Page:Spiritual Reflections for Every Day in the Year - Vol 2.pdf/32

 reveal Himself in His Word, is to the mind both pleasing and instructive. It is pleasing, because we discern that God is infinitely good and wise; and instructive, because by contemplating the Being of infinite goodness, we discern the true character of man. Our Father in the heavens has declared Himself to be a "God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." (Exod. xxxiv. 6) He is at once the Light and Life of men. Infinite goodness excludes all evil, and infinite truth all falsehood. The Love of God is manifestly seen in His wisdom, and His wisdom is the light that gives form, beauty, colour, and brightness to all creation, so that, as the apostle expresses it, "God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all." (1 John i. 5.) We can then only think of the Divine determination as of an infinite Being, absolutely perfect, creating recipient forms of life for the sole purpose of imparting to them the joys and blessings of a happy existence. God was pleased to create man in His own image, after or according to His likeness. Hence man is created with liberty of will and thought, that he may, by a love to, and a faith in, the Author of his being, become finitely good, wise, and free. Divine determination is the creature's good! To effect this, God in mercy, seeing all the wants of such beings, provides for them all the comforts of life in this world, that they may be led onward to happiness in eternity. Man is therefore created with two faculties—will and understanding; the will to give him power of choice, the understanding to discern right from wrong. The faithful use of these in pursuing all that is virtuous, religious, and happy, is called GOOD; the abuse of these in pur-