Be at' i tudes



GOD IS OUR FATHER.


The Old Law, the Law given to the Jews on Mount Sinai, tended to inspire
the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom. It was given amidst
fire and smoke, thunders and lightnings, and whatever else could fill
the minds of the Jews with fear and wonder. Compelled, as it were, by
the idolatrous acts of His chosen people, by their repeated rebellions,
and their endless murmurings, God showed Himself to them as the almighty
Sovereign, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, whose holiness, power,
majesty, and severity in punishing sin, filled their minds with awe and
dread.

It was not thus that the New Law, the Law of grace and love, was given
to the world. No dark cloud covered the mount of the Beatitudes from
which our Lord preached; no deafening thunders were heard; no angry
flashes of lightning were visible. There was nothing forbidding in the
voice, words, or appearance of the Divine Lawgiver. In the whole
exterior of our Savior there was a something so sweet, so humble, so
meek and captivating, that the people were filled with admiration and
love.

One of the most remarkable features of this first sermon that Christ
preached is the fact that He constantly called God our Father. How
beautifully His teachings reveal the spirit of the Law of love! Listen
to Him attentively, and ponder upon His words: