Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-04-10

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him and render him our service then we see no
inducement to become deeply interested in perso-
nal religion )" they who have this greater view,
can adopt that expressive saying of apostolic
faithfulness " For the love of Christ constraln-
eth us, because thus judge, that If one died Tor
all, then were all dead and that he died for all
that they who live should live henceforth not I'M
to themselves but unto him that died for us and
| rosa again" Herein seems difference between
the olden testimony, and the new, which we have
now on examination God grant to Christians OF
| modern times more of the clear vision of those
who stood nearest in their day to Hum who is " the
| Way the Truth, and the Life"
The Christian service is JOY, and not an aiiic'
ton. Eye shall find rest to your souls, is the
assurance Of i'm who ever calls us to this rest in
| his truth. The church and the world need these
views of obedience to the divine law. They have
| had grOsser ones long enough. There is a story
| related of poor frenzied woman who was seen to
cross heath one morning with pan OF live Goals
IN one hand, and pitcher of water IN the other.
| Curious to know her errand some one asked her
whittier she was going and what she wished to do.
"Why," said she, with this pitcher of water l
am going to put out hell and with this pan of
Goals am going to burn up Heaven; and then
| see who'll serve Cod" What comment, and that
too, from such source, that view Of obedience
to God, which must be rendered from these eter-
nal motives instead of being sought and loved
because of the beauty and glory of the heavenly
life itself!
Let us, then, forgive our brother his inconsider-
ateness in the speech he has made BE did not,
we think, utter it after mature reflection. We
think better of him than to suppose that with the
abilities he evidently possesses, he can consent to
have this st tement Of his stand as indicative of
his best Judgment in this direction. There are
not few Of his own denominational fraternity
who will have higher view of our inducements
IN Nv nba If tvlia oh
brother is the conductor, contains from time to
time, just such testimonies respecting reasons
for loving God, our faith itself teaches and APP
proves | might, if had time, make large quo
tations from it, showing that we have never had
In any Of our publications, clearer, stronger, or
more forcible presentations of practical as well as
doctrinal Universalism, than what the columns of
the independent contain. We hail and welcome
them They are so much said for Gods truth and
for the help of man into higher views Of himself
his race, and the God and Father of all.
friend informs me Of discourse which he
lately heard preached by minister of the Metho-
dist fraternity, wherein this false idea that Chris
tianity brings little reward in this life to its fol-
lowers, and that its chief value is TO save from
endless misery, and secure immortal happiness in
the life to come, was severely dealt with He elo-
quenty maintained that to be a Christian is the
highest expression of manhood, and brings the
purest Joy IN the present life, to the soul.
The elder DR.. Beecher once said of us, off as
Universalists believe, all men are going to heaven
at last, should think they would see the beauty
and worth of life of holiness here. should think
they would desire a heaven to go ito heaven in!"
That was truthful as well as admirable And how
different from the idea that if Universalism be
true there is little reason why any one in this life
should "beoome deeply interested in personal re-
ligion"
But we have said enough on this head. Our
faith is perpetual call to the highest service Of
the soul-love to God and love to man. "Beoved,
If God so loved us, we ought also to love one
another"
"Love is the strongest tie
That hear IS unite;
1t makes service liberty,
Our every burden light.
We run il Gods commands
When love directs the way,
With willing hearts and ready hands,
We chetIfuly obey"
Such is the obedience believed in. sueb the per-
sonaI piety and spiritual life practced by the true
believer in the doctrine of the reconciliation of
the world.
The second statement of our brother, in the
publication of which we have spoken will next
claim our attention. And this is soon answered:
elf Uniyersalism is true; if Christ really
meant that men should strive to enter in at the
straight gate, because there ARE few that are
saved, then it is great pity that the Universal
lists of Worcester have not been converted to
saving faith"
That Jesus Greatly meant that men should
strve to enter in at the strait gate" we have the
authority of the New Testament for believing
But we seek, as nearly as we can obtain it, the
true Interpretation of that expression.
Two words here used by our friend in this state
mcnt, deserve notice. They are "saved" and 'sav-
ing" These terms, with that of SALVATION, are
too often used, we have reason to think in an nm
scrupulous sense. We nowhere find in the Old or
New Testament, that the salvation of man implies
his rescue from unending punishment. The term
signifies sometimes temporal safety, or security,
but oftenest spiritual life and peace the state Of
the soul in truths service; the turning away of
the affectione from evil, and the conservation of
the sours powers to goodness, holiness love-
"Ihou shalt call his name Jesus because he shall
save his people from their sins" ffWho hath salei
us, saith an Apostle, "and called us with holy
calling. Believing, ye rejoice-receiving the end
Of your faith, i. O., aole beeUng even the saliva
ton of your souls ''Save yourselves" said Peter
to his hearers, on the day of Pentacost-stsave
yourselves, not from the fires of endless perdi-
ton hereafter but "from this perverse generation"
The Christians were denominated 'the saved"
"lhe Lord added to the church daily, such as
should be saved" To be saved was to be freed
from the service of SIM and made alive in the love
of holiness; and ga saving faith" signifies the
same
The direction to center in at the strait cate y
was given by our Lord to one who came to him
with the question, care there few that be saved %
What this question implies, commentators have
not tremendously decided. Some suppose it to
have reference to the future life, and to sipnifv
that but few Will secure the endless happiness Of
heaven; Others conclude that it has reference to
present salvation, and that but few comparativeIv
enter here into the joys of the heavenly kingdom
believe that the last named meaning is the true
one.' l judge thus because the reply is of sueh n
nature as to lead to this conclusion, Comparing it
with other similar sayings Of our Lord Jesus did
not deem 1T proper to return the questionera direct
answer; and yet the answer was one of heavenly
wisdom. II G who gave it seems to have had the
special good of the querist in view If he had
seriously asked Of Jesus, whether a part or the
whole of the race were to be finally saved through
him, and if Jesus saw that the answering of sucb
question directly, was the answer most needed by
him, have no donbt he would have given the
answer, such as his own language elsewhere implies.
"lhe father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the
world l, if | be lifted up from the earth. Will
draw all men unto me. As thou hast gwen him
power over all flesh, that he should give eternal
life to as many as thon hast given him"
Surely, the reply of Jesus could not have inti-
mated indifference on his part as to the Importance
of the question considered in its widest signifca.
ton. That we can never believe. He who loved
all men, had highest interest in such question.
and could have highest joy,-"the Joy that was
set before him"-only in one way of answering it.
But he seems to have framed this answer to meet
the case in hand The question seems to be,
" What Of the popularity or appropriately of this
new cause of yours Are the few or the many Ia
be reckoned among the saved in this kingdom y
The old question Of erpediency as to adopting or
rejecting the new fath--of seeking or avoiding
| the fellowship of its friends