[Footnote D: I John iv:9,10.]

"God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."[A] More perfect evidence than this of love, even God cannot give.

[Footnote A: St. John iii:16.]

7. The Harmony of God's Attributes: These attributes as well as those considered in lesson XII, must be thought upon as constituting a harmony; those with the existences as real and eternal as themselves; these with reference to harmony within or among themselves. Thus Justice may not deny the claims of Mercy. Mercy may not rob Justice. Even Love may not allow God to intrude upon Justice, or Wisdom or Truth. At the same time it must be remembered that Mercy and Love, no less than Justice, are attributes of God and somehow and somewhere must find entrance into the divine economy, must get themselves expressed and that worthily; worthy of their intrinsic nature, and worthy of God in whom they inhere. And while "all must be law" or at least in harmony with law; all "must be love," in harmony with love—for God, from first to last, is Love.

The attributes of God must be preserved in perfect accord if the moral harmony of the universe is to be maintained. It is these considerations which unite the attributes of God with the subject of Atonement. If God's moral government of the universe is, like his physical government, one of law, then Law, not personal, arbitrary, capricious Will must rule.

LESSON XIV.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

THE REIGN OF LAW.[A]

ANALYSIS.

REFERENCES.

I. The Government of the Universe—Two Methods Conceived of:

1. By Unvarying Law;

2. By Special Providence.

Doc. & Cov., Sec. 88; also Sec. 130.

A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology (White); Conflict Between Religion and Science (Draper); Natural Law in the Spiritual World (Drummond).

Joseph Smith, the Prophet-Teacher (Roberts), pp. 42-49.

Studies in Religion (Fiske), pp. 158-169, 337, 338.

II. Harmonization of Government by Unvarying Law, and the Existence of Special Providence.

1. Misconception of Unvarying Law; Laws Have Their Limitations.

2. Misconception of "Miracles."

III. The New Dispensation—Its Prophet and Doctrine Committed to the Reign of Law in Both the Physical and the Spiritual World.

[Footnote A: "The fundamental conception of law is an ascertained working sequence or constant order among the phenomena of nature.