should be placed in man, that he should fill his place and allotment in life. Now although our passions and propensities are all good, when kept in their proper places, as they come from an All Wise Creator, who never made anything wrong, or placed anything wrong in man-yet he hath so arranged these that they are blind, they have no reason, and therefore there is that which has reason—has judgment that is placed in man to control and direct them, and he therefore becomes responsible for every action. This then, that God has placed in man, stands higher than anything else in man's nature, because it can receive inspiration. This therefore which receives the inspiration of our Heavenly Father is what we call the soul, or spirit. This is that which we believe communicates with man. We have read and heard is immortal, because it is the means by which God a great deal of our Heavenly Father, but neither of God; a man may search from his early life to the history nor hearsay can give us a saving knowledge close thereof and he cannot find God by any outward means, but he need not go without a knowledge of his Creator, for He reveals Himself in the souls of men. This is that which gives us a consciousness of right and wrong.

We know this in our own experience; we know that when we do right we feel justified and satisfied with our actions. On the other hand, when we do wrong, we feel that which gives us uneasiness, there is something within us that bears a strong and clear testimony against wrong, and it will continue to bear that testimony just so long as we continue to do wrong.

Now, my friends, that which speaks in us is our Heavenly Father's Spirit, and we need not depend

That which instructs us is altogether sufficient and we are not required to go to our neighbor or our brother to inquire concerning the Lord, for under the dispensation in which we live the covenant of God is that "I will put my Spirit in them, and every one shall know me from the least of them to the greatest." This revelation of our Heavenly Father to us is that which instructs us from the time that we become so far developed that we can discern spiritual things, He begins then to write his lessons on the tablets of our hearts, and He is ever with us. While therefore we cannot know the Lord from external circumstances; yet we may all know Him. "He is that light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world." No one can have an excuse for being lost, if we walk according to the best light that we have, and I believe we are all anxious to be saved, and whatever may be our present condition and experience we all hope that by and by we shall attain to a better and higher state,

We all feel something, however, much we may struggle against it, that makes us uneasy when we do wrong we seek rest and cannot find it, until we come to submit to the requirings of that which shines in our hearts, which is called the Son of God, or Jesus Christ. It is called the word of God, the truth of God. Here, my friends is that which we stand in need of becoming acquainted with.

There are those who call the Bible the word of God, but it is no outward book,—it is not that which comes from outward observation concerning things in nature, but it is that which is revealed in every spirit. Jesus said to His Heavenly Father, "Thy word is Truth." Thus it is clearly shown what Jesus meant to instruct man constituted the word of God.

Here then we see that this truth is not partial, it speaks a language according to our conditions, and if each one would obey that which is revealed to him, although there is a great variety of talents and conditions, which is all right, it would produce no disharmony in the human family, each would fulfill the mission which was called for at his hand, each would fill his measure of duty, so each might go on, although called in different directions and to different kinds of work, yet there would be harmony in all this variety. This was clearly set forth in the account we have when Jesus was transfigured. After the cloud had passed away Peter said to Jesus, "It is good for us to be here, if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, one for Elias." Here we see he was willing to include Jesus with the rest, but he wished to perpetuate Moses and Elias or the prophets. He wished to perpetuate the mission of John the Baptist, and John's mission was simply an outward one, to call men to a condition of repentance, preparatory to receiving God in their hearts.

Now we can perceive how it was in regard to the variety which he wished to continue, the three dispensations, but there was only one thing that they could turn to, and that was Jesus the Son of Godin whom was the Spirit of the Father. He was sent as a Saviour to that people. He had come to bring to their view immortality, to show that we are not to be dependent upon the outward law. He called them

Jesus said, "ye have heard thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy," but He reversed this, "Thou shalt love thine enemy." He said that they should put no trust in any external thing whatever.

The law could take no knowledge of the state of the heart; if a man desired in his heart, even to take the life of a fellow man, the law would not take any hold upon him, if he did not do any action it would not bring him under condemnation. Hence it became necessary that all outward things should be taken away that they might obey the law written in their hearts.

It was for bearing a faithful testimony against the prevailing customs of his time that Jesus was brought to the cross-and gave up His life.

John bore testimony with regard to his own dispensation that it must decrease, while that of Jesus would increase.

Among the millions that, to-day, submit to the water baptism of John can we believe that all these are baptized with the Holy Spirit? Is it any more than an outward form?

If Christendom should all at once be questioned as to what they believed, they would all say we profess the religion of Jesus Christ, but if a true answer were given it would be that we follow the law and the precepts of Moses.

We can see this, and it will be the case just so long as professing Christians engage in war; just so long as all the governments of the world are based upon force and retaliation. The law of Moses is one of the tabernacles that the people are ready to build, while that of Jesus may lie in the streets neglected. What is wanted is to come away from all external things and not lean upon any of them.

We must not look to outward blood or any sacrifices of an outward nature. The only sacrifices that we are called upon to make are to avoid those things wherein we have done wrong; to change about and do right; this is reform. Many have been taught, as I was in my early years, that we come into the world with something harmful in our nature, that because of Adam's transgression, we are all laboring under a great disadvantage, and in a condition of enmity to God. I believed this because I thought those who taught me knew. Now I know that this is not so, this instruction gives a wrong bias-and those things which are taught to us in our early life grow with our growth and increase with our years.

