GOD MANIFEST: A TREATISE ON THE GOODNESS, WISDOM, AND POWER OF GOD, AS MANIFESTED IN HIS WORKS, WORD, AND PERSONAL APPEARING: SHOWING, ALSO, HOW THE PERMISSION OF MORAL AND PHYSICAL EVIL IS RECONCILABLE WITH THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year, 1858, by O. PRESCOTT HILLER, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL. PREFACE. In the following work, the author has sought to solve some of the great problems of the "mystery of life,” under the bright light of the New Dispensation, in which light alone they are solvable. He has endeavored to trace both moral and physical Evil to their true source: to show that the latter is but an effect of the former, and that the former is simply the result of a perversion of man's faculties,—the possibility of which perversion was necessarily implied in his existence as a free and rational being. The origin of the Diseases, which so widely afflict mankind, is also attempted to be shown the origin, also, of fierce Animals, and of noxious and poisonous Plants and Minerals; the causes, too, of Poverty in social life, of Tyranny in political life, and of Wars between nations. And, everywhere, the great object has been to make it plain that with man himself, and not with the good Creator, lies the responsibility for all these evils. : On the other hand,—in all the uses and beauties of the natural world, in all that is good, true, and happy amongst men both in time and eternity, the presence, the operation, the creating and sustaining power of the same good and wise Being are sought to be made manifest, and all the glory is shown to belong to Him alone. In the wisdom of a Socrates, the genius of a Shakspeare, the goodness and greatness of a Howard and a Washington,-everywhere, the writer has sought to display a present God. Above all, the volume of the Holy Word is shown to be truly God's voice speaking to men,-and Jesus Christ, the Saviour, to be God appearing and made visible to men. In attempting to set forth in a single volume so various and important truths, the author was aware of the difficulties of his task. With what degree of success it has been executed, will be left to the reader to determine. He can only say, that, in every part of his work, he has continually looked up for aid and guidance to the great and good Being, whose love and wisdom he was striving to set forth, and that, in answer to that prayer, he was conscious continually of His supporting Hand. He trusts, therefore, that the work, thus executed, will have the Divine blessing, and be found useful to his fellow-men. August, 1858. |
