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Severity in Family Government
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have good and convenient things to use in the service of God, but
they are considered highly essential in the concerns of this life. Men
will reveal the true moral tone of the principles of their hearts.
Many of our people have become narrowed in their views. Order,
neatness, taste, and convenience are termed pride and love of the
world. A mistake is made here. Vain pride, which is exhibited in
gaudy trappings and needless ornaments, is not pleasing to God. But
He who created for man a beautiful world, and planted a lovely gar-
den in Eden with every variety of trees for fruit and beauty, and who
decorated the earth with most lovely flowers of every description
and hue, has given tangible proofs that He is pleased with the beau-
tiful. Yet He will accept the most humble offering from the poorest,
weakest child, if he has no better to present. It is the sincerity of the
soul that the Lord accepts. The man who has God enshrined in his
heart, exalted above all, will be led to a thorough submission of his
will to God, and will make an entire surrender of himself to His rule
and reign.
Shortsighted mortals do not comprehend the ways and works of
God. Their eyes are not directed upward to Him as they should be.
They do not have exalted views of eternal things. They only look at
these things with a clouded vision. They take no special delight in
contemplating the love of God, the glory and splendor of heaven, the
exalted character of the holy angels, the majesty and inexpressible
loveliness of Jesus, our Redeemer. They have so long kept earthly
things before their vision that eternal scenes are vague and indistinct
to them. They have limited views of God, heaven, and eternity.
Sacred things are brought down upon a level with common;
therefore in their dealing with God they manifest the same close,
penurious spirit as in dealing with their fellow men. Their offerings
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to the Lord are lame, sick, or deficient. They carry on the same rob-
bery with Him that they have with their fellow men. Their minds do
not reach up to an exalted moral standard, but remain on a low level;
they are constantly breathing the impure miasma of the lowlands of
earth.
Brother L, you rule with a rod of iron in your family. You are
severe in the government of your children. You will not gain their
love by this course of management. You are not tender, loving,
affectionate, and courteous to your wife; but are harsh, and bear