Soberly, Righteously and Godly.
By Christian Advocate
THERE is no conflict of laws in the divine government. There is a logical connection and harmony between the requirements of the divine law. We are to live soberly. Sobriety is a condition of mind favorable to the reception of truth. A knowledge of certain truths relating to the character of God and his dealings with men is necessary to the commencement of the religious life. A flighty and careless mind will not clearly apprehend the truths which are able to make one wise unto salvation. The more clearly those truths are perceived at the outset, the more marked will be the soul's entrance on the new life. The new life, while it experiences new emotions, is a life devoted to doing that which is right. Those have a very imperfect idea of Christian life who think it consists mainly in acts of devotion and in seasons of spiritual enjoyment. Christ came to do the will of him who sent him. We are to follow his example, for God's will has reference to every act of life. The laws of justice and morality are as binding as the laws of penitence and faith. The Christian's life should be a righteous life. The gospel does not lower the claims of the law of righteousness. As sobriety leads to the higher plane of righteousness, so righteousness leads to the still higher plane of godliness. It is said with truth that we are under obligation to perform a right act because it is right, but in the Christian life love to God becomes the prompting motive to obedience. As the soul makes progress in the divine life, the sense of obligation becomes lost as it were in love. Thus love becomes the fulfilling of the law. A godly life is a life of loving obedience to the will of God, a life in sympathy with God, a life glorifying God with body and spirit. This life can be led by the humblest wayfarer as well as by the man of intelligence and means. All our wants should be made known to God in prayer, but the prayer that should most frequently be felt in the heart should be the prayer for grace to lead a sober, righteous, and godly life.—Christian Advocate.