"But he that doeth truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be manifest, that they are wrought in God."[A] [Footnote A: St. John iii:18-21.] LESSON V. (Scripture Reading Exercise.) DIFFICULTIES INVOLVED IN THE DOCTRINE OF IMMANENCE. ANALYSIS. I. Incompatibility of the Existence of Evil in the World, and the Immanence of God. II. Reason for the Existence of Moral Evil.[A] III. Difficulties that Arise from a Partial View of Man's Life. IV. The Golden Age Promised--the Millennium. IV. The Lessons from Broken Harmonies--a World wherein Reigns Evils. REFERENCES. The Scripture passages and works cited in the lesson text. _SPECIAL TEXT: "Thou [God] are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?" (Habakkuk i:13.)_ [Footnote A: Under this subdivision of the lesson should be considered especially the matter in note m, this lesson, and the lessons cited from Year Books II and IV above and a review of the lessons cited from former Year Books in note.] DISCUSSION. _1. Incompatibility of Immanence and Evil Stated:_ It is conceded that the conception of God Immanent in the universe--everywhere existing and everywhere dynamic power, though not everywhere equally manifested, carries with it many and great difficulties that attend upon all forms of human thinking when seeking the harmony that one feels must exist in the things that are--in truth. For example: one naturally would say, as soon as the conception of the Immanence of God takes firm lodgment in his mind,--"why, then, if God is in his world everywhere present, and everywhere, not only powerful, but all-powerful; not only knowing, but all-knowing; not only good but all-good, holy in fact, and cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance[A]--why then is there evil in the world, physical suffering, and moral wrong, injustice, cruelty?[B] Why is the sum of human misery so great?[C] Why is the sum of human happiness so small?[D] Why do the good suffer adversity? Why does prosperity so frequently, in this world at least, attend upon the wicked? In the words of the Hebrew prophet addressed to God: "Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue, when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he"?[E] Why do the sins of the wicked involve the innocent--why are the innocent made to suffer with the guilty?[F] Why does truth make such tardy appearance in the world, and why of so partial rather than of universal distribution? How can freedom co-exist, that is, the freedom of man as a free moral agent, co-exist with the Sovereign will of the All-Powerful and Immanent God?[G] [Footnote A: Doc. and Cov., Sec. i:31. Also Habakkuk i:13 and Psalms v:4-6.]