Mystery of Godliness

There is nothing perhaps, that is more talked or written about, or that is made a subject of critical, if not of philosophical research, than the subject of godliness; and there is nothing that evades the grasp of human intellect, and outstrips the genius of the most profoundly wise, so much as that subject. The geologist may dig into the bowels of the earth, and open the different strata of minerals; the docomposition [decomposition] of vegetable matter; the process of petrefaction [putrefaction]; the various changes of the different strata; and the length of time that it takes to effect those changes: together with the various specimens of timber, shells, bones, fossils, &c., &c., form sufficient data whereon to found an hypothesis that must lead to certain conclusions pertaining to the organization, age and revolutions of the earth. But he may at the same time be most egregiously ignorant of the principles of godliness. The Astronomer may make himself acquainted with the heavenly bodies; understand perfectly the motions of the solar system; and with the capacious mind of a Newton or Herschell, dig out and unravel the mysterious windings of the celestial spheres, and know nothing of those principles that govern the Almighty, and regulate the affairs of his kingdom; who spake, and worlds rolled into existence, and who upholds those worlds "by the word of his power." It has evaded the grasp of the linguist, the philosopher and the sage; and the divine has had to exclaim as one of old, "great is the mystery of godliness."

The very nature of religion has been a stumbling block to many of our philosophers, who, because they could not, with mathematical precision, demonstrate its various problems, unravel its hidden mysteries, and drag into daylight, its incomprehensible truths, have proclaimed godliness a farce, religion a delusion, and its votaries fools. It is true that there has been, and now is, a great deal of priestcraft in the world; and it is equally true that the thing called religion, has been very much abused; and that godliness is too little thought of, and less known: but the abuse, mal-administration, or neglect of principle, does, by no means, prove that the principle does not exist, that it is not correct; nor does it prove that it is not calculated to meet the exigencies, and wants of the human family, nor to promote their highest interest, peace and prosperity on earth, and their eternal happiness in the world to come.

There are various grades of intelligences in the world; and the scale of human intellect, is very dissimilar. One man may fully understand how to make a ditch, or to cut down a tree, but could not comprehend the motion of the heavenly bodies, however clearly defined, for could he understand the principles of trigonometry or algebra; not because the principles are not demonstrable, the problems may be solved, and the principles demonstrated with mathematical precision; but the man is equally ignorant of the principles, proofs, and ideas; and his mind incapable of comprehending them; and they, of course, however intelligent and lucid, are no proofs to him. If there is this disparity of intellect between man and man, how much greater difference there is between God and man; and how incapable man must be, unless it is revealed to him of finding out God, who is the fountain of wisdom, and the source of all intelligence. Well might it be said of old, "canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? it is high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? the measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader that the sea." We are moreover told that, "as the heavens are higher than the

earth, so are God's thoughts above our thoughts, and his ways above our ways." Under those circumstances, we seek in vain to know God, unless we seek in his appointed way, and obtain the intelligence that he himself, imparts.

There has been something mysterious in all the dealings of God with the human family, if in the pages of the sacred oracles of truth we trace the finger of Jehovah, we shall find that there are many things that to us are inexplicable, and which to the persons concerned in the age in which they transpired, would be dark and mysterious. If we notice the situation of Noah, called to build an ark upon the dry land, it certainly was a curious project, and calculated at least to bring upon him the witticism and raillery of the generation in which he lived; our wise men could not have accounted for it upon any philosophical principles, and of course would have pronounced it folly: and the generation in which he lived were, we presume, equally wise, if we may judge from their conduct; for none of them made preparations for themselves, nor did they avail themselves of the ark that was built by Noah.

Abraham was placed in a peculiar situation when the Lord called him to offer up his son Isaac. How the promise of God was to be fulfilled to him, was indeed mysterious. He had stated that in "Isaac his seed should be called" and yet he tells him, peremptorily to offer up his son, the only possible channel through which he could fulfil [fulfill] the promise of God made to him. His removal from the land in which he lived, to the land of Canaan, was equally as mysterious, and would appear as singular and visionary to the people with which he was surrounded. The Lord said to Abraham, "get thee out of thy country, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew [show] thee; and I will make of thee a great nation," &c. Genesis, xii: 1, 2. And Paul, in speaking on the subject, says, "he went up, not knowing whither he went." Now suppose we imagine to ourselves that we see the venerable Patriarch, starting off, with his household, on this expedition, agreeable to the word of the Lord, in company with his nephew Lot, and we see some of their neighbors, relations and friends, surrounding them. We might imagine that something like the following conversation would take place:

Abraham, what are you packing up your goods, gathering your flocks and herds, and saddling your asses for? You look as though you were going on a journey. I am going on a journey, answers the Patriarch, at the command of the Lord. Whither goest thou, they again ask. I do not know, is his unsatisfactory reply. What? with astonishment they ask, the Lord has told you to go somewhere, and you do not know where? you must be under some fatal delusion! Are you going to leave a certainty, for an uncertainty? Are you going to leave your friends, your kindred, and your fathers house, to wander into a strange land that you do not know of, nor the people, nor even where you are going: strange infatuation. I go, says Abraham, at the bidding of the Almighty. Ah! we do not believe the Almighty would tell you to do such a thing. No matter, says, he, whether you believe it or not, I go.-Then, for God's sake, leave your wife, your family, your cattle, and Lot's family-do not bring destruction upon them. If you must go, first ascertain where you are going-find out the location, and then return. But the "father of the faithful" is unwavering, and he went up, "not knowing whither he went." No doubt but that his neighbors and friends would consider him a fool, not understanding the principles by which he was actuated. The history of Moses furnishes us with many mysterious movements that to many would be altogether inexplicable. The circumstances connected with his departure from Egypt; the forty years travel in the wilderness, when forty days would have taken them to the land; their passage through the Red Sea, when they could have easily avoided it, and have gone a much nearer way without passing it; the earth opening and swallowing Koran and his company; the falling of Manna, of Quails, and many other circumstances, are indeed to us peculiar. The history of Joshua, the Judges, and of the Prophets, abound with circumstances of the most peculiar kind, and which can only be accounted for upon the principles of faith. The Sun and the Moon standing still; the walls of Jerico [Jericho] falling, with the sound of ram's horns; Sampson killing so many with the jaw bone of an ass; lifting up the pillars of the Temple, and causing the building to fall.

The case of Gideon's going forth with his little company, and discomfiting the enemy; Elijah's raising the dead and being translated, and ten thousand other things that might be mentioned are to the world a paradox, and would be the same to many of us, if we had to experience them. Add to this the many peculiarities, some of which would naturally be revolting to us, the many wives of Solomon, David, and other great men. The case of Hoseas' being told to take unto him a wife of whoredoms, and children of whoredoms; that

of Ezekiel's being told to lay on his left side and hear the iniquity of the house of Israel, three hundred and ninety days, and forty days on his right side, for the iniquity of the house of Judah, and to mix up his food with his own dung; Ezekiel 4: iv. The circumstances of Jeremiah's being told to hide the girdle until it should be marred, and so his command to break the potter's vessel, in the presence of the Jews, as typical of their overthrow are not without their peculiarities. Indeed the whole of the dealings of God with the human family, are to us mysterious, and can only be accounted for upon the principle of faith. Hence we are told that "as high as the heavens are above the earth, so are the Lord's thoughts above our thoughts, and his ways above our ways."

(To be Continued.)