In this view of the case, the true “signs of regeneration” would be each person's consciousness of the great end and purpose of his life, and the fruits or results of this purpose in an habitual obedience to the physical, social and moral laws of God, as learned by reason, experience and revelation. Thus the answer to the great question of life becomes clear, harmonious and practical, furnishing the means for every person to judge of his own character and prospects.
Chapter XXXVIII. Tendencies of the Two Systems in Reference to the Character of God.
It has been shown ([chapter 24]) that emotive love, in view of noble and interesting traits of character, affords a most powerful motive in securing voluntary love or good willing according to the laws of God. This is the grand reason why it is so important that all his creatures should regard their Creator, whose laws they must obey, as perfect in every noble and lovable quality. This would render it easy and delightful to obey his will.
The principle of gratitude is the strongest in our nature, in calling forth desires to please another. This [pg 260] renders it so important that we should regard our Maker, not only as noble and lovely, but as the dispenser of innumerable and constant favors to ourselves and to those whom we love.
The highest emotions of love and gratitude are evoked when a noble and lovely benefactor condescends to humiliation, suffering, and even to death to rescue from great calamity. And the greater the danger and suffering from which this goodness rescues, the stronger the gratitude and the desire to please the benefactor.
In this view we can conceive of no way in which our Creator could so powerfully influence his creatures to virtuous self-sacrifice for the general good in obedience to his laws, as by such an exhibition on his part.
It has been shown [[Chapter 28]] that by the light of reason and experience alone, we infer that our race are exposed to dreadful risk and danger of evils, which to some will prove interminable. If, then, it can be made to appear that our Creator has submitted to great humiliation and suffering to rescue us, and that his chief desire is that his creatures should obey his beneficent laws, the strongest conceivable motives would be secured to lead to glad obedience to the rules of virtue. And having shown that the chief end of our Creator is to do all in his power to make the most possible happiness, we should infer that he had made or would make such a manifestation of his character to his creatures. And were this revealed to us as done, such a revelation would properly be called “glad tidings,” as that which was best fitted to save men from sin and suffering.
According to the system of common sense, our Creator is presented as the Almighty Father, who forms each finite mind an embryo image of his own all perfect mind, with the great design of making all the happiness possible. Although the highest happiness of each and of all, depends on the perfect action of every mind, such action is not possible in the nature of things except as a knowledge of his laws and of the motives to secure obedience are made known by finite educators, who must first be trained themselves by a long and slow process. Thus every mind is dependent for its final success in attaining perfect obedience to law, and for perfected happiness, on God, on finite educators and on self.
In carrying forward the development and education of our race, the Creator always has done and always will do the best that is possible for the good of all. And yet, so far as reason and experience teach, some will be ruined for ever. The deteriorating process begun in this life, and its baleful results, will continue for ever.