How important it is that children should be rightly taught!

They should be taught only those things which are of a practical nature, and are easily understood, so that when the light of divine Truth breaks in upon their minds they will easily leave off any habits which are wrong.

We may speak to them of faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity, or love. We may clearly perceive that if we teach them these and impress them properly upon their minds, when they come to a state of responsibility

on their own part, and are able to exercise their reason, they will not have to lay any of them aside, because their condition will correspond with the teachings which they have had.

Now, this is simple and easy to understand; but men have turned their thoughts away from this, they have arranged and formed creeds and dogmas, and have given a wrong bias to our thoughts, and have bound the human mind with adamantine chains, and when we thus become fixed and set in these things it is very hard for us to break away from them. But there is that which shows us that these things are

wrong.

It seems right for me to appeal to the young people who are now present that they take not a wrong position with regard to their Heavenly Father, and with regard to the relation which He bears to them. I feel that there can be no enmity on the part of our Heavenly Father towards any of His creation. He stands in the relation of a loving father, and can have no anger against us. We realize that we can only be held responsible for that which is given to us. "The soul that sinneth it shall die." Therefore, if any have an impression or belief fixed in their minds that their Heavenly Father is angry with them because they are poor sinful creatures I would say to them this is all wrong. All that our Heavenly Father does for us is in love.

Åll the declarations that give the attributes of an ger to God are false. God speaks to man in love, and instructs him with regard to his relations to Himself and his fellow-man.

There is no partiality on the part of our Heavenly Father; His call to the human family ever has been, "Come unto Me, all ye ends of the earth, and be saved." Now, my friends, this very call to us shows clearly that He has given us the ability to obey it; if we had no power to obey what He requires of us, we could not be held responsible. We may understand the allegory of the garden that man was placed in, and that in the midst of it was the tree of life.

The garden is in man; it is simply an allegorical representation of the outward condition of man, and as we remain in the condition of innocency we shall be preserved from all sin and from everything that can hurt or destroy. As surely as there was a way by which Jesus was enabled to maintain his purity without the stain of sin, there is also a way for all mankind. We come into this world pure and innocent, or else Jesus would not have said, "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Now, my friends, you can see by this that when we come into this world there is no partition between us and our Heavenly Father, and if we keep this condition of innocency, as Jesus did, we may pass through life with

out sin.

I know some have said that sin is innate in all children, but this is not so. God has written His law in the human heart, and there, if we will, we may know His will concerning us, and we are often called to submit our wills to the will of God. What is the object of our will? We are frequently told that we should have no will, especially as to matters of religion; but our Heavenly Father has given us that high power called the will for us to execute all those

things that are necessary for the fulfillment of our mission in life. If we would exercise our wills rightly, even after we have gone into a state of transgression, if we will exercise that executive power that God has given us, we may come out from under the power and dominion of sin into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Now, if any one is in the habit of doing wrong, in the use of anything which injures his body or mind, if he will ask his Heavenly Father for strength, and will say My feet shall not go to any place where anything is sold that will harm me, they will not go. This is the executive power of the will, and all we have to do is to see that it is right, that it brings us to work with God-His work is always to do good to the children of men-and as we come to work in harmony with this, we are disposed to do good to our fellow-men. There is no mystery with regard to this; that light which shines in our hearts is designed to make all things clear and plain to us.

Here, then, we can clearly comprehend and understand the relation which we bear to our Heavenly Father, because He has loved us, and then by obedience on our part the flame is kept alive, and it will continue to be kept alive just so long as we keep in this condition of obedience.

We must not suffer our passions and propensities to lead us away from the right and to neglect the improvement of the talents which our Heavenly Father has given us. He has placed the responsibility at our door, and if we improve the talents given us rightly it will be well with us, but if we neglect to improve our talents we shall be like the unprofitable servant set forth by Jesus in the parable.

There is no partiality on the part of our Heavenly Father, though He has given more to some than to others, He holds each responsible for that only which he has received.

Now it has come before my mind that in this place a table is set with sufficient for all that might come to it, and those who required much would be satisfied, and those who required little would also be satisfied.

Again, it is set forth in the case of the householder, that they who gathered much had nothing over, and they who gathered but little had all that they needed.

with

So we perceive that there is no partiality on the part of our Heavenly Father. The man ten talents is no better than he that hath one. There is a view held by many that there was a necessity for Christ to come into the world to suffer death in order that man might be saved.

He said, when making use of figurative language, that his blood would be shed for many; here he referred to the spirit and not to any outward blood. He never taught men that they should place any confidence in this, but that they should come to the truth, that which would lead them into all truth. The flesh could not lead into all truth, the blood could not lead into all truth; but that which the blood signifieth, that can wash our robes and make them white, or, in other words, they become clean in righteousness.

These things must become our experiences. The testimonies concerning God which we know to be true in our own experiences are all that we are responsible for as individuals.