Truth, Conscience, and Love
THERE are two insuperable difficulties, which would forever hinder the restoration of mankind to truth and happiness from being accomplished by human means. The first is, that human instruction, as such, has no power to bind the conscience, even if it were competent to discover all the truth necessary for a perfect rule of conduct, yet the truth would have no reformatory power because men could never feel that truth was obligatory which proceeded from merely human sources. It is an obvious principle of our nature that the conscience will not charge guilt on the soul for disobedience, when the command proceeds from a fellow man, who is not recognized as having the prerogative and the right to require submission. And besides, as men's minds are variously constituted, and of various capacities, there could be no agreement in such a case concerning the question "What is truth?" As well might we expect two school boys to reform each other's manners in school, without the aid of the teacher's authority, as that man can reform his fellow, without the sanction of that authority which will quicken and bind the conscience. The human conscience was made to recognize and enforce the authority of God; and unless there is belief in the divine origin of the truth, conscience refuses to perform its office. But the grand difficulty is this:—Truth, whether sanctioned by conscience or not, has no power to produce love in the heart. The law may convict and guide the mind, but it has no power to soften and change the affections. This was the precise thing necessary, and this necessary thing the wisdom of the world could not accomplish. All the wisdom of all the philosophers in all ages, could never cause the affections of the soul to love the holy blessed God. To destroy selfish pride, and produce humility; to eradicate the evil passions, and produce in the soul desires for the universal good and love for the universal Parent, was beyond the reach of earthly wisdom and power. The wisdom of the world in their efforts to give truth and happiness to the human soul was foolishness with God. Christ Crucified was foolishness with the philosophers in relation to the same subject, yet it was divine philosophy, an adapted means, and the only adequate means, to accomplish the necessary end. Said an apostle in speaking upon the subject, "The Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. The Jews while they required a sign did not perceive that miracles in themselves, were not adapted in themselves to produce affection. And the Greeks while they sought after wisdom, did not perceive that all the wisdom of the Gentiles could not work love in the heart. But the apostle preached Christ Crucified, an exhibition of self denial, of suffering, and self-sacrificing love and mercy, endured in behalf of man; which when received by faith, became the power of God to produce love and obedience in the human soul. Paul understood the efficacy of the cross. He looked to Christ crucified as the sun of the gospel system. Not as the moon reflecting cold and borrowed rays; but as the sun of righteousness, glowing with radiant mercy, and pouring warm beams of love into the open bosom of the believer.—Plan of Salvation.