“No; but rather good. I would seek, in doing so, not only to keep my wife and children from becoming a burden upon others, but to secure to them those worldly advantages so necessary to the healthy development of mind and body.”
“And do you think a merciful God would visit you, vindictively, for acting with such an unselfish purpose in your mind? How strange must be your notion of Him who is represented to us as being in his very nature love! Now, we know that love seeks to impart a blessing to all—not a curse.”
“But there is such a thing as running in the face of Providence, and this life insurance has always struck me as being something of the kind.”
“What do you mean by running in the face of Providence?”
“Doing something in order to counteract the Divine purpose.”
“Do you know the Divine purpose in regard to yourself?”
“Then, how can you, knowingly, do any thing to counteract that purpose?”
“I can’t, knowingly; but I may do so ignorantly.”
“Then you think that the Lord sometimes punishes men for acts innocently done?”
“Such an idea has been in my mind. Man is responsible for his acts, and should, therefore, be very guarded about what he does. His ignorance will not always excuse him.”
“Suppose your child were to do something wrong, yet you had the clearest evidence in your mind that his intentions were good, and not evil; would you punish him?”
“Because they made the quality of the act so far as he was concerned?”
“Will you make God less reasonable, considerate, and just than yourself? Does not He also regard the motives which influence his children?”
“Why—yes—I suppose He does. But—we ought to be very sure that our motives are right.”
“I grant you that, with all my heart. We must take care that we are not consenting to the death of the saints, under the mad hallucination that we are doing God’s service. But, with reason and revelation for our guide, we need not be in much fear of going wrong.”
“No; I suppose not. Still, I can’t get away from the idea suggested. I feel as if to insure my life would be trifling with a solemn matter.”
“And that life might fail you in consequence?”
“Such is the impression, I must confess.”
“You must, then, think that the providence in regard to the time of a man’s death is arbitrary and capricious?”