The above proposition rests upon and is in harmony with all the
relations existing between natural wants and supplies, being itself a
supply. Does the power of vision make light a necessity? Yes; without it
the eye would be useless. Could man create his own light? It has taken
ages upon ages to invent the limited artificial light which we now have.
Man is endowed with the powers of locomotion. Could he create an earth
to move upon? Could he create the air for breathing? Were these and all
such matters necessities? And was man entirely unable to provide for his
own natural wants? The faculties with which man is endowed call for
these supplies, and they are necessities on account of the existence of
these faculties. Think of a being, if you can, with the powers of vision
in the entire absence of light, with no air to breathe nor earth to move
upon. Do you say such would be a grand failure? So it would. But the
Creator has not given powers to man for which he has no use, having
nothing to meet their demands. The existence of a faculty or power leads
logically to the conclusion which all candid, intelligent people have
reached, viz: that the Creator has made a supply for the use of every
faculty, or power which was designed and provided. Do you ask, what of
all this? I answer, man has the power to become religious, but he had no
more power to invent a supply for this faculty than he had to create
light for the eye or air to breathe. So the necessity for this must be
met with a supply from the Creator as well as all other natural demands
or powers.
Now, as we have a desire for the knowledge that we are approved of God,
and as religion consists in this knowledge, and in the knowledge of our
relations, dependence and obligations to God; and, as we have but one
means of obtaining this knowledge, and that is the means of his will
concerning us, then by knowing through that will that our actions are
such as he desires and approves, the one question remains to be
answered, How can man obtain the knowledge of the will of another
concerning himself? Ans.--Only by a revelation of the will of the one to
the other. I know not the will of the reader of this essay concerning
myself. My style of writing may not please him, but if he would tell me
just how he wishes me to write, then, by following his directions, I
should obtain the knowledge of his approbation as a necessary result
experienced in my own mental nature. This is plain, but no more plain
than God's revelation to man and its results experienced in conscious
knowledge.