The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-03
WHAT is THERE FOR Us TO Dor

hOW IL our agency concerned III Ino
matter of the final salvation ?" eff
Universalism is true, if God infallibly
designs and certainly effects the saliva
ton of all, what have we to do about its"
1t may be said in answer, that we have
to do in the way of ordaining
or devising our salvation as the end
with regard to which our being is, nor
are we to procure the end or make the
design of God effectual; for God de-
signs us for holiness and happiness, and
he fulfills his design by his own effect
ual working in and through us.
Our action is concerned with the ac-
ceptance of his rule over us, and with
the choice of our mind to conform to
his mind, and to come into the enjoy
ment of what he has designed and pre-
pared for us.
Gods design and plan is to bring us
to see the truth about our relation to
him, and to understand that nothing
but conformity to this truth will do for
us. His plan is to so teach and lead
us that we perceive this truth-per-
ceive it SO clearly that we must believe
it in all earnestness. Then, we accept
it and know it. Then, it becomes to
us a reality Of experience. His will is
fulfilled in us, and we are established
in holiness and happiness. But we at
tain to this clear sight of the truth only
through much experience, in which
many pains are endured. The extreme
of want and woe represented by the
wretchedness and restitution of the
prodigal son, may have to overwhelm
us before we come completely to our
selves; but when we see the truth as
the prodigal saw it at last, we accept it
as he accepted tive choose it as he
chose it-and it becomes our portion
forever.
There is that in us which prefers the
truth when clearly and fully seen. Our
inmost spirit is inclined to the accept
ance of that which we clearly see to be
true in itself. This is perfectly nat
ural to that divine element in us which
constitutes us the offspring of God;
but as long as through ignorance we
look for good in selfish ends, rather
than in those ends that are spiritual
and holy, we 60 astray from truth, and
fall into wretchedness and pain of spirit.
We must learn that state of life which
is divinely pure, embraces the true end
of our being, that the design of our ex-
istence is fulfilled in nothing less. When
we learn this-as we surely must if
God is supreme-we shall certainly &C
cept the truth and choose it for our
guidance. Holiness and happiness is
the end for which we are made. This
end is divinely and infallibly ordained
in the creative intent and when we
believe this, we begin to enjoy saliva
ton, and to live the life of love to God
and man. Then we cease to look for
the supreme rule of action in self and
selfish ends.
We know that life, when actuated by
love to God and man, tends to purity
and not to sin that in this love there
is no sin. Therefore the genuine be-
lever in universal salvation, when
asked the question, 'May we not then
continue in sin, seeing that the grace of
God thus abounds, and our final saliva
ton is sure ?"-replies with Paul, 'By
no means How can we that are dead
to sin live any longer therein ?" ''How
can we that have come into the love of
God by seeing and believing his truth,
any longer choose to oppose his will ?
When the soul comes into the clear
light of Gods truth it's love of sin passes
away. IN the language Of the apostle,
it dies to sin. 1t sees that the thing
from which sin proceeds is condition
of falsity-a state of ignorance con-
corning truth. Therefore, through the
knowledge of the truth, the things be-
fore done in the willfulness Of ignorance
are abhorred, and the desire of right
eousness takes the place of the desire
of sin. Selishness no longer rules the
spirit. The love of the right and the
good, which truth awakens, tends all
the while to growth in divine character.
This growth may appear to be slow at
first, owing to the strength of habits to
be overcome, but is surely going on,
and the work of reform is progress
ing.
Therefore the great need of men is to
know their salvation as the design of
God in instituting their being-as the
end with regard to which he is infalli-
bly, training them. They need to un-
derstand that perfect union of their
souls with God, and with all good, is a
matter that rests in the infallible pur-
pose and will of the Creator that it is
not an affair of contingency at all;
that it is not the result of any expedi-
emit or device; that it has nothing to
do with any provision which may or
may not prove successful in the end
but that it depends on the infallible